Mark Doser

That looks wonderful. I hope you can find everything you are looking for in permaculture, it appears you have a great start.

Hello Katie, my name is Mark, I'm 6'1" with an  average build, I also have brown hair with brown facial hair and hazel eyes. I have grown up and currently still do live in Wisconsin working at a dairy plant and keeping bees on the side for my hobby, they keep me sane. I have been wanting to escape the rat race and focus on living off the land. I have made a good start with a garden and access to locally raised beef, chicken, and eggs. I am mostly anti government and pro independence with traditional conservative values but finding that in another person is truly difficult in these times. I don't like to post pictures of myself on the internet, camera shy and privacy concerns, but if you are interested in chatting, DM me and we can trade email addresses.

Katie Turner wrote:I would be interested in this. Meetups would be a great idea I think. How do we make something like this happen?

     There are apps like the meet up app that would probably be a good place to start. I just don't think there's a large group of people like the ones found here. Hopefully the future will bring more people like us found here together so we can network and make connections.

      I would rather not be single, but that's how life has gone in my 35yrs. I never could really grasp why women were so put off by me. I mean I'm a nice person, polite, kind, and generous. Im physically fit, and have been told I'm not unattractive, I have my life in order but those traits I have found to be highly unattractive to the opposite sex. An explanation on that would be nice.

     Eventually a man gets to the point where he basically stops trying as they watch their friends and family go off and get married and have children, which I absolutely adore. It brings joy to me seeing others enjoying life with their partners and building families. But being different is hard in many ways, finding a partner being one of them. Who knows maybe someday but considering I haven't had a significant other for 15yrs I'm not betting on that lol.

John F Dean wrote: I would see myself as being rude by suggesting to someone who they should date or even that they need to date.

   You're not really suggesting who someone dates you are just saying hey I have a friend who is looking for someone. If you are interested I have their number ect. If they arnt interested they will typically tell you right away. Friends and family were a really common way people used to meet their significant others in the past.

   Dating is weird, coming from a guy who's basically never had a significant other. I'm in decent shape have my life together and really don't have much to complain about.
   But yes, none of my friends have ever set me up or even suggested any of their single lady friends towards me. It's an interesting time in my life. I'm watching most of my family and friends getting married and having kids, and I wish them all the best but It would really be nice to find a decent lady vs. just one that is looking to "score."
   I'm in my 30s and don't think like a 25yr old anymore the drive for just random hook ups is not what I'm interested in anymore. I'd really like to find someone who's special to me and that's a tough ask apparently.
   

Try frequenting farmers markets to find a commercial beekeeper. They are always looking for help and they will typically have more information than you could ever learn from videos or books. Join a bee club also a good resource and most of the time folks there will willingly take help during spring splits and summer/fall honey flows. I hope you pursue the beekeeping experience it's addictive once you get the hang of it.

Hi Kaarina
 I have kept bees for about 7yrs and worked for a commercial beekeeper for three years before I got my first hives. I have never been on a commercial scale but the experience I had with my teacher taught me very well how to make them thrive and keep them alive over the wisconsin winters.
  We always pull most if not all the honey primarily because sugar is around 40c/lb and honey goes for 5-8$/lb. I have also noticed the sucrose syrup is easier on their gut over the winter, now pulling all the honey doesn't mean taking all the pollen, that's important for spring build up. I typically put most of the extracted frames with pollen back on and then fill them with sucrose syrup.
  I have seen people view honey harvest as a setback for the hives but in all reality not all honey is created equal. Example alphalfa honey crystallizes really bad making it a terrible winter feed. Don't feel bad about supplemental feed often times it's better than honey they have in their hive.
  Keys to success keep the mites under control, keep them fed well, and learn from your mistakes, no matter how experienced we are there's always something to learn. I have had routinely successful over winter rates of 10-30% losses. I hope you stay with it it's a rewarding experience and a really interesting hobby.