Lean On Your Local Resources

You can ask the internet about stuff all day. You can join a community like Permies and get great advice. But have you tried real live local experts? I did, and it was an amazing experience! My example: I have a quarter acre I want to take back to native prairie. I’ve done a lot of research here and elsewhere but still came up short regarding questions of strategy and best options specific to my situation.

So I thought about how our state has a great conservation department and pretty easily found a contact for our local “Private Land Conservationist.” He was happy to come by and provided a wealth of knowledge and perspective. He knew all about the invasives specific to our county and how they differed between local spots. He gave me various strategies and timelines of how I could tackle my project (and might even be able to cost share some of it.) He even provided me some woodland management advise too! It was a super informative visit, paid for by my tax dollars.  Don’t be afraid to give it a shot. These people have the jobs they do because they are passionate about ecology and willing to help!

Matt Todd wrote:
But have you tried real live local experts? I did, and it was an amazing experience!....Don’t be afraid to give it a shot. These people have the jobs they do because they are passionate about ecology and willing to help!

Intrigued by this idea, I have tried brainstorming some other local experts people could try to consult.

Additional Local Experts:

County Extension Offices (in the USA)

Local University educators/staff

Director of the community Farmers' Market

Regional organic/regenerative agriculture farmers

Pinboard at the Local Co-Op or Tractor Supply

I think consulting local experts must be one of the best ways to get information, from a Permaculture perspective!

Yes! I suggest these experts might also include the white haired ladies at the local church or bingo club, who have grown it all and cooked it all, and fed families for 40 years, right there on your soil type.

A bonus for chatting up the local agricultural professionals is that they will certainly have soil analyses for your whole area. It might not be exactly matched to your soil, but it will give you perspective on any common chemical/nutrient deficiencies.

Local resources can be amazingly helpful, for sure. There's a lot to be said for someone that knows the area and can actually visit your particular part of it. I was kind of amazed how helpful the guy who runs the county soil and water conservation district was. I just wanted to know the best place to get soil tests and some ideas for protecting the soil after removing invasives. He spent quite awhile on the phone with me and even offered to come out and help, as well as directing me to lots of really great resources to read more.

I have gotten a ton of help from a local arborist a friend connected me to as well. I had lots of questions about the health of the existing trees as well as questions for future plantings. He came out to look at the trees and the site and probably spent 3 hours walking around just talking about plants with us and being excited about what we were doing. Not only did he have really helpful answers, but gave us a serious boost of support with his enthusiasm. And he hooked us up with free woodchips when we were struggling to get any!  

Wandering around the block talking to older neighbors has yielded lots of interesting information about the history of the neighborhood as well as information on varieties that grow well here and offers of free asparagus and berries cause they have more than they can harvest.

Perhaps less obvious and certain, but I've been quite surprised by the quality of some of the connections I've met either picking up or giving away plants on sites like craigslist or nextdoor. Most of those folks I didn't see past the exchange, but I've found a few permie friends that way, which is pretty invaluable to me. Having people to talk and share experiences with who have similar values really helps me stay inspired to keep learning and growing.

Herbalists are another possible good one to seek out. Especially ones who offer group plant walks. I have learned sooo much about the plants in my area that way. And the chance for connection with other folks interested in plants is nice too.

I wonder what other connections folks might seek out...