hi everyone. 19, where to start?!

Hi there, my name's Oliver, and I'm an Alaskan college freshman, avid runner, and geofictician majoring in architecture at Virginia Tech, with a landscape architecture minor. I stumbled upon this while reading about the Living Energy Farm's DC solar microgrid system and was instantly hooked. There are so many incredible ideas here. It's actually crazy. I am trying hard to not binge-read all million posts at once because... woah. It's all so incredible!!! And I wish I understood how to do any of it. I reckon many of you have had that similar hubris of youth, where you think you know everything, then go on a little journey... oh no, suddenly you know nothing again.

With that being said, I would like to find some way to dive into this permaculture mindset. Things have been all over the place recently. I've been bouncing from Chefurka to Catton to McPherson to Georgescu-Roegen, ruminating on BOEs and NTHEs and clathrate guns, feeling like everything's pointless... but I'm tired of making myself so miserable and want to channel that energy somewhere more constructive. I think it's that looming existential idea that I'm tethered to a system that is actively destroying everything on Earth, but simultaneously have zero skills with which to survive without the system. By the end of my life, I hope I will have acquired the skills necessary to cultivate a thriving biophilic community that responds to its ecological boundaries.

That being said, I have no idea where to begin and also I am a college student and thereby broke. But I know rapid change is coming scarily quickly, and I would like to stop talking and start doing!... are there any good resources/people that can push me in the right direction?

Thank you guys, I hope all your days go amazing.

In your situation, the simplest and cheapest thing to do may be look for a farm to visit/live on, on wwoof/usa.org, where you can hands-on learn what you would like.

You could start growing some crop plants indoor like climbing beans or tomatoes and make crosses.You could look for gardeners close by and give them a lending hand, most people on land are old, you're young and fit. Schedule a PDC course in summer holidays that does an exchange for work and doesn't charge much or nothing.

Have you discovered the bootcamp program yet?

My son was about your age when he went out there to do stuff at Wheaton labs, though it was before the official bootcamp was set up, and he came home a different man!

I would not jump too fast. I will echo Burra, I would look into spending summer as a Boot in Montana.

Jim Fry wrote:In your situation, the simplest and cheapest thing to do may be look for a farm to visit/live on, on wwoof/usa.org, where you can hands-on learn what you would like.

Absolutely agree! The small market garden I decided to give a whirl working at around 6 years ago, has turned into my mentors and even partners. I sell my own stuff to them thru their already established market, and still work there part-time. A nice win - win, I have and still am learning so much from just getting out there and doing it as a PAID helper rather than me paying for some kind of education that isn't even as immersive!

You're studying architecture. Make it your mission to normalize rocket mass heaters. Figure out how to implement a system that works with banks, insurance companies, code authorities, and builders to get RMHs built in houses. If you could do that one thing, you'd have a life well-spent.

Cole Tyler wrote:

Jim Fry wrote:In your situation, the simplest and cheapest thing to do may be look for a farm to visit/live on, on wwoof/usa.org, where you can hands-on learn what you would like.

Absolutely agree! The small market garden I decided to give a whirl working at around 6 years ago, has turned into my mentors and even partners. I sell my own stuff to them thru their already established market, and still work there part-time. A nice win - win, I have and still am learning so much from just getting out there and doing it as a PAID helper rather than me paying for some kind of education that isn't even as immersive!

That would be very cool for sure, thank you. I would only need to figure out adequate time. Currently I’m close to geared up for a job on the trail crew at Alaska State Parks, which has also been a huge passion of mine. In the meantime, does anyone know people around Blacksburg whom I could learn anything from during the school year?

Welcome to the forum.

I like the suggestion for looking into the BootCamp at Wheaton Labs.  

That is also a place to put your architecture skills to work.

Wheaton Labs is such a beautiful place so I thought you might find the Wheaton Labs forum interesting:

https://permies.com/f/102/labs

And you can find more on Rocket Mass Heaters aka RMH here:

https://permies.com/f/260/rocket-mass-heaters

Hugo Morvan wrote:You could start growing some crop plants indoor like climbing beans or tomatoes and make crosses.You could look for gardeners close by and give them a lending hand, most people on land are old, you're young and fit. Schedule a PDC course in summer holidays that does an exchange for work and doesn't charge much or nothing.

Lots of stupid questions coming, sorry. What’s the timescale for plants like these? I will have to return home in a month and probably won’t be able to take anything living with me. Also where’s the best place to acquire the soil mix from? Could I make it from scratch?

Welcome, Oliver!

With what everyone else said, don't forget to look at the SKIP (skills to inherit property) button on the left side of your screen. In your situation, I might suggest delving into PEA (Permaculture Experience for Apartments) and start earning what we call "badge bits."

