{"item":{"id":3,"title":"Our Story timeline","body":"this comes from the module syntax","created_at":"2025-05-15T18:23:40.766Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:56:46.343Z","status":1,"events":[{"id":5,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Permagarden Technical Manual, Second Edition","body":"The second edition of the Permagarden Technical Manual was spearheaded by Mercy Corps through the USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded SCALE Award (2018–2022). It was updated to reflect and integrate new insights from extensive fieldwork. ","date":"2017-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-15T18:23:40.786Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:40:07.019Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2017","layout":"right","start_date":{"year":2017,"month":1,"day":1},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2NNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--220e79d77fbd5a6a2875ea158d05dbd0619ca369/usaid-mercycorps-awr.png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Permagarden Technical Manual, Second Edition","text":"The second edition of the Permagarden Technical Manual was spearheaded by Mercy Corps through the USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded SCALE Award (2018–2022). It was updated to reflect and integrate new insights from extensive fieldwork. "},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2NNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--220e79d77fbd5a6a2875ea158d05dbd0619ca369/usaid-mercycorps-awr.png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[406]},{"id":6,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Resilience Design in Smallholder Farming Systems","body":"

As the Permagarden Approach gained traction, a broader need emerged: a practical, participatory approach to guide larger-scale agricultural interventions using similar principles in humanitarian and development contexts.

The Resilience Design in Smallholder Farming Systems (RD) Approach took shape following discussions at the 2015 USAID/FFP-funded Symposium on Agroecological Principles, Design, and Practice, which gathered experts and practitioners to explore strategies for building resilience in smallholder farming systems.

Developed under the TOPS Program by Thomas Cole, Warren Brush, and Brad Lancaster – together with Mercy Corps staff Andrea Mottram, Eric Carlberg, and Abby Love – the RD Approach built on the permagarden experience and drew from principles of agroecology, permaculture, climate-smart agriculture, conservation agriculture, and bio-intensive methods.

","date":"2017-01-02T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-15T18:23:40.803Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:40:07.033Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2017","layout":"left","start_date":{"year":2017,"month":1,"day":2},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2dNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--517b0d86b8d1b1255a9c24c2add5de43458094d4/usaid-mercycorps.png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Resilience Design in Smallholder Farming Systems","text":"

