Looking for successor for my Australian permaculture farm

Hi,

My name is Wolfgang. In 1991, inspired by the biodynamic movement, I started my farm in Australia. I designed it after permaculture principles. Over 20+ years, I planted one third of the 36 acres with native rain forest. Another third is planted with orchards: bananas, 80 avocados, 60 mangoes, 200 olives, 200 pecans, citrus and many more.
Now in my mid-seventies, I want to retire and start a new chapter in my life, which means selling the property. I have been dreaming that the next person who steps in will have similar sensitivities to self-sufficiency and sustainability so that there is some continuation for my work. Originally I came from Germany, and I have a feeling that the farm will best fit someone from North America or Europe. I say this having seen hundreds of visitors and woofers from all countries.

I don't know if this is the right place to look for people who may be interested. If not, I would be very grateful for any thoughts and help because I'm not very good with modern ways of advertising and I'm sure a lot of people here are younger and more skilled with the internet. Somehow I have been having a feeling that the right person is on the way but I also feel the need to light a beacon.


Blessings,

Wolfgang

The pictures of your site are quite stunning. I appreciate the vision that you have created and understand the careful thought that will go into selecting a predecessor to preserve, promote and build upon all that you have already accomplished. I lso appreciate your handling of what is to be expected from those WOOFing at or interning at your site. Your clarity of purpose and clarity of vision is refreshing.

Wow, Jen, I'm impressed you found the property's website! I hadn't mentioned it because and I was interested in starting a dialogue, and I thought that with a website my message would sound too much like an ad for that.

Thank you for your compliments, it's a treat to read something so positive.

Do you think this is the right place to come across people who could connect with the property and my succession question?
Looking forward to your insights.

Wishing you a fun weekend,

Wolfgang

I think that it might be possible to find someone on this site that is interested in following in your footsteps and keeping with the vision you created while adding their own stamp on the property. I think that, no matter where you find your successor, it will be an extended interview process to find the right one. The stance that you take with respect to those staying at your property will serve you well in this process. I might also suggest contacting some of your contacts in the permaculture community that have sites of their own to see if they have suggestions or recommendations. I think that, as the ground breakers in the permaculture community get to a time in their life when they are ready to entrust another with their legacy, it will become more common problem (for lack of a better word). I can only imagine the process of finding and then letting the appropriate person to take over something that is so personal and that you have such a deep connection with. While I am a permaculture/food forest infant at this point, I have already started to think down the road of how difficult it will be to entrust the site that I will be developing.

Might it help if you clarify what you are hoping to find in someone, if possible, so that you hopefully can have people self determine if they are a right fit prior to contacting you? I know that you gave a brief description of your property, but are there things that you are currently working on implimenting that you would like to have continued? What changes do you hope your future protogee will implement? What was your thought process/development process that you went through on the site? Are there unique or special skills that one should have for your property? Maybe a bit more of a description of the areas of the property and the reasoning behind them. Is it just plants, or are there animals too? Are there things that are a challenge to you still? While I am sure that your wish would be to clone yourself and let the clone take over, what can you and what can you not accept in someone?

The Australian permaculture messageboard might be a place to look, if you haven't already done so: http://forums.permaculturenews.org/

Greetings Herr Wolfgang,

I have just joined the Permies forum. This is the first post I read and it touched me, so I am replying.

I will be following this thread if I may please.

I'm an Aussie who has lived in Europe for the past 16,5 years, in England. We often visit the Odenwald in summer to be with friends.
I am very partial to Germany as its wonderful people.

My mother was born in 1944 in a village in Germany called Binau und Neckar, which is near Mossbach. Not far from Heidleberg.
Now, they live just north of Sydney. She was born to Ukrainian parents.

Right now I am reading Sepp Holzer's Permaculture book with sheer delight at what is possible when
someone allows themselves to think and live outside the box and work with nature to create something that is so worthy of legacy.
I love Sepp's peaceful yet relentless pursuit of his dream. It sounds to me like you are similar in passion and nature.

I found it interesting that you are looking for someone from Europe or the US to bring continuance to your life's work...

I will follow this to see how it goes.

All the best in your transition to the next phase of your life.