All about SKIP, PEP, Badges, BBs and More!

Christopher Weeks wrote:Is there a discussion teaching us about how to verify BBs somewhere? I have found myself happy to verify the ones that are obviously complete and correct and taking a pass on ones where I'd have to give pushback to the (probably more experienced than me) permie participant.

I'm interested in the general philosophy that underlies how to do this. But to call out an example, there's a new submission (that I can't judge anyway due to no sand badge, just using it as an example) right now in sand.foraging.prepare a dish that seems right and valid, except that I'm pretty sure that plant isn't the plant that I've been taught to call watercress. Do I care? Am I in a position to judge? Maybe it just looks funny because it's in soil instead of water. Or there are lots of plants called that and she lives somewhere that I never have. Or something else. Am I just judging whether the photos called for are present and show what they're supposed to?

Where's the line in our judgement powers/responsibilities?

Plant identification is the most important part of foraging.

- That’s not water cress, looks more like pennywort to me.

If you're sure it's wrong then reject the BB. If you're uncertain or want more proof ask for clarification via the edge case option. If it's something you don't know anything about just wait on someone more familiar with that aspect. Check each BB carefully to make sure it meets the requirements.

I don't think there is a tutorial but the "peppers" thread in the PEP forum has discussions of various topics that have come up since the beginning. That's probably the best place to learn more about the overall process & to ask questions about certifying.

https://permies.com/t/137440/PEPPERS-action

Good question Christopher.  I'll take a shot at an answer...

There isn't a place I know of (currently) that talks about how to certify BBs.  

If you're able to certify a BB and you aren't quite sure about it because you aren't familiar with it, just pass on it.  

If you're pretty sure they didn't get the right plant or didn't do a BB right (but you're not positive), I think the best approach is to hit the "report" button on their submission and explain your concerns.  Then staff folks who certify BBs will get a hint that something might not be right and they can take a closer look.

If you're sure they missed a photo or did something that is correctable, feel free to mark it as "edge" and explain the issue in the text field.  Use of the anonymous radio button is fine and I'd almost say encouraged.

If you're sure they missed a requirement or photo and it's likely not correctable, reject it and explain.  I'd encourage use of the anonymous radio button for sure.

I am a permacilturist who owns a 10 acre property in the Mojave Desert, in Southern California midway between Los Angeles and and Las Vegas. I"m 77 and no one in my family is interested in inheriting my home and living here. How do I connect with people with permaculture skills? The PEP program and badges sound great.

Welcome Penny!  There isn't a formal way to connect PEPpers with Otises.  At this point the smoothest way would be to seek out a PEPper by checking out ones that have made it through 60 or more BBs (List of PEPpers).  Send them a PM (Purple Mooseage) and see if they'd be interested.

Another way would be to post in the Places to do PEP thread IF you'd be open to people coming out and working on PEP stuff at your place.  That may or may not be your idea of a good time.

Some Otises might find PEPpers by posting in the Real Estate section for Land Shares.  They could offer a place for people to rent or squat on as long as they have a certain number of BBs or badges done.   Then once they've seen the person up close they might have a feeling about if they're the right heir for them.

Maybe we need an optional way for PEPpers to express whether they would be open to being approached by an otis?

I'm puzzled by some of the skills supposedly relevant to operating a farm/homestead. For example, does anyone actually doing the operating have time for handmade cordage, for example? And is it likely to have the strength and longevity of factory made? If I had used homemade stuff for my granddaughter's rope swing, I'd be inviting an unexpected failure that would bum her out (or leave her injured). On the other hand, I can see utility in such skill for a survivalist preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

Well, some of the skills are suited to a traditional homestead, some to a modern one and many to a permaculture one.  In the cordage example it teaches you a lot about how natural materials around you can be put to use.  I don't think there's a higher level BB for making a bunch of cordage so I'm guessing the Sand level one is just to make sure you're familiar with the concept.

I have no land and am looking to homestead / permaculture… I guess as I work on hand tool woodworking this will be my hobby. Not sure where it will lead but I might as well try

I am new at this whole thing, a friend sent me a link to this.
I am a highly skilled person with all kinds of farming, animal care equipment operation, as i grew up on a farm in northern Alberta Canada, and then had several small farms all through my life, as well as being a building contractor that developed land and did most everything myself from septic and plumbing to cement work and foudations, to electrical carpentry, insulation, and every aspect of building homes and other structures, I also had several business like alternative power sales and installation (wind water and solar power) and heavy equipment contractor working with bull dozers, backhoes, excavators, loders, forlifts, big trucks heavy haulers, log hauling, etc.
Also have experience in alliance repair, welding, mechanics, heavy duty mechanics, wiring and electrical systems (high and low voltage)
Snow plowing and raod development,
Fencing, experience with many different farm animals and caring for them, foraging for wild foods, firewood harvesting and preperation, forestry and plant care, crops and care of the land in natural ways, etc...