"},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2dNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--517b0d86b8d1b1255a9c24c2add5de43458094d4/usaid-mercycorps.png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[409]},{"id":8,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Resilience Design at the Community- and Landscape-levels","body":"Expanding beyond individual farms, Resilience Design was then adapted for broader community and landscape-level applications. This work was spearheaded by Warren Brush and Natalie Topa, initially through Danida-funded Danish Refugee Council programs in East Africa. Today, international organizations such as the United Nations International Organization for Migration and the UN World Food Programme are integrating Resilience Design into new regions, helping communities worldwide build long-term resilience.","date":"2021-01-02T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-20T20:47:33.399Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:47:33.414Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2021","layout":"left","start_date":{"year":2021,"month":1,"day":2},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb29NIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--036150a1c8cbe58029626b160575d3e3e508224c/usaid-mercycorps-drc-danida.png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Resilience Design at the Community- and Landscape-levels","text":"Expanding beyond individual farms, Resilience Design was then adapted for broader community and landscape-level applications. This work was spearheaded by Warren Brush and Natalie Topa, initially through Danida-funded Danish Refugee Council programs in East Africa. Today, international organizations such as the United Nations International Organization for Migration and the UN World Food Programme are integrating Resilience Design into new regions, helping communities worldwide build long-term resilience."},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb29NIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--036150a1c8cbe58029626b160575d3e3e508224c/usaid-mercycorps-drc-danida.png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[409]},{"id":4,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Permagarden Technical Manual, First Edition","body":"The Permagarden Approach resulted from a need for an approach to home gardening in food security programs that prioritized soil health and water management. Drawing from biointensive agriculture (pioneered by John Jeavons) and permaculture (developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren), the initial manual was published in 2015 by Mercy Corps through the USAID/Food for Peace (FFP)-funded TOPS Program (2009–2017). It originated from training and methodologies developed by Thomas Cole and his work with African Women Rising and Peter Jensen.","date":"2015-05-07T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-15T18:23:40.768Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:40:07.003Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2015","layout":"left","start_date":{"year":2015,"month":5,"day":7},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb1lNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--9d3a0797ff0d9fe14ff814e457659f3cb1a7868c/usaid-mercycorps-awr.png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Permagarden Technical Manual, First Edition","text":"The Permagarden Approach resulted from a need for an approach to home gardening in food security programs that prioritized soil health and water management. Drawing from biointensive agriculture (pioneered by John Jeavons) and permaculture (developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren), the initial manual was published in 2015 by Mercy Corps through the USAID/Food for Peace (FFP)-funded TOPS Program (2009–2017). It originated from training and methodologies developed by Thomas Cole and his work with African Women Rising and Peter Jensen."},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb1lNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--9d3a0797ff0d9fe14ff814e457659f3cb1a7868c/usaid-mercycorps-awr.png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[406]},{"id":9,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Lok Neno: A Resilience Design Research, Training, and Demonstration Farm","body":"To further the body of evidence around Resilience Design and build a community of Resilience Design trainers, African Women Rising has developed a 15-acre training and research site, Lok Neno, in Northern Uganda in the Palabek Refugee Settlement. Established in 2022, Lok Neno serves as a gathering, learning, and demonstration site for Resilience Design practitioners. The AWR team – such as Olanya Patrick, Lalwedo Evelyn, and Aber Sharon Jolly– together with Thomas Cole, Warren Brush, and host and refugee community members, continue to expand and transform the site and further develop the RD training certification program. ","date":"2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-20T20:47:33.414Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:48:06.918Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"/approach/case-study-lok-neno/","link_text":"Learn more about Lok Neno","display_date":"2022","layout":"right","start_date":{"year":2022,"month":1,"day":1},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb3NNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--69ba4a37a698aebe821857d06f83457f1792b05d/Lok-Neno-May-2024.jpg?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Lok Neno: A Resilience Design Research, Training, and Demonstration Farm","text":"To further the body of evidence around Resilience Design and build a community of Resilience Design trainers, African Women Rising has developed a 15-acre training and research site, Lok Neno, in Northern Uganda in the Palabek Refugee Settlement. Established in 2022, Lok Neno serves as a gathering, learning, and demonstration site for Resilience Design practitioners. The AWR team – such as Olanya Patrick, Lalwedo Evelyn, and Aber Sharon Jolly– together with Thomas Cole, Warren Brush, and host and refugee community members, continue to expand and transform the site and further develop the RD training certification program. "},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb3NNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--69ba4a37a698aebe821857d06f83457f1792b05d/Lok-Neno-May-2024.jpg?