From here to there and back again

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself Here' started by sbrokvam, Dec 1, 2009.

  1. sbrokvam

    sbrokvam Junior Member

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    I've posted a bit here on the forum over the last couple of months, but not actually introduced myself properly yet. Manners...tsk, tsk - well, here's me and how I came to permaculture:

    I'm a Norwegian living in Australia. I studied philosophy back in the early nineties, focusing on environmental philosophy: Arne Næss (originator of "deep ecology"), David Suzuki and various more traditional philosophers... I never heard of permaculture at the time, but reading E.F. Schumacher and Næss introduced me to basically the same ethical positions.

    I know Al Gore cops a lot of flack, but his 2006 movie actually reminded me of a lot of things I'd kind of forgotten about. See, back then at uni I recycled, ate vegetarian, donned a beard and endlessly discussed the ills of industrial society over countless cups of herbal tea. With a few like-minded friends I even considered buying a farm and living off the land. That particular (probably rather escapist) impulse never led anywhere, but we really didn't know the first thing about farming anyway, so for all the little lambies we didn't end up neglecting, that was probably a good thing.

    Things changed quickly, what with marriage, kids, work, etc, and suddenly international travel and work as well, and as I got busy all the stuff about Limits to Growth and the Coming End of Industrial Society kind of faded into the background for me. I worked in IT and I lived in Australia and Asia for a while, and have now settled in SE Queensland for good.

    But about Al Gore... We had a screening of Inconvenient Truth at my workplace in late 2006, courtesy of our Go Green group, and sitting in the dark auditorium (I'm a teacher), it was a bit like being shaken awake from slumber - the odd sense of time suspended, and when suddenly things snap back into view you don't know how long you've been asleep, but you remember starkly something you'd forgotten. I couldn't understand how a decade could have just gone by like that while I wasn't paying attention. Now awake to what was going on, I did my very best to catch up on what I'd missed on the climate front, and there was quite a bit... I soon came across peak oil and peak lots of other stuff - the term was new to me, if not the general concept - and a bit later I came across permaculture, at which point something clicked - here was a practical, infinitely flexible DIY response to both climate change and resource depletion that matched my personal ethical inclinations.

    For the last year or so I've been reading up on permaculture and in the last couple of months, since moving to our own piece of suburbia in Australia (as opposed to renting in an Asian mega city), I've been doing my best to learn how to compost, grow food, raise worms and chickens and harvest water. Given my family and work situation, I don't see how I will be able to do a PDC, but books help a lot and I know a few very approachable permies in the area (helpfully directing to the PRI forum, for example!).

    So here we are, learning new things every week: mandala and fruit trees, check. Chooks, check. Composting frozen cane toads, check. :) Water tanks - just need to hook 'em up. Putting in the pond in the mandala on the weekend... The next thing I need to figure out is the succession of plants in the mandala - at what point do you pull out the scraggly, spent lettuces and stuff something new in there? Do I let the chooks in there to turn it all over one section at a time? If so, what about the fact that right next to the dried up lettuce plant, there's a thriving eggplant? I didn't plan it all that well, it seems... And should I be worried that the pumpkin seems hellbent on dominion over the entire garden?

    Anyway, that's me and where I'm at. Looking forward to learning lots more, and perhaps even getting to a PDC course one day. It's only a fairly short drive to Zaytuna farm, I understand.

    Ståle
     
  2. Bird

    Bird Junior Member

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    Re: From here to there and back again

    Hi sbrovkvam

    Welcome to never ending learning curve, good luck with your venture and happy gardening.

    Bird
     
  3. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Re: From here to there and back again

    LOL, good one. Have you see the "Dead cats as compost starter" thread yet?

    Isn't it the truth about waking up. Kind of like re-finding your true self. Welcome and thanks for posting your introduction ... makes me feel that we're all friends here! = )

    Bill
     
  4. thepoolroom

    thepoolroom Junior Member

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    Re: From here to there and back again

    There are some online PDCs available. They have very flexible schedules - one I know of has no time limits or anything, you just work through it at your own pace. When you complete the whole curriculum, you get your certificate.
     
  5. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: From here to there and back again

    An Overdue Welcome.
    You write Very clearly and fluently so that sometimes the humour bombs get overlooked. What did he say? good one! LOL

    " "Dead cats as compost starter" thread"??
    Bill, the standard of moderation here has gone to the Devil. LOL
    Next time a Yank tells me we should be TNR-ing (Trap Neuter Release) feral cats in Oz I will refer them to that thread! That should start WW3?
     
  6. sbrokvam

    sbrokvam Junior Member

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    Re: From here to there and back again

    Thanks for the warm welcomes, and I'd certainly be interested in looking into the possibility of doing an online PDC.

    Ståle
     
  7. gemjill

    gemjill Junior Member

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    Re: From here to there and back again

    G'day and welcome
    I know exactly what you mean by being asleep for a decade or so; the hurly burly of life just got in the way of what was once priorities, thankfully you and I both, woke up.
    Sounds like you have a good set up going.
    Pumpkins' intention is to take over, which is why I think traditionally the pumpkin patch was at the very end of the garden so it could clamber over everything that doesn't get used very much.
    Experience is the best teacher, one's own and other's.
    I intended to do a strict rotation with the veggie beds, giving over to the chooks afterwards etc; but it hasn't worked for me, it is only very occasionally that a bed is completely empty and if something has come up by itself I thank it and let it grow. I just keep bunging on the compost and manure and planting where there is a space.
    keep us posted
    cheers
     

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