Can I somehow get a jumpstart at all this with all my experience?
I am now 53 with some health issues, but can still do a lot.
I lost everything in a divorce with an abusive spouse, and have been managing properties for a place to stay in my RV.

Tc Landru wrote:
Can I somehow get a jumpstart at all this with all my experience?
I am now 53 with some health issues, but can still do a lot.
I lost everything in a divorce with an abusive spouse, and have been managing properties for a place to stay in my RV.

If you happen to have the right pictures, you can certainly post them on the relevant Badge Bit pages to get credit! I managed to do that with one or two Badge Bits. The nice thing about PEP/SKIP is that you can get through a lot of the Badge Bits really fast if you already know how to do them. I had to sew a new pillow, darn another pair of socks, and knit another pot holder to get my Textile Sand badge. I've done all of those things multiple times, which made it really quick and easy to just do it again for the credit. I found it took me at least 5 times as long to do a Badge Bit I'd never done, than to do one I was already good at.

I hope you're able to fly through the badge bits, and that life takes a turn for the better for you!!!

I have been a teacher to many over the years especially to those interested and willing.

I gues as a newbie to this whole thing it is a bit confusing and overwhelming.
It could be better organized as trying to find things and understand them all is difficult.
I am Dyslexic as well as a high functioning autistic and ADHD
So maybe its just me.

The easiest entry point might be this page.  From there you click into each badge and can drill down to the BBs (Badge Bits).

https://permies.com/wiki/pep

While searching for a farm to purchase, I spoke to an 88-year old woman with significant acreage who desperately needs help.  She was amazed to know this even existed. WWoofers, too.

How would she find skip-oriented help?  
I am going to call her with the information as soon as I can get it.   Email me.  jeffery19677 at  yahoo.com

Hi Jeff, I think she'd have to post it as a job offering on permies or something like that.  We don't play match maker so the Otises have to choose/find the PEPpers themselves.  They can just post that they are an Otis looking for a PEPper but they might get inundated with too much attention or the wrong type of attention.  I guess I'd start at this page for folks who have done at least 60 BBs in the program: List of PEPpers

Hi, I plan to join the SKIP, but I have some questions about that. 1. I heard there's networking benefit from this event is that right? I need to learn more detail. 2. What stuff tools or gears should I bring during event? 3. Is this event can be reachable by bus or taxi?

Hao Yu wrote:3. Is this event can be reachable by bus or taxi?

One of the boots or other resident can provide transportation from Missoula for a small fee.

A one way ride during normal hours (8am to 9pm) on the weekend is $15 and during crazy hours is $35. No rides during the boot project time (Monday through Friday). -- Quote from the bootcamp web page.

Hao Yu wrote:1. I heard there's networking benefit from this event is that right? I need to learn more detail.

You get to work under the tutelage of some experienced PEP people like me.  You'll develop camaraderie with your fellow participants.  You'll also be networking with the boots and Paul and anyone else on site at that time.  I won't promise that there will be any Otises at the event although there were a couple at the one last summer.

Hao Yu wrote:2. What stuff tools or gears should I bring during event? 3.

Pretty much anything you need for the PEP work will be provided (tools and equipment).  Safety gear is also on site but if you have a preference for particular brands or styles (gloves, glasses, etc) I'd bring them along.  If you are experienced in an area of PEP and would grumble to not have your tools with you, bringing them along may be a good idea.  

Hello Paul!  A friend of ours just gave us a hard copy of SKIP.  Sounds like a great idea IF we have years to prepare.  I don't think we do.  I have six children ages 2-14 and my wife.  They are all hard workers and eager to do more if we only had more land and people to work with.  We already have a fair amount of homesteading experience under our belts, with photo documentation.  Do you offer a way for people like us to connect with landowners NOW?  I've avoided debt until now and would like to keep it that way.  But with inflation, it's becoming less likely that we could ever afford to buy much land outright, at least not in this country.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you!  - Ryan, tel: 828.334.3505

In case Paul doesn't see this, I'll take a shot at an answer.       Nope.

This program is to connect Otises with people who have proven what they can do by following the SKIP program.  There could be other programs to connect folks like you directly with people with land but this isn't one of them.

