Sepp Holzer

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Sepp Holzer
Born (1942-07-24) July 24, 1942 (age 81)
Ramingstein, Austria
Scientific career
FieldsPermaculture, Agroforestry
A Rainwater harvesting landscape designed by Sepp Holzer in Tamera, Portugal

Josef "Sepp" Holzer (born July 24, 1942 in Ramingstein, Province of Salzburg, Austria) is a farmer, an author, and an international consultant for natural agriculture. After an upbringing in a traditional Catholic rural family, he took over his parents' mountain farm business in 1962 and pioneered the use of ecological farming, or permaculture, techniques at high altitudes (1100 to 1500 meters above sea level)[1] after being unsuccessful with regular farming methods.

Holzer was called the "rebel farmer" because he persisted, despite being fined and even threatened with prison,[2] with practices such as not pruning his fruit trees (unpruned fruit trees survive snow loads that will break pruned trees).[3] He has created some of the world's best examples of using ponds as reflectors to increase solar gain for passive solar heating of structures, and of using the microclimate created by rock outcrops to effectively change the hardiness zone for nearby plants. He has also done original work in the use of Hügelkultur and natural branch development instead of pruning (see Fruit tree pruning) to allow fruit trees to survive high altitudes and harsh winters.

He is currently conducting permaculture ("Holzer Permaculture") seminars both at his Krameterhof farm and worldwide, while continuing to work on his alpine farm. His expanded farm now spans over 45 hectares of forest gardens, including 70 ponds, and is said to be the most consistent example of permaculture worldwide. In the past he has experimented with many different animals. As a result of these experiments, there is a huge role for animals in the Holzer Permaculture. For example, Holzer is using pigs to dig new beds. This is a very effective way of digging, as the only thing he has to do is to throw some corn and fruit on the spot he wants dug up. A couple of days later, he can bring the pigs back to their enclosure and plant new plants in the bed. Holzer is able to successfully grow his plants without using any fertilizer.

He is author of several books, works nationally as permaculture-activist in the established agricultural industry, and works internationally as adviser for ecological agriculture.[4] He is the subject of the film The Agricultural Rebel directed by Bertram Verhaag.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Holzer´sche Permakultur - Permakultur with Sepp Holzer". Der Krameterhof. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  2. ^ "Permaculture Miracles in the Austrian Mountains". Celsias.com. 2008-03-23. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  3. ^ Ferguson, Julia. Ecological farming, permaculture; Alpine Garden of Eden proves Mother Nature knows best. Reuters. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "About Sepp Holzer" (PDF).
  5. ^ "The Agro Rebel". denkmal-film.com. Retrieved 28 April 2010.

External links

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