Hey all! I just want to say its great that you folks are here and communicating about this... this lack of permaculture community in MN. I just moved back to the state as well, after a decade or so of traveling and living in very progressive areas. I too was discouraged by the challenges of living in a very 'red' area and came very close to relocating again to a town full of people just like me. Then it dawned on me.... this place is the perfect blank canvas for permaculture. So many folks here are proud of doing things by themselves, and whether they label themselves rednecks, jack pine savages, hicks, hippies or permies, we all have a lot in common. None of us like people telling us what to do, or following convention! Since I made this realization and starting approaching people with this common ground, I've found there are even more similarities than I first thought. Sure some of us will always disagree, but I encourage everyone to take a second look and reach for a common thread... be it wild rice, old ways of plowing fields, hunting, canning, beer (everyone likes beer, right?!) or even sewing. People are rich with knowledge and if you ask the right questions, most are more than willing to engage. And those of us with unique skills are potentially very valuable to those who don't yet have them. If we all knew everything, there'd be no reason to converse right? But if we keep inquiring, sharing and learning, who knows, before long we might just turn ourselves into that community we were missing.
And yes, I'd be interested in a meet-up too, although logistics may be challenging in this far reaching state of ours. None the less, lets give it a whirl!
Cheers,
Lissa
