question of a 14 year old: starting a permaculture carriére when I'm older.

Discussion in 'Jobs, projects, courses, training, WWOOFing, volun' started by Matis, Aug 19, 2013.

  1. Matis

    Matis Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2011
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hello,

    When I am older, I'd like to have a permaculture carriére. Has anybody got tips? I asked it to many experts but they are all to busy so I asked it to you.

    My plan is to finish college, then go travel to Australia, following courses at zaytuna farm and wwoofing at permaculture farms. Then go to the agricultural university and after that emigrate to a (sub)tropical country.

    Greetings Matis
     
  2. Grahame

    Grahame Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2008
    Messages:
    2,215
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    36
    G'day Matis. What is a Carriere?
     
  3. Matis

    Matis Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2011
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Oh It means career. Sorry I forgot that it was the French word and not the English.
     
  4. Grahame

    Grahame Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2008
    Messages:
    2,215
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    36
    No worries, excuse my ignorance of French :)

    To me Matis a Permaculture career could mean many things. I think of it more as a philosophy for living, a way to treat the world and the people in it. If I were to offer advice I would say that you need to choose a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life. It might even be a saying by Confucius. The trick will be to weave permacultural principles and practices into that life. Are there any things that you are naturally drawn to doing?
     
  5. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
    ou could just hold that thought in your mind (wanting to make a life in permaculture) and do your internship at Zaytuna and see what happens. Make sure you let LOTS of people know that you are available as they may approach you. My 45 years on this planet have taught me to not plan to far in advance as sometimes sticking to your plan slavishly means not seeing that there are great opportunities at your feet. Trust that you won't fall in a heap and that there will always be something for you to do and a way to make ends meet and you'll have an interesting and fulfilling life.
     
  6. Unmutual

    Unmutual Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2012
    Messages:
    599
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Learn all your school lessons well. All the sciences(including physics and chemistry) can help. All the maths(including trigonometry) can help. Language skills are important no matter what you do in life, good communication is a must. History and social studies are important. The entire length of human history gives us a basic understanding of human systems. Even prehistoric Earth before humans has some relevance. The arts are even important. So do your utmost best in school, and it will help a lot with college. Don't ignore a subject just because it bores you to tears.

    Things you can do now: grow veggies and fruit, learn how to save seed, learn how to make compost(or vermicompost). Actually, there are literally tons of things you can learn now. I think I'd start with nurturing plants. Think of a single crop that grows well in your area and grow it from seed to seed. Learn everything about that crop and then next year grown something else. If you live close to a forested area, try spending time in and around the forest and just observe the plants, trees and animals. You can do the same thing for natural aquatic systems and any other systems that you may live close to. Just make sure it's safe and that your parents are okay with it. Better yet, bring an adult with you or a group of friends. Start making a log of species that you see, try to identify plants and animals, and try to figure out their relationship and also what niche they're filling. Maybe you can start practicing listing the needs and outputs of elements in a natural system.

    I'm not sure doing permaculture and then going to college for agriculture is a good idea. A PDC will change the way you think(for the better, of course). I feel bad saying that...

    Not that I can complain about the subtropics, but why do you want to leave the Netherlands?
     
  7. Matis

    Matis Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2011
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hi,

    Thanks you all!

    ''I'm not sure doing permaculture and then going to college for agriculture is a good idea. A PDC will change the way you think(for the better, of course). I feel bad saying that...''

    Well it is an university where they investigate many things, https://www.wageningenur.nl/en/About-Wageningen-UR.htm They research many things.


    ''Learn all your school lessons well. All the sciences(including physics and chemistry) can help. All the maths(including trigonometry) can help. Language skills are important no matter what you do in life, good communication is a must. History and social studies are important. The entire length of human history gives us a basic understanding of human systems. Even prehistoric Earth before humans has some relevance. The arts are even important. So do your utmost best in school, and it will help a lot with college. Don't ignore a subject just because it bores you to tears''


    Yes ofcourse, otherwise I won't get a diploma :)

    ''Things you can do now: grow veggies and fruit, learn how to save seed, learn how to make compost(or vermicompost). Actually, there are literally tons of things you can learn now. I think I'd start with nurturing plants.''

    I do have a piece of our garden, I grow vegetables, fruits and I am experimenting with grains like short season rice for guerilla growing. I also have an edible bog garden.
    My vermicomposting system goes very slow, there aren't enough worms in it yet.

    '' If you live close to a forested area, try spending time in and around the forest and just observe the plants, trees and animals. You can do the same thing for natural aquatic systems and any other systems that you may live close to. Just make sure it's safe and that your parents are okay with it. Better yet, bring an adult with you or a group of friends. Start making a log of species that you see, try to identify plants and animals, and try to figure out their relationship and also what niche they're filling. Maybe you can start practicing listing the needs and outputs of elements in a natural system.''

    Yes, I sleep in the forest sometimes, and try to find as many edible plants as I can. But the bad thing is that the forests here are more like parks, they used to grow lots of pine for the coal mines in South Limburg (about 130 km south). And now they don't cut lots of them down, but they don't renew the forest with native species.
    And since I live on driftsand, the forest doesn't contain lots of species because of the extremely poor soil.


    "Not that I can complain about the subtropics, but why do you want to leave the Netherlands?"

    Well, when I look at how a food forest can look like in a warmer climate compared to our damp, cool climate, it looks sooo cool! Perennial legumes, lots of tropical fruit trees and lots of yams and stuff like that. And the land here is very expensive. This is because the land is crowded. And I just love the subtropics, when we go to Turkey there is somebody who my dad knows, he lives in a frostfree zone and he grows avocadoes, mangoes, bananas, he even has a perennial lima bean. I just love the climate (not true tropical, when you don't have any season but the dry and rainy season).

