G'day ! This 23 year old has just woken up...to a new way of living!

[siobhaneleven]

This is a rather new interest for me, but one that has always been in the back of my mind.
I have been called "odd" by friends in the past for my refusal to believe that there is no other way to exist other than the way we do now. It isn't working! The ramifications of our greed and senseless over-indulgence can be seen all around us.
By learning all about permaculture by the seasoned gems here at PRI, I hope to gently influence my widely cynical and apathetic peer group by teaching through doing.
I believe there is joy to be found and a greater sense of achievement and fulfilment within ourselves and local communities when we learn to put back in what we take out. Food and water is just the beginning.

Looking forward to reading all of the juicy morsels from informed like-minded people!
If you have any particular tips for me on how and where to get started, I am open to all suggestions!

[Finchj]

Almost the same story as mine, welcome! So tell your friends that there are other young people who are fed up with the way things are run and what the expectations from us are. Besides, permaculture is a lot of fun. You can eat it too

What are you growing now? Do you have a garden or is that still an obstacle? When I first started out, I was lucky to find a community garden "lead" (if you will) by a permaculturalist where I could learn. Maybe you could find something similar?

[siobhaneleven]

Hi Finchj! Nice to know I'm not alone! I will be sure to warn them that we are the future and they'd better "get about it". ()
I grew up on a flower and bamboo plantation in Far Northern NSW and so a connection with the soil has always been strong in me - now if i can just make it into something tangible!
I am currently renting, but have an absolutely enormous backyard, a few hundred square metres at least. It isn't that renting is prohibiting me from creating a permaculture wonderland out the back, I have free range, it is the sandiness of the soil (I am less then 100 metres from the beach) and the knowledge that the landlord intends to pull this whole beautiful house down and begin afresh in a few years time... which sees me hesitant to put any great deal of effort and patience in only for all of the hard work to be worthless sooner than Id like.
That being said, I have mastered a little herb garden in a large concrete pot, a few kaffir lime trees and a delightful little warm farm for all of my scraps...
This community garden "lead".... I like the sound of that! I have not looked into searching for one in my local area (seems like a no-brainer now....) but I'll hop to it!

What are you growing? Have you your own garden now, or still contributing to the communities?

[Finchj]

I'm sure you'll be able realize your dream soon. That is too bad that your landlord intends to build a new home on his property, hopefully he doesn't go for a zero-lot-line monstrosity! But since he has allowed you to make some changes maybe he isn't that type.

I wish I had citrus trees in our garden! We are going to give it a try in the next couple of years, but it will require quite a few microclimate adjustments. That location sounds absolutely wonderful, makes me miss my time in Florida.

Funny how I misspelled "led" and it still turned out to be of use

I'm in Finland right now, so I'm not growing anything besides a small basil plant for my fiancee. Gets a bit cold in her studio apartment and there isn't much light, but I think it'll live. Back home we have a winter garden going and my parents tell me that they have too much lettuce! I'm sure if the lettuce is still going then most of the other cold weather crops are as well. When I return in January, I'll be starting our second year of gardening there and probably volunteering at a local gardens that could use some help.

Cheers!

[adiantum]

One excellent way to learn permaculture, and especially appropriate for young people without a career track or family responsibilities yet, is to travel around volunteering at established sites. There are sites that list these opportunities. (wwoof.org is the one I'm most familiar with) There are enough permaculture oriented places out there needing help that you could basically travel the world indefinitely....in some places close enough together that people from one site could give you a ride to the next or to a meeting place. Just about everyone will give you room and board, and some might even pay a stipend. Other sites might charge, especially if there's a formal training piece or a PDC involved.... But if you're a newbie with your eyes and ears open you will learn an incredible amount even without this. Many sites host several volunteers at a time so it can be a lot of fun socially too. This, plus a few good books, and you'll be well on your way to being prepared for a PDC if that's what you want to aim for. There is a lot to be said, too (contradicting myself a little though!) for finding some land access however and giving a whole growing season (or whole year, if your growing season is all year) or more to basic gardening and nature observation. Study. Get to know your plants...veggies, fruits, ornamentals, weeds, fungi; and bugs and worms and all the rest of it. Mollison often said to new PDC graduates, wondering what to do next, to "go home and garden!" I think one of his main points was to get disconnected people in intimate daily relationship with an ecosystem, as much for the education as for the food.
Enjoy the journey!

[siobhaneleven]

Love this adiantum, thanks so much for the info, I really appreciate it! I was looking at wwoofing in the next few years as a way to see more of our incredible country, and I may have a friend interested in coming along for the journey.
Ultimately, your last point about having a growing season/year of my own is ideal, that would be an unlimited source of education.
Wish me luck!

[SarahEdgecumbe]

Hi,

I'm in a similar boat. I'm Sarah from Brisbane, 3 months ago i had no clue about any of this. Today, all i want is some land to work :-) I had always thought that we were not being too kind to our home, but had never really given much thought to what i could do beyond filling up my recycling bin and taking shorter showers.

I have just realised what i could do and i'm spending as much time as i can learning about it. In three months i have gone from being a city girl to a city girl with a country gene that is just busting to get out!

Anyway, i'm brand new here as well. Good luck, shame about the garden, we have none at all and i'm really itching to get stuck into something. It's very hard. You have a great day.

Sarah from Brisbane

[labradel]

the gradual influence of your peer group by doing does work over time i have had some success with this but it difficult in an area surrounded by very conservative main steam farmers but like the rest of us we just need to keep working at it good luck