Hello Everyone, I'm so glad I found this group! I'm totally new to permaculture... and gardening for a matter of fact. Not because I didn't have the opportunities but because I was blind and didn't understand the importance of learning to be self sustainable and growing fresh veggies. I used to tell my mom, every time she asked me to help her in the garden, "why don't we just go buy veggies at the store, this is so much work? " Sadly enough, my mother never taught me the reason why we should gardened. Her answer was, "because we don't have enough money and this will help us have food on the table" so my notion of gardening was that it was only for poor people and I didn't want to be view as "poor" by my friends.
Now fast forward many years later and I have learned the value of taking care of the land, the environment and of one self. I have a little family and I am so grateful that I'm able to teach that to my children. In fact my 14 years old girls doesn't like to go out to eat, she would rather stay home and cook for us. She wants to make everything from scratch so this Christmas we got her all the attachment possible for her kitchen aid appliance. The day we bought her the kitchen aid she made enough cinnamon bread raisin for all our neighbors. They all loved it!
I am in the process of taking an online permaculture course and am looking for local classes as well as people who would like to let me volunteer at their place. I found a class, the PDC course for last year but have not been able to get a hold of someone to check if there will be another class for 2014. I emailed the link provided twice but they both bounced back. Do anyone of you have information about it?
I also found this guy, Rob, in Tonopah who owns a permaculture farm there. Any one know him? I am so amazed at what he does there. I visited the farm and was so touched by the passion he has for tending the land and his farm. My 30 min visit I planned turned into almost 3 hours and I went home with free veggies! I would love to volunteer there, but it's so far...almost 1 hour drive... would it be worth it? what do you think?
I would love to get to know people close to me though. can you tell me some of things this group does? Do we mostly chat on this forum? Is there a social gathering sometimes? opportunity to help each other or volunteer?
I look forward to hear from you, have a great Holiday!
Replies
Hi Maynhia!
Welcome to the VPA! Be sure to join more of the groups here on the website and visit the forum and blogs regularly. There is a cool search feature on this website as well, which will take you to discussions on many subjects. I know you from the AZ Aquaponics site on Aquaponics Source website. I met you in downtown PHX at David Schwinghammer's display for Food Day a year or so ago.
Anyway, I took the VPA's Permaculture for Drylands PDC Spring 2013 'and' Don Titmus' Permaculture Design Course Fall 2013. Don is offering a Spring 2014 PDC that begins February 8, 2014, his website is http://www.4dirs.com.
and I highly recommend his permaculture design course. If you have any questions you can contact me at chrisgsdl@yahoo.com. I have an urban farm (in the making) in Scottsdale. Chris George, 3rd Acre Farm, Scottsdale
Yes, I do remember you vaguely...maybe not the face but :) definitely the conversation. You mentioned something about being part of the permaculture group and that was way beyond my head, lol.
I loved doing aquaponic. I built a raft and draft system with 3 beds of Hydroton using a 170 gallon water tank, actually David came up a few times and helped me, my kids loved it. I have a video somewhere where my son explains how it works...
Sadly, I realized it was hard to have one with our family lifestyle. We were gone often and always had to ask someone to feed our 100 so tilapia and check on the water ph among other things...it was like having a pet!
I still have the system cause its hard to part with something my kids and I spent so many hours building. But I've been thinking about letting David have it since he asked about it.
Thank you so much for the web address I will check it out. If you need any help with your farm, please don't hesitate to ask me. I don't have much knowledge but I can do some physical work. I can even go on errands with you.
I am in the process of starting a community garden as part of the required project from my class and am very excited to apply the things I've learned.
I will definitely keep you in mind for help and references. :)