I like to think of SKIP as the path toward becoming a "permaculture Eagle Scout" and the badge bits earn you merit badges. Or as a master's degree in permaculture and homesteading.

https://permies.com/t/129955/PEA-Permaculture-Experience-Apartment-dwellers

Hope to see you in the forums.

j

Indoor, you can grow in winter too. I've heard some flower after 5/6 weeks. It's just a little idea you know. Something one could do inside which is like what i would do if i would not have all this land to take care of and would study... But it's very meaningful work, because we need crosses which are robust and need no pesticides. Just my nerdy take on permaculture.. Never mind.
Whatever you do with all the great things people suggest, good luck.

Welcome.  Start with what you want to change.  What can you fix?  What skills do you need to do that?  One step, one piece at a time.

For example I am a strong believer in solar.  But because of heath issues PV solar is completely out of my  reach money wise.  But it is the low hanging fruit in my world even so.  Since most of home energy usage is heating and cooling I can have way more effect if I reduce those numbers.  So step one was adding active solar to my already existing passive home and a slug of passive to the shop.

At first I thought the active systems were too costly and complicated.  But studying the information I ended up with a south facing wood box with glass on the front and cheap fiberglass window screen painted with black bbq paint.  What do you know?, that is within my skills.  So for a little over $400 I added the collector to the house.  Combined with the already existing passive design of the house it has given me just enough to run 2 of the last 4 winters without heat.  Not in total comfort but without being in danger of freezing the pipes.  The already existing basement walls are my thermal "battery".  It is my strong belief that if I can simply add more collector to this I can get to where I can do it in comfort.  But I am already saving nearly 200 gallons a year of propane.  So break even is just over 2 years.  This winter I got the ducting built for an interior air circulation system to run when the house is warm upstairs but the collector is off to carry more heat to the basement.  Still need to automate it so I am not spending 10- 15 minutes twice a day resetting stuff.  That means I will need to learn another programming language and spend some time building electronic circuits.  There again within what I can do but will learn as I go combined with what I already know.  Hot water heating is the second biggest user of energy in my house by far and I think I see how to knock it off with active solar in a form cheap and easy enough I can do it so that will be the next goal

At the shop I added to the passive.  I have 15 foot high by 20 wide set of south facing doors.  Added what amounts to an inflated green house plastic pillow just inside the doors.  Open on sunny days without extreme wind I can open the doors and have a 300 square foot "window" passively heating the floor and the steel, machinery etc in the shop.   At night and cloudy days losses are low as I still have the big doors to close over it. Not the total answer, but a nice step in that direction.  One neat thing about it that was unexpected is it improved the seal on the doors enough I think it is worth doing even if it didn't heat gain.  And having gone through the diffusing greenhouse plastic the light in the shop is amazing on sunny days.  If I can knock heating the shop off the list that will save 6 to 10 ton of coal per year.  Not there yet but I have wall space to add active collectors that will run any day the sun shines and looking at the earth tube set up from the greenhouse information I think I can add geothermal, earth banking, annualized geothermal to the mix to limit how cold the shop can get so the solar is starting each day from a warmer point.  There again it is within what I can do.  And it is something I can sneak up on the answers in small steps within my budget.

Another change the world in small steps is all the information on no turn aerobic composting.  Need to implement that.  There again within what I can do.

I have learned a lot here.  So can you.  Then do something with what you learn.  Continue learning.

I commend you for recognizing your hubris and being eager to learn. Those are valuable traits across the lifespan.

You might try visiting the Blacksburg Farmers Market and getting to know some of the local vendors. Many are organic and practice permaculture principles. Some are also welcoming of volunteers and/or interns.

Here is a link for vendors at the Blacksburg Farmers Market. Click through the profiles to learn more: https://blacksburgfarmersmarket.com/vendors

You could also sift through some of these listings for permaculture farms in your area: https://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?jmp&scale=8&lat=37.229033&lon=-80.414886

Some WWOOF locations offer opportunities for local, daily volunteers.

Since your location is not constant throughout the year, you could search for permaculture farms and/or farmers markets wherever you are. There is a wealth of knowledge out there. Many are happy to share in exchange for a helping hand and a willingness to learn.

Welcome to Permies! I’m glad you have found some new revelations here and hope the discussion continues to be enriching for you.

Eighteen-nineteen is a hard age I think. From my experience, everyone trying to get you to hurry up and wrap yourself in debt and plastic, and familial expectations are real. I think it’s important not getting caught up in all the “I have to”s because that kind of thing grinds on you. We are where we are now as a planet, it’s fine, and you can slow down, be kind to yourself, stay close to nature and natural places (especially important), and choose where to go from here from a place of calm and insight. I think when we’re moving forward from a calm and equanimous state the actions we take are much more subtle and sustainable and help avoid burnout.

Some abstract babble. Hopefully there’s something useful in there.

