sociothinker2
11-08-2007, 04:18 PM
Hi all,
I've been looking for some sort of farming apprenticeship in which I can look for the foundation homesteading skills of gardening and construction. So far, it looks like my best options are in some kind of gulch or other type of intentional community, although most BHM readers seem to prefer something a little different. (This seems the most appropriate forum for this post. There is a classifieds section on BHM, but that seems problematic.)
I have only basic experience with gardening, animal husbandry, and construction from my youth, about the equivalent of one to three months as an adult. (Since I would like to become a homesteader in some fashion, I am certainly motivated to learn these skills.) I have moderate experience in woodscraft and camping, security (karate and infantry), land surveying, sales and marketing appropriate to farmer's markets, computers including websites, and writing. I have good cooking experience from a few years in restaurants. I have a BA in Sociology from the University of Maine at Farmington. I'm 40 years old, but most of the work I've done has made little contribution to society other than to move the money around. I want a complete career change to homesteader or even farmer, and eventually even inventor as well.
****************************************
Personal Homesteading Vision Statement
--Patrick York
Homesteading is the final safety net for civilization. In the event of disaster, it is homesteaders who will best be able to help others start over and teach them the skills necessary to rebuild civilization and even to prosper.
The majority of jobs available, including most of those I have held, contribute little to society other than moving the money around (which is an important function economically speaking, but true of almost all jobs). Because of this, and because of ways in which people often mistreat each other or fail to care about each other, I am in the midst of somewhat of a mid-life crisis. I suffer from anomie, which I define for the purpose of this essay as a lack of faith in society (as opposed to depression, which I define for the purpose of this essay as a lack of faith in oneself). My solution, like that of many other people, is to seek a career change to that of homesteader (and possibly inventor, eventually).
I want, long-term, to be able to achieve complete independence from mainstream society. In every way possible, I want to be able to live completely alone, if necessary, and in reasonable comfort. I should not need to be resupplied from any outside source and should be able to deal ably with a wide variety of natural and manmade disasters.
Every important need should be met by at least three major sources, as per the Rule of Threes (as practiced by the Nez Perce). In addition, I should try to leave open the possibililty of doing without or of purchasing or trading for supplies from elsewhere. (There is no rule that says that I have to be inflexible.) While I should learn all useful skills as much as I can within reason, I should not be afraid to utilize the talents of others when available, especially when those talents are greater or more appropriate than mine. Also as practiced by the Nez Perce, I should not use more energy than I consume, lest I become sick or exhausted.
To achieve independence, the needs which must be met in this manner include the following, in approximate order of importance: air (in some circumstances, such as in a well-insulated home); water; food; clothing; shelter; heat (for cooking and warmth) and/or air conditioning; transportation; electrical power; leisure (spiritual improvement, the arts, social contact, exercise, FUN); and security (against disease, accidents, people of ill intent). These needs should be met in ways that are respectful of others, that are beneficial to the environment, and that can be duplicated or learned from.
While earning money is a laudable goal, it is not a need in and of itself. Other than helping maintain the economy, money is useful only to the extent that it helps one achieve one's goals. Still, even after I achieve my independence, I will still seek to earn a modest living for the extra security and comfort money can bring, and to expand my ability to have guests, as below.
Once established as an independent homesteader, or partially until then, I would like to be able to take in refugees in the event of some sort of large-scale catastrophe, should anyone among my friends or family or community are able to travel to my farm. (Until then, I might be able to take in apprentices or residents, or give classes on relevant skills I have mastered.) Using certain alternative construction techniques such as earth-bag building, I should be able to expand my facilities fairly quickly (if crudely). Each person or family should have private living quarters and a garden plot, though I believe a communal area should be set aside where people can gather without intruding on anyone's privacy. Of course, I still must determine the number of people I can accomodate, my screening process, the form of self-government used (consensus, homeowner's association, etc.), and the level of appropriate external involvement (local and state government, neighbors, friends, other homesteaders and farmers). My intent is to support the larger community's emergency action plan, in a more or less official or public manner, by functioning as a small safety net which would help build a local sense of legitimate security. In that way, my homestead would be a benefit to my community and to society, beyond that of most farms.
Until I have my own place, and even afterward, I will need to learn whatever I can from whomever I can, from among the skills needed on a homestead. For the immediate future, my skill improvement priorities include the following:
gardening (any organic, but even non-organic will help me to learn);
aquaculture (not subject to NAIS or the corresponding diseases);
construction (underground, earth-bag, standard, stone, HVAC, etc.);
and to a lesser extent:
engine repair (any)
body work (vehicles)
bicycle repair
heavy equipment operation (or at least tractors, now basic experience)
driving with a trailer (campers, etc.)
pottery making (?)
basic chemistry (such as for making nutrient solutions for hydroponics)
medical skills
electronics (especially for solar and wind power)
animal tracking
butchering (I'm squeamish about this one, but farmers need it)
nonrefrigerated food storage (canning, root cellars, etc.)
computers (now moderate, prefer high)
animal husbandry (typical farm animals)
metalcraft (welding, blacksmithing, foundry)
research, general (now basic, prefer moderate)
water filtration
Spanish (or whatever additional languages are used where you are)
I've written out a much more complete list, but this will do for now.