If you work your ass off though you could be at the head of the pack of PEPpers in 6-8 months...

Ryan Gagliardo wrote: Do you offer a way for people like us to connect with landowners NOW?  I've avoided debt until now and would like to keep it that way.  But with inflation, it's becoming less likely that we could ever afford to buy much land outright, at least not in this country.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you!

Even if SKIP doesn't seem like a good fit for you, permies isn't just SKIP. We have quite a few forums that are about

Land Shares (where people live on other people's land, usually in exchange for labor. Sometimes this leads to inheriting land)

(where people look for volunteers to work/learn on their land)

Jobs Offered (Where people list jobs they have available)

and more!

You're more than welcome to reply to threads you're interested in. You could also make your own thread (maybe in jobs wanted or Land Shares) to advertise your family and their work ethic.

I hope that helps!

Thanks Nicole and Mike.  Is the "search threads and posts" bar up on top the only way to search the whole site?  I was hoping to search for my state and town for any classified ads.  Thanks!    

I think so but Nicole may know of another way to search.  Another good way is to do a search on an external search engine.  For instance "permies.com worker Tennessee"

There is a way!

First go to "Advanced Search" (https://permies.com/forums/search/filters/)

Then, you can put in your search terms.

Then, scroll down a little to where the catagories are. If you hold down CTRL while selecting catagories, you can select as many as you want (so, you could select "landshares," "volunteer experiences," "jobs offered" etc)

Then his search!

Hello permies,

I’m a landowner who has recently purchased mountaintop property in West Virginia. I am NOT elderly and don’t plan on dying soon, so my land won’t be in SKIP.

What I’m offering is a place for people to earn their badges! I want to give you the tools, space, resources, and funding to get those badges and present them to a SKIP land participant. No pre-existing badges required to get started!

If interested contact:
Thesludgehub@gmail.com

Cheers,
Jonny

I’ve got a 17 year old son who is interested in SKIP and PEP and I’m trying to help him get started and maybe participate a bit myself.  We live in town so we’re having to think through how to do many of the projects.  As I plan I’ve come across a question. To be PEP1 certified you need  16 sand badges.  To be PEP 2 certified you need 14 more for a total of 30…but there are only 22.  So do you have to do some sand badges a second time for PEP2?

Jason Tuller wrote:I’ve got a 17 year old son who is interested in SKIP and PEP and I’m trying to help him get started and maybe participate a bit myself.  We live in town so we’re having to think through how to do many of the projects.  As I plan I’ve come across a question. To be PEP1 certified you need  16 sand badges.  To be PEP 2 certified you need 14 more for a total of 30…but there are only 22.  So do you have to do some sand badges a second time for PEP2?

For PEP2 you don't need 14 more, you just need 14 sand badges (that haven't been upgraded to straw) plus the required straw badges.

Thanks, that makes more sense!

Jason

Sounds like just what I’m looking for! Thank you for coming up with such inspiring, life-affirming, planet-loving stuff.

So I'm liking the concept: (do a task, earn experience, get a badge) but I guess what has me confused is: Does the book just list out the skills and the reasons why learning that skill is important/relevant, or does it actually "teach" you how to do said skill? What the book contains isn't very clear, though the concept behind the book is thoroughly laid out and explained. While I have probably already completed alot of these items on my own, I can not pretend to know how to do them all, so I'm wondering is this book an instructional how-to that will help me learn how to do that which I don't already know how to do? I love learning new skills so I am very interested if it is in fact a book that will teach an old dog new tricks!

See chapter 6:  SKIP is for learning, but not for learning.

I would like to purchase the book I keep seeing hunted at. I know my non technology grandkids would love to do the projects I keep seeing.

Debbie Thompson wrote:I would like to purchase the book I keep seeing hunted at. I know my non technology grandkids would love to do the projects I keep seeing.

https://permies.com/skip-book

Hi Debbie, there are a few ways.  

It's on Amazon and it appears to be on sale for a limited time: SKIP book on Amazon

Or you can get it from permies.com: https://permies.com/wiki/160690/physical-copy-SKIP-book

Am i blind, or there is no bb for tanning or transforming animals hide ? There's everything about animals from birth to death (breeding, caring, parasite check, harvesting egg or meat, canning, cooking, making broth..) except using theirs hide, pelt, down and feathers, that's a bummer and an error in my sense since everything else is there.

Don't worry, i'll still publish my project, but in the oddball section for the moment.

note. i've seen some leatherwork bb, so it is that !

Look a bit harder :)

Perhaps focus on the Wood level of Animal care and the Straw level of Textiles...