I've got much love to combust.

[anarchist912]

;) Hi. Call me Sven, thats my name.
I'm a little bit helpless, literally: I finally found Permaculture this august, studied Toby Hemenway's "Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Homescale Permaculture", found someone willing allocating his nearly 2 hectare ground for my first steps in the universe of permaculture and started about 4 weeks ago to realize the first changes to the landscape. Autumn is leaving, winter says hello, tomorrow it'll probably snow.
I have very little capacity, engergy and time left, besides my apprenticeship as a gardener for vegetable gardening, for pushing my project further.
Put it means the world to me. I think i will soon open up another thread on the project, if i dont find a better plattform (i mean australia is far away, and i dont know yet, how "international" this plattform is).

Im living vegan and "straight edge" (that means without any intoxicants, including alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sex only for lust, tv, meat, sugar (i'm working on this one) or anything else you can use to get high on (even a little) bit, so you don't have to face your deepest inner and outer reality).

In permaculture i seem to have found my way to help a little bitty with saving this world. I am worried about it. We humans have so much potential - this can mean "good" AND "bad".

I'm living in Germany, Bavaria, Miesbach (40 km South of Munich), together with my girlfriend. I'm 21, last year i failed finishing a one-year intensive study in Popular & Jazz Music at an institute for the study of electric guitar.. it was too much input for my senses & brain and looking for something more quiet i found gardening. I'm working at a ecological market garden. I'm also a early school leaver (dropped out) and have no good graduation. Thats why my apprenticeship is important, i really want to finish it.

As soon as i can (maybe not until i have finished) i want to get trained as a Permaculture Designer. I feel i should not loose time, and start immediately but it doesn't seem quite wise to me. (where does the money come from?). I can absolutely can imagine travelling around the world, helping teach permaculture - but first i have to learn a lot myself.

What else could i tell about me?

kindest greetings,
sven

[grassroots]

Hi Sven, welcome to the forum, I also am a follower of the Tao te ching. Keep on chugging along with the gardening, it is better to observe, think, talk as well as do(gardening).

[sun burn]

Hi Sven,

I don't understand this sentence at all. "I have very little capacity, engergy and time left, besides my apprenticeship as a gardener for vegetable gardening, for pushing my project further." What are you so busy doing that you don't have time to gardening for? What involved in this apprenticeship as a gardener? Are you working/studying with someone.

OPen up a thread in the members forum where you can report your developments as you go along.

wow you have two hectares to work on - that's a lot more htan most people.

"As soon as i can (maybe not until i have finished) i want to get trained as a Permaculture Designer. I feel i should not loose time, and start immediately but it doesn't seem quite wise to me. (where does the money come from?). I can absolutely can imagine travelling around the world, helping teach permaculture - but first i have to learn a lot myself."

YOu are expressing one of the problems of youth. You want everything at once and you don't want to earn you way and grow along. Think about process rather than end results. Enjoy your journey. One step at a time is the way to achieve things. If you want to become a designer, earn money, do the course, practice here and there and start your own place. I don't think many poeple make much money out of teaching so you better have other things on the go, ie, like your own place. I'd suggest you may too young to go into business as a consultant anyway. Why not make the decision to earn enough money to be able to buy your own property between teh ages of 30 and 35. Try to get more than just the deposit.

To get all this money, get a skill. Something that the people will pay good money for. Without an education, the building trades are a very good way to go. Those people especially when they go into business for themselves end up earning as much as many professionals. If you do something like carpentary, you will have great skills for building your own house. ON the other hand if you get yourself some sort of horticultural qualification you can end up in business for yourself as well although i think this is more competitive and less well remunerated unless you are at the top or very hardworking and cluey. I stick with a building trade. Also carpentary is a very transferrable skill. You can do this all around the world. Such a skill will always be in demand. YOu just have to be a good steady worker as well. You will never be short of money to do the things you want to do with your life.

[anarchist912]

I don't understand this sentence at all. [..] What are you so busy doing that you don't have time to gardening for? What involved in this apprenticeship as a gardener? Are you working/studying with someone.

I dont know if "apprenticeship" is the right word. (i looked it up) What i mean is: i have to at least work 39 hours a week, then learn for school, and so on.. Please dont understand me wrong. I dont want to whine here. I just thougt i could tell something about my situation, my plans, my actual actions regarding permaculture. I could put it that way: Im struggling hard, to push it forward, and I will shurely not give up.

Yes, your right. The path is made by walking. Even the longest journey begins with the first little steps. I have no doubt. I think its about finding the right balance between focus and openess. You can take a wrong direction (can you?), when youre to crampedly focusing on something in the future.. if you dont focus on anything, dont aim.. what is it then, that destines your way?

I thank you for your kind advice.
Im interested in "interest on interest" and things like that at the moment (there was an article about that on the pri page, i think).. I wanna see, what i can do best to save my money. i opened up a green giro account last week. I think im quite good in relinquishing (right word? you know, what are said to do).
A friend of mine is having an apprenticeship as a carpenter. Hes is also a Musician, went to school with me. Other than I, he managed to make the final secondary-school examinations. Maybe hes on the better way?;) In those first 3 months now soon as a gardener i had to learn, that, especially in ecological gardening, its not easy to make much money. But i dont want to work myself to death. Ill see, what Im gonna do in 3 years, when im finished :whew:. Maybe live in a tent?