    "ou could just hold that thought in your mind (wanting to make a life in permaculture) and do your internship at Zaytuna and see what happens. Make sure you let LOTS of people know that you are available as they may approach you. My 45 years on this planet have taught me to not plan to far in advance as sometimes sticking to your plan slavishly means not seeing that there are great opportunities at your feet. Trust that you won't fall in a heap and that there will always be something for you to do and a way to make ends meet and you'll have an interesting and fulfilling life."

    Yes I know, but I really want to have something like Geoff so bad. But then with a small eco village and not just focused on the courses but also on selling the farm produce itself. And some small vacation houses for people who want on vacation there. And I really want it and I only have one life so I want to have this and not find out later that I've done something wrong...

    "No worries, excuse my ignorance of French

    To me Matis a Permaculture career could mean many things. I think of it more as a philosophy for living, a way to treat the world and the people in it. If I were to offer advice I would say that you need to choose a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life. It might even be a saying by Confucius. The trick will be to weave permacultural principles and practices into that life. Are there any things that you are naturally drawn to doing?"

    Uhm, nature, science and I like to learn people things and that they can learn something to me.


    Greetings Matis
     
  8. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Matis don't forget that Geoff didn't know what he wanted to do when he was 14 either.... And probably still didn't have a clue at 28. There'll be time for you to be even more amazing. Don't forget to enjoy the journey rather than always looking at the destination....
     
  9. Matis

    Matis Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2011
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yes I know but it is difficult. I think that I will just finish college as plan and then when I am going to Geoff, maybe he can give me some advise.
     
  10. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2011
    Messages:
    2,984
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    38
    No point into going to a drone factory (college) if you are going to Zaytuna to learn properly.
     
  11. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
  12. Matis

    Matis Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2011
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Thank you very much :)
     
  13. sherimenelli

    sherimenelli Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2013
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    HI Matis,

    I'm 43 and only in the last few years discovered Permaculture and now plan on changing it into my career.

    I think that if you really have an interest in a subject, it is important to spend as much time learning on your own now. There are so many advantages to being a teenager and asking for advice/help. Many people will want to help you as we would help our own children. You will find many opportunities that we as adults would not be offered because we have such respect for your passion at this age.

    To capitalize on the opportunities, you need to learn as much as you can now on your own. Read every permaculture book you can find. Watch every video on youtube that has to do with permaculture, sustainability, environment, etc. There is a place that offers a free permaculture class online, you won't get all the content and you won't get a PDC but it is a good start to watch the videos. I also watched a college course that was on video from a University or college in North Carolina in the US that was very valuable - I think it was called Introduction to Permaculture. There are a few people like Paul Wheaton and Paul Gordon (Tall Paul) doing Podcasts. Probably others as well. I'd listen to all of those.

    But also it is important to go get the experience. Grow food now. Try some of the methods that Geoff Lawton, Sepp Holtzer, Masanobu Fukuoka and others talk about. Help out neighbors to grow food. If they have never grown anything, they will appreciate your help. If they do already grow food there is always something to learn.

    Personally, I think it would be more valuable to get a PDC BEFORE you go to college. Perhaps you can get one during summer vacation. Having a skill like that can help you to support yourself during college but also you can take that knowledge at better apply it to your studies. Also what you learn now will help to steer you in the aspect you are most interested in. Most of the time we graduate with a degree without knowing what we want to do. You might want to do something with agriculture but maybe you fall in love with alternative energy or creating community or architecture or teaching or journalism. You won't know without reading a lot and getting alot of experience first.

    Employers love to hire new graduates who have already shown that they have gotten experience on their own.

    You might be able to do a student exchange and go to Australia very soon. Find out if you really love it, gain contacts and learn from experts nearby.

    At this point in your life, don't be afraid to volunteer. Help the experts for free who didn't have time to answer your questions and they will warm up to you and teach you a lot!

    I'd even ask my relatives that instead of presents that they give you money so that you can use it towards taking a PDC course and getting certified.

    Just take massive action now because it will pay itself off many times over if you do.

    Good luck.

    Sheri
     
  14. Tildesam

    Tildesam Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2012
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Web Developer
    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Home Page:
    Climate:
    Warm Temperate (Diggers Cold Zone 10, Hot Zone 4-6)
    Hi Matis!

    Everybody has made a great point, I thought I would add my opinion too.

    How you get to your goal really varies for each person, as each journey is unique!

    I'm 24 right now and I work a "normal" job in an office, but I know I want to do permaculture for the rest of my life.
    For the moment, my goal is to save some money so I can transition to the country to start. (That is so I can afford things like fences, plant stock, bulldozers for land sculpting or new buildings)

    Until I have enough saved, I am practicing gardening on my balcony, playing with companion planting, what works well in my climate, and reading as much as I can (including this website!)
    Sometimes I go for a walk in the bush and just listen, and watch. I don't consciously learn anything I think, but I think in time all the watching will build into something useful!

    Although Australia is considered the "origin" of permaculture thanks to Bill and Geoff, that doesn't mean that your permaculture knowledge wouldn't be just as useful in Europe. Perhaps there is some country land that needs rehabilitation? Or maybe a permaculture institute that wants to make a difference in your area?

    A lot can happen between now and when you finish school (I speak from experience!) The best thing I could recommend is to focus on your knowledge of plants, keep reading about permaculture systems and build your knowledge of those. When the opportunity to practice your knowledge comes up (like in a volunteering, paid, or internship position) jump for it if you can. Until then, use your eyes and ears and watch the world around you!

    Oh and have fun - this is life, it's not all that serious :)
     

Share This Page

-->