Jon Kettering

Craig,
To quote the same man as you " you must be the change you want to see in the world", We believe subsistence living addresses many of the ills of our society. We are specifically interested in subsistence living, and are interested in learning as many skills related to it as we can. I can not remember where I first heard about permaculture, but I was enamored by its core philosophy of shifting labor to mother nature and designing living system based upon 4 dimensions with an eye on the future. Where we end up is not as important as what we will be doing, learning from experienced individuals is our main goal. We also hope that by submersing ourselves into the type of lifestyle we have been ideologically attracted to, that we will be able to figure out if this is the correct path for us.

My girlfriend of 2+ years and I are seeking a place that will provide us with work experience that includes, but is not limited to; Permaculture, organic farming, natural construction, and any other help we can provide to those who are creating a sustainable lifestyle. We are willing to work for any length of time after May 2014. I have some limited experiences with farm work and have created an aquaponics system at the college I have recently graduated from with a degree in both Biology and Psychology. My girlfriend does not have much experience with farming but is excited to learn and gain the knowledge and experience provided by these opportunities. In exchange for out services we simply ask for room and board.

Hey Rick!

I really like your ideology and respect that you are living it. I too have educated myself of the failures of western civilization and have countless times reprimanded corporations, media, politicians etc. for the evils they inflict upon the world. Recently I have realized that while I conceptually separate myself from these people and organizations within our society, my decision to remain in the "game" makes me an accessory to these travesties. Among the numerous reasons that my girlfriend of 2+ years and I are looking to leave the conventional society is that we do not believe that it is making us better people. It endorses unhealthy foods, pass times and life priorities. We value knowledge, wisdom, hard work, communalism and are happy to give up superficial luxuries in search them.

I am graduating this fall with a dual major of psychology and Biology with a concentration in Botany. My girlfriend will be graduating in the spring semester with a B.A. in psychology and a concentration in sex and gender. We are both very outdoorsy people, we love to hike and rock climb. We both grew up in suburbia, however I have always been drawn to horticulture whether it was working summer jobs at small organic farms, exploring aquaponics (see pictures, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millersville-Aquaponics/201856076659260) or growing edible mushrooms. My girlfriend has less horticultural experience, however makes up for it with an eagerness to learn and an impressive attention to detail.

Despite our upbringing we are both drawn to permaculture/ homesteading, because of the type of life it offers, the political statements it makes and the knowledge that such a lifestyle is good for the soul and the planet. Your farm sounds perfect, and your ideologies similar to ours. If you are interested in us as applicants for your internship please email me at ipr008949@gmail.com