What skills to focus on? Permaculture?

[RoamingFrancis]

Hey everybody,

Because online college classes suck ass, I am planning to spend the fall being a dirtbag, doing some sort of WWOOF or Workaway arrangement.

If I focus on studying permaculture, how much of what I know will I be able to transfer outside of a specific region? I don't want to put a bunch of work into learning a new skill, only to find out that it's basically useless outside of one specific part of the world.

Furthermore, does the systems thinking of permaculture transfer into better understanding of ERE? Will studying both mutually reinforce each other?

If permaculture is a suboptimal choice for the time being, what would a better one be?

Peace,
RF

[Hristo Botev]

I don't have any answers to your questions, but I'm anxiously awaiting to hear what responses you get; been having many of the same questions myself lately. Thanks for posting!

[7Wannabe5]

Well, it is pretty likely that there is going to be a good deal of change in regional patterns throughout the 21st century, so you are always going to have to revert to general principles. Nothing is truly permanent, but Even greater flexibility will be required.

[Frita]

Are you following @JenAR?

[Alphaville]

If I focus on studying permaculture, how much of what I know will I be able to transfer outside of a specific region? I don't want to put a bunch of work into learning a new skill, only to find out that it's basically useless outside of one specific part of the world.

it depends on how theoretical you get and who you learn from. e.g. reading sepp holzer and bill mollison was challenging for me because their practices were centered respectively in central europe and australia. extracting applicable principles wasn’t always easy, but since there are also practitioners in my region, i can sort of “triangulate” and see a theory in practice, if that makes sense?

so it doesn’t matter where as long as they explain the whys.

Furthermore, does the systems thinking of permaculture transfer into better understanding of ERE? Will studying both mutually reinforce each other?

probably again yes for theoretical types, less so for others

If permaculture is a suboptimal choice for the time being, what would a better one be?

Peace,
RF

my problem for permaculture is that it ties you to land, and if you don’t have it, being a landless peasant is sort of pointless.

well, not pointless maybe, but it makes you a field hand, which is a vulnerable place to be in the economy.

i don’t know you so i don’t know what to recommend. i guess my questions would be- what interests you? what are you good at? how do you like to spend your time?

[Papers of Indenture]

If I focus on studying permaculture, how much of what I know will I be able to transfer outside of a specific region? I don't want to put a bunch of work into learning a new skill, only to find out that it's basically useless outside of one specific part of the world.

Agriculture, especially small scale low input, is tremendously local. The best thing a beginning gardener can do is learn about their local climate and soil conditions in relation to potential crops.

Not everything you learn will transfer. This is very much a trial and error pursuit.

Permaculture is very useful to learn about. But it's not a science. It's not a set of practices that you can apply anywhere. It's theory. It's application requires creativity and very careful study of the land you occupy. It also requires a good BS detector.

Alpha always gives real talk on this subject.

But if you've got a free Fall do it if you think it would be fun. Be judicious about who you choose to work for. I've talked to WOOFers who loved their experience and others who hated it.