there are other folks doing permaculture here in the ways that work for them.  several places worth mentioning solitute farm.  the model they are using is to grow a csa and to feed their workers and also they have a restaurant.  they have 6 acres.  another one is the auro-orchrard which has 45 acres.  they are having trouble getting ag workers.  everyone else has housing for their workers and they do not, so they seem to be using local indian folk where they can get them.  they have traditional orchards, limes, mangoes, traditional to me means no interplants of medicinal herbs, different types of fruit and berries, dynamic accumulator plants (weeds) chop and drop nitrogen fixing trees.  they have like many situations in the u.s. 12 acres worth of water for their 45 acres.  a good place to use dry land farming, but not so easy for them to figure out.
the main thing about auroville from my perspective is that it is a planned community and things are very far away from each other.  so to register at auroville you go to one place, then you must go 3 – 5 kilometers to find your guest house, then you must go another 3 – 5 k to open an account so you can pay for your accommodations.  the work around here is mopeds or bicycles which everyone rents.
and that brings me to my moped accident.  i was so exhausted after all my travels, that even though i wanted a bicycle i did not have the energy to ride so far everyday.  i did not mention that food also was 3-4 k from where i was staying.  anyway so being totally exhausted i tried to rent a moped.  i crashed it on my first solo ride.  okay no moped.

however, suffered a herniated disc for my trouble and have been pretty much laid up ever since.  fortunately i can walk.  i cannot turn over in bed, but i can walk.  found an aurovedic healer who put poultices on my back and finally the inflammation is down enough that i do not scream when i cough or sneeze and can with a lot of pain but no screams turn over in bed.

this all speaks to what is really important.  how do you be in a foreign county where you have nothing to stand on so to speak, no way to get food, i was locked out of my bank account, my internet,  and have this kind of injury and survive.  the good news is if you have a master you can surrender and know that you are paying off karma and it is all good.