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[409]},{"id":7,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Resilience Design Minimum Standards","body":"Additional RD resources, such as the Resilience Design Facilitator’s Guide and Minimum Standards, were created to fill a gap in program quality. These training and quality monitoring resources were developed under the USAID-funded SCALE Award, with contributions from Lauren Pincus, Elin Duby, Thomas Cole, Warren Brush, Andrea Mottram, Kristin Lambert, Jen Mayer, and Ali Blumenstock.","date":"2021-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-20T20:47:33.381Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:47:33.398Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2021","layout":"right","start_date":{"year":2021,"month":1,"day":1},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2tNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--781448919cd448e2a5f3242797c0fe68b1af8737/usaid-mercycorps.png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Resilience Design Minimum Standards","text":"Additional RD resources, such as the Resilience Design Facilitator’s Guide and Minimum Standards, were created to fill a gap in program quality. These training and quality monitoring resources were developed under the USAID-funded SCALE Award, with contributions from Lauren Pincus, Elin Duby, Thomas Cole, Warren Brush, Andrea Mottram, Kristin Lambert, Jen Mayer, and Ali Blumenstock."},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb2tNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--781448919cd448e2a5f3242797c0fe68b1af8737/usaid-mercycorps.png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[409]},{"id":10,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Permagarden Technical Manual, Third Edition","body":"The most recent edition of the Permagarden Technical Manual was published by Mercy Corps through the USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded SCALE and PRO-WASH Award (2023–2025). Its revisions were shaped by training efforts, consulting experience, and long-term feedback from multiple RD demonstration sites. This effort was led by Thomas Cole and Warren Brush in collaboration with African Women Rising (AWR). The evolution of these materials – including complementary minimum standards and monitoring checklists – would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of program staff, technical experts, writers, editors, and, most importantly, gardeners and farmers who continue to apply and refine permagarden methods. Key contributors include Andrea Mottram, Eric Carlberg, Kristin Lambert, Abby Love, Lauren Pincus, Elin Duby, and the AWR team, among others.","date":"2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-20T20:51:18.941Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:51:18.955Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2023","layout":"left","start_date":{"year":2023,"month":1,"day":1},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb3dNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--80d1863fe37b2fe0f349573dc4b9a380121cb014/usaid-mercycorps-awr.png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Permagarden Technical Manual, Third Edition","text":"The most recent edition of the Permagarden Technical Manual was published by Mercy Corps through the USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded SCALE and PRO-WASH Award (2023–2025). Its revisions were shaped by training efforts, consulting experience, and long-term feedback from multiple RD demonstration sites. This effort was led by Thomas Cole and Warren Brush in collaboration with African Women Rising (AWR). The evolution of these materials – including complementary minimum standards and monitoring checklists – would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of program staff, technical experts, writers, editors, and, most importantly, gardeners and farmers who continue to apply and refine permagarden methods. Key contributors include Andrea Mottram, Eric Carlberg, Kristin Lambert, Abby Love, Lauren Pincus, Elin Duby, and the AWR team, among others."},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBb3dNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--80d1863fe37b2fe0f349573dc4b9a380121cb014/usaid-mercycorps-awr.png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[409]},{"id":11,"timeline_id":3,"status":null,"title":"Evidence Building","body":"The Resilience Design movement continues to build its evidence base around ecological stability, living soil, hydrology, nutrition, and production impacts. Recently, a world class research program was developed by leaders from partner institutions including NASA, Gulu University, and others. They have teamed up with AWR and others implementing the Resilience Design Approach to use earth observation and in situ data to measure changes in indicators such as erosion, water recharge, and plant health. Continue watching this space for learnings and published research as they become available!","date":"2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","created_at":"2025-05-20T20:51:18.956Z","updated_at":"2025-05-20T20:56:46.340Z","image_file_name":null,"link":"","link_text":"","display_date":"2024","layout":"right","start_date":{"year":2024,"month":1,"day":1},"background":{"url":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbzhNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--ce07f77832b70de4e1ed5cba6e5a15c2183bdd09/awr-nasa-gulu-university%20(2).png?disposition=inline"},"text":{"headline":"Evidence Building","text":"The Resilience Design movement continues to build its evidence base around ecological stability, living soil, hydrology, nutrition, and production impacts. Recently, a world class research program was developed by leaders from partner institutions including NASA, Gulu University, and others. They have teamed up with AWR and others implementing the Resilience Design Approach to use earth observation and in situ data to measure changes in indicators such as erosion, water recharge, and plant health. Continue watching this space for learnings and published research as they become available!"},"image":"/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBbzhNIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--ce07f77832b70de4e1ed5cba6e5a15c2183bdd09/awr-nasa-gulu-university%20(2).png?disposition=inline","mp4":null,"webm":null,"category_ids":[409]}]},"title":"The History of Resilience Design","desc":"

The Resilience Design (RD) Approach was developed to improve agricultural production and empower people and programs to proactively meet and overcome the challenges of land degradation, climate irregularities, and increasing shocks and stresses. RD is community-based and premised on a set of agroecological principles that integrate corresponding strategies and practices.

Read on to learn how RD was developed and refined over many years with contributions from diverse partners from over 17 countries around the world.

","header_img":"","bg_img":"/internal_resources/924/timeline-bg.jpg","categories":[{"id":406,"category_type_id":67,"title":"Permagarden Approach","created_at":"2025-05-07T18:00:53.387Z","updated_at":"2025-05-15T23:24:53.099Z","is_default":0,"max":null,"display_name":"2015-2017","description":"","position":0,"internal_only":0,"type":"Timeline Item Categories"},{"id":409,"category_type_id":67,"title":"Timespan Title","created_at":"2025-05-15T18:18:03.585Z","updated_at":"2025-05-15T23:24:34.476Z","is_default":0,"max":null,"display_name":"YYYY-YYYY","description":"","position":1,"internal_only":0,"type":"Timeline Item Categories"}],"autostart":false}