Personal Resources

The chart below includes the Eight Forms of Capital, which were developed by permaculturists Ethan Roland and Gregory Landua, and is a
useful tool for evaluating all of your resources before you undertake the process of implementing permaculture practices on your property.

Personal Common Usefulness in Common Existing

Resources Currencies Examples Increasing Well-Being Inventories
Financial Money Equity or debt in the Our primary tool for exchanging Accounting records, bank
form of income, resources between one form and account statements,
savings, investments, another. Apart from its ability to investment portfolios,
grants, and loans. make other resource exchanges and loan and credit card
efficient, it has no intrinsic value. statements.

Material Materials; Buildings, infrastructure, The “stuff” we own or use. When Depreciation schedules, asset
nonliving “natural” equipment, tools, it comes to well-being, material lists, insurance addendums,
resources, such as computers, and resources are usually a means to photos, equipment lists,
stone, metal, fossil technologies. an end. maintenance records, and
fuels, etc. receipts.

Living Carbon, nitrogen, Animals, plants, water, The true basis for life on Earth. Property or land titles, crop
water and soil. logbooks, livestock logbooks,
gardening journals, plant
inventories, soil carbon
tests, water tests, and
biodiversity studies.

Social Connections Equity or debt in the A person or entity who has Address books, customer and
form of influence, “good social capital” can ask for supplier lists, social media
relationships, and favors. favors, influence decisions, and contacts, and email contacts.
communicate efficiently. Humans
are social beings and often
attribute significant well-being (or
suffering) to social resources.

Spiritual Prayer, intention, Any way you might The intent of what you do and Diaries, journals, photo
faith, karma measure your mental what drives you or guides your albums, and personal art
state (balanced, peaceful, actions. This is why you get up portfolios.
etc.), or any measure of every morning, and is intrinsically
spiritual attainment. tied to well-being.

Experiential Action Things you’ve done or Your embodied knowledge (i.e., Resumes, achievement
experienced. skills) that can both support certificates, and awards.
and be intrinsically tied to your
definition of well-being.

Intellectual Ideas, knowledge The “knowledge” assets, Intellectual assets and ideas can Computer hard drives, content
such as words, images, both support and be intrinsically platforms for videos, blogs,
and intellectual property tied to your definition of podcasts, portfolios, and lists
Adobe Stock/roberto; Adobe Stock/IgorYegorov

(patents and copyrights). well-being. of books.

Cultural Song, story, ritual Arts, celebrations, When individuals form a family, Photo albums, family videos,
traditions, taboos, village, city, bioregion, or and event calendars.
languages, and myths. nation and exchange various
resources, patterns begin to
emerge. Cultural resources are
an expression of our internal
and external processes as a
leFt:

community.
From

www.MotherearthNews.coM 35

32-38 Permaculture 2.indd 35 4/15/21 3:32 PM