Hi Oliver!

First off, Go Hokies! Congratulations on your acceptance to Virginia Tech!  My grandfather was a Hokie, and I *strongly* considered their ROTC program for military service, but ultimately chose a different military path.

"Where do I start?" is a common question, and a frequent response in permaculture circles is "At your doorstep."  

And one of (permaculture co-founder) David Holmgren's 12 permaculture principles is to use "small and slow solutions".

So with those two things in mind, have you considered possibilities local to VA Tech?  They are an absolute powerhouse in the agriculture education world.  And permaculture of course originated as a portmanteau of "permanent agriculture".

So maybe a "major" change in the academic sense would help, rather than a "major change" in the life-choices sense?   Perhaps some faculty (or your academic advisor) can give you guidance and point you towards hands-on extra curricular opportunities that align with your values.

More specifically, check out VA Tech's "College of Agriculture and Life Sciences".  They have several permaculture compatible schools:

https://www.vt.edu/content/vt_edu/en/tags.html/vt_edu:academics/colleges/college-of-agriculture-and-life-sciences

Tech even has an agroforestry team...way cool!

https://agroforestry.frec.vt.edu/

They may be at the grad school level, but I see they have a link to a sustainability center, and even a forest farming YouTube channel.  Surely a good sign!

https://youtube.com/@exforestfarming?feature=shared

Maybe cold call some of their faculty, and bring up "permaculture".  I bet they'd resonate with your values and speak your language.  (I actually used to be a freshman academic advisor once upon a time -- faculty really do care about your success and well-being, and are generally *very* passionate about their areas of expertise.  They'd love to support you, and they want you to succeed!)

Outside of academics, maybe next fall on the weekends between classes you could attend Shenandoah Permaculture Institute's Fall PDC, and meet some local permies and Virginia farmers. I recall they have a scholarship -- perhaps you could apply for a free PDC?  

All this to say, you're in a good place, Oliver.  And as a runner, you know how to "go the distance".  So don't give up!  See you around the forums.

P.s. You mentioned LEF.  I bet if you are in the area this November, you could be invited to attend their 14th annual "Land Day" party...I hear there's solar-powered dance parties!

Wow, thank you all for these awesome replies. The path forward suddenly looks much clearer.

@Jim Garlits I suppose I'll get the ball rolling with some of these PEA tasks in the coming weeks. Would be a nice way to get started even if I don't own property for the time being; I'd like to learn everything I can to eliminate fossil fuels from my lifestyle beyond the popular cries of "switch to reusable straws" and "bike to work".

I would like to know people's techniques for minimizing expense/environmental impact when they need to purchase tools (whetstones, carving implements, etc.)

@George Yacus SPI actually sounds so sick, it's just the sort of thing I was looking for! Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze it into my compounding architectural work that year. I'll look into the scholarship; if it doesn't pan out I think I can shell out some cash from my hopeful State Parks job this summer. I'm not sure I'd want to change my major though, because I've gotten quite a ways through the curriculum already, and it serves an eventual purpose (the plan is to learn how to interweave architecture into living systems). I'll talk to some of the faculty members in the agroforestry department too, and staff at Catawba. Thanks! (And go Hokies... we just beat UVA at our track and field meet so the school pride is currently through the roof.)

oop little edit: good transportation options to Staunton?

@Melissa James yes definitely, I'm not sure why I wasn't thinking about that. I try and stop by the farmers market every so often because I don't want to be that college student who only eats ramen day in day out. I'll wander about this weekend and see if there's a way I can get involved.

@Maieshe Lijn Abstract yet essential. Thanks for the intriguing thoughts.

Starting from where you are, and starting small is definitely a good way to go. We're all about building a better world here, and sounds like you literally are too!

Some suggestions perhaps:
A more flexible alternative to an in person PDC may be an online course. Paul has his PDC video available for only $50 here for example. Lots of other goodies in the digital market there.
As regards integrating architecture and the living world, I'd be fascinated to what may be possible. I know we've got a couple of threads at least on trees as part of structure, but I could only find the
living bridges one when I looked just now. I wonder if you have any other thoughts to contribute there?
Good luck with your future and please let us know how you get on.

hi Oliver! I'm fairly new to the VT area as well and I've been doing research on gardening resources in the NRV.

I've found a couple promising leads in the area: the Hahn Horticulture Garden has volunteer opportunities (I've volunteered at Botanical Gardens before and found it informational). There's also an organization, Share the Spare, who has a booth at the farmer's market (Wednesdays and Fridays in Market Square downtown) that collects extra produce from gardeners to give to food to people who are food insecure, and they have at least a few master gardeners that are happy to chat. I believe they're part of the NRV Master Gardener Association (www.nrvmastergardeners.com).

Bit late to the replies, but I hope this helps!