posted 8 years ago
Jeremy,
I am near Richmond, but there is minimal rural permaculture down here, there is some urban activity and I think a PDC at VCU (?) recently. I believe there is a scene in Ashland with more homesteading but to be honest I haven't seen any of them on here. One of them is a B&B, which is awesome!
I am just starting, really new to this like you, and I have probably read thousands of articles on here. You have lots of options, since you have not mentioned any family attachments. I will throw a recruiting pitch- Virginia is AWESOME for permaculture. The soil is depleted, but you can resurrect it, and the climate here is fantastic. Land >45min outside the major cities (or 2hrs outside the belly of the beast) is really cheap for how productive it can be. I have seen properties with year-round streams for 3k/acre! You will need to be in the hills if you want hydro, but solar here is viable. The west is always faster to change, which can be good or bad. I have learned a great deal from people who don't consider themselves permaculturists, just because there are still people here who know how things used to be done. I would say that the west is more experimental, the east is more pragmatic. It takes both, and I have enjoyed the cross-pollination.
I think your statement about not being a slave to anyone is pertinent. You have a solid plan- save, save and save. Much if what you need to learn is free on the internet. I have come to the conclusion that at this time I can still make progress and keep my traditional job, and in ten years I will be prepared both financially and technically to make more dramatic steps. If you have the freedom to jump from Level 1 to Level 4 in a year, that is great! Read some of the cautionary tale on here, though, because the common element is that people underestimate how long it will be before you stop eating your seed corn.
There isn't much to see at my place, I was just outside with a laser level working out the contours and planning the main earthworks. In a year or two it will be more interesting, I have only converted 1/2 acre at this point.
Standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants with dirt under their nails