I've been looking for some sort of farming apprenticeship in which I can look for the foundation homesteading skills of gardening and construction. So far, it looks like my best options are in some kind of gulch or other type of intentional community, although most BHM readers seem to prefer something a little different. (This seems the most appropriate forum for this post. There is a classifieds section on BHM, but that seems problematic.)
I have only basic experience with gardening, animal husbandry, and construction from my youth, about the equivalent of one to three months as an adult. (Since I would like to become a homesteader in some fashion, I am certainly motivated to learn these skills.) I have moderate experience in woodscraft and camping, security (karate and infantry), land surveying, sales and marketing appropriate to farmer's markets, computers including websites, and writing. I have good cooking experience from a few years in restaurants. I have a BA in Sociology from the University of Maine at Farmington. I'm 40 years old, but most of the work I've done has made little contribution to society other than to move the money around. I want a complete career change to homesteader or even farmer, and eventually even inventor as well.
****************************************
Personal Homesteading Vision Statement
--Patrick York
Homesteading is the final safety net for civilization. In the event of disaster, it is homesteaders who will best be able to help others start over and teach them the skills necessary to rebuild civilization and even to prosper.
The majority of jobs available, including most of those I have held, contribute little to society other than moving the money around (which is an important function economically speaking, but true of almost all jobs). Because of this, and because of ways in which people often mistreat each other or fail to care about each other, I am in the midst of somewhat of a mid-life crisis. I suffer from anomie, which I define for the purpose of this essay as a lack of faith in society (as opposed to depression, which I define for the purpose of this essay as a lack of faith in oneself). My solution, like that of many other people, is to seek a career change to that of homesteader (and possibly inventor, eventually).
I want, long-term, to be able to achieve complete independence from mainstream society. In every way possible, I want to be able to live completely alone, if necessary, and in reasonable comfort. I should not need to be resupplied from any outside source and should be able to deal ably with a wide variety of natural and manmade disasters.
Every important need should be met by at least three major sources, as per the Rule of Threes (as practiced by the Nez Perce). In addition, I should try to leave open the possibililty of doing without or of purchasing or trading for supplies from elsewhere. (There is no rule that says that I have to be inflexible.) While I should learn all useful skills as much as I can within reason, I should not be afraid to utilize the talents of others when available, especially when those talents are greater or more appropriate than mine. Also as practiced by the Nez Perce, I should not use more energy than I consume, lest I become sick or exhausted.
To achieve independence, the needs which must be met in this manner include the following, in approximate order of importance: air (in some circumstances, such as in a well-insulated home); water; food; clothing; shelter; heat (for cooking and warmth) and/or air conditioning; transportation; electrical power; leisure (spiritual improvement, the arts, social contact, exercise, FUN); and security (against disease, accidents, people of ill intent). These needs should be met in ways that are respectful of others, that are beneficial to the environment, and that can be duplicated or learned from.
While earning money is a laudable goal, it is not a need in and of itself. Other than helping maintain the economy, money is useful only to the extent that it helps one achieve one's goals. Still, even after I achieve my independence, I will still seek to earn a modest living for the extra security and comfort money can bring, and to expand my ability to have guests, as below.
Once established as an independent homesteader, or partially until then, I would like to be able to take in refugees in the event of some sort of large-scale catastrophe, should anyone among my friends or family or community are able to travel to my farm. (Until then, I might be able to take in apprentices or residents, or give classes on relevant skills I have mastered.) Using certain alternative construction techniques such as earth-bag building, I should be able to expand my facilities fairly quickly (if crudely). Each person or family should have private living quarters and a garden plot, though I believe a communal area should be set aside where people can gather without intruding on anyone's privacy. Of course, I still must determine the number of people I can accomodate, my screening process, the form of self-government used (consensus, homeowner's association, etc.), and the level of appropriate external involvement (local and state government, neighbors, friends, other homesteaders and farmers). My intent is to support the larger community's emergency action plan, in a more or less official or public manner, by functioning as a small safety net which would help build a local sense of legitimate security. In that way, my homestead would be a benefit to my community and to society, beyond that of most farms.
Until I have my own place, and even afterward, I will need to learn whatever I can from whomever I can, from among the skills needed on a homestead. For the immediate future, my skill improvement priorities include the following:
gardening (any organic, but even non-organic will help me to learn);
aquaculture (not subject to NAIS or the corresponding diseases);
construction (underground, earth-bag, standard, stone, HVAC, etc.);
and to a lesser extent:
engine repair (any)
body work (vehicles)
bicycle repair
heavy equipment operation (or at least tractors, now basic experience)
driving with a trailer (campers, etc.)
pottery making (?)
basic chemistry (such as for making nutrient solutions for hydroponics)
medical skills
electronics (especially for solar and wind power)
animal tracking
butchering (I'm squeamish about this one, but farmers need it)
nonrefrigerated food storage (canning, root cellars, etc.)
computers (now moderate, prefer high)
animal husbandry (typical farm animals)
metalcraft (welding, blacksmithing, foundry)
research, general (now basic, prefer moderate)
water filtration
Spanish (or whatever additional languages are used where you are)
I've written out a much more complete list, but this will do for now.