As a volunteer, you'll be doing what they want you do. My best advice in that context. Wear sunscreen, buy a good hat and stretch in the morning before heading out to work.

As a home organic gardener? My best advice is to pay attention to the soil up front. Build good beds before you get in an all-fire hurry to plant.

Buy land, rent machines (definitely not the other way around.)

An excellent book on organic growing is "The New Organic Grower" by Eliot Coleman. It is written mostly for market farmers, but has a tremendous amount of useful info for all levels of farming or gardening.

I'd go Billme's route. :o)

I was given an opportunity to "do it all over again" when we bought our house and moved. What did I do - soil, soil, soil. The sewer had to be installed which required digging big holes in the yard. So I ripped most everything out and amended the soil, spent all that fall and the following spring doing nothing other then amending the soil and building the soil health. Just finally planted things late this spring.

Patience is needed but it pays off. Especially if you are wanting to go the permiculture route. Things need to be WELL thought out. Take your time, get to know the land. I would say go through at least one of each season before you go hog wild with planting and/or building. Otherwise you will make more work later when you need to move things etc.

Kat

Thanks for all the great responses so far everyone. This is exactly what I was hoping for especially the things that may seem obvious on first view (like buying land before renting machines) but which in the end, are the things that are so often/easily overlooked and will either make or break a persons successes.

Im always one to stress the "order of operations" of things, with timing being key to everything once those steps are in place (unfortunately for me, I tend to be patient and analytical to a fault, where Im very rarely satisfied with my level of preparedness no matter how much background work I put into something leading to procrastination of the worst variety, with a kind of idealistic strangle hold on most things I want to do.)

I am glad to see the reinforcement of my suspicion that soil quality is truly of the utmost importance (water and soil being the life blood of the Earth of course, and sometimes requiring a full transfusion when various sicknesses and or nutrient deficiencies take control).

Ill add "The New Organic Grower" to my small list of books to read in the near future.

Again; thanks for the help so far everybody

I would rent the land too, Just in case things didn't work out..

I have seen $Billions in false promises over the past 50 years

I think one of the most fascinating parts of gardening is watching the cycle of insects (munchers and predators). Spend some time looking closely at the plants -- how the insects and plants interact, who visits whom, where the buzz of activity is. Get a hand lens so that you can see the insects -- I especially enjoy seeing parasitized aphids. Look at some of the web sites that identify common insects you are likely to see (UC Davis has a good IPM web site, but you may find a better one for your area). It's especially helpful to know some of the common beneficial insects beforehand, so that you do not inadvertently harm them. If the farm has hedgerows or maintains some weeds or flowers for the beneficials, spend some time observing those, too.

Pay attention to ergonomics. Everything is easier if you use your whole body, not just your arms. Think before doing repetitive movements -- avoid straining your back or overtaxing a specific group of muscles. Change positions. And make sure you're using good tools! Cheap ones may do the job, but good tools are a joy to use and make me look forward to the task.

If you're at all interested in writing (and if you have any energy left at the end of the day), write a garden journal or blog. Writing is a great way to remind yourself of what you think you saw or learned, and to pay more attention next time. Depending on what you think of as "fun," it might be fun to write, say, "10 things I learned today" or "15 unexpected things that happened" or "11 more things to learn about" or "20 questions to ask tomorrow." Personally, I keep a notebook in the car so that whenever I visit my garden I can write down such things as what I harvested, tasks accomplished, things to do, what's in bloom, etc. A notebook and pen is also great for taking notes throughout the day, or at breaks.

A one-month volunteer stint is perhaps one way to find out what plants you like to grow. Usually the most fun crops are the ones you like to eat, but sometimes it has to do with the way the light filters down through the big soft leaves (which is why I like bolivian sunroot), or the way a single seed takes over a whole section of the garden, and I let it go because it's fun to see how fast it grows (winter squash), or it could simply be the robust beauty of a flower (which I why I grow 4 species of echinacea).

Also, remember that if you will be working with other people, how you interact with them will be a significant part of the experience. I like to always assume that other people are acting with the best intentions, keep an open mind, and trust my intuition.

Finally, realize that you will never learn everything having to do with organic farming/gardening. Every season brings new challenges. A systems approach (permaculture/Fukuoka) is useful, but as with anything else in nature, you're dealing with individuals and with many variables (this plant in this soil in this season's wacky weather, planted next to this other plant, with this particular mulch...), so there will always be surprises if you're paying attention.

yep I agree with habitat re paying attention to bugs and try to identify the ones you see. some insects look mean, intimidating or just ugly but many have a really positive role in the bigger picture of a permaculture garden e.g. they may be beneficial insects which feed off damaging insects or they may be food for beneficial birds or other insects.

also, try not to look at plants or insects or anything in isolation, look at its place in the bigger picture because everything interacts and plays a role (or multiple roles) in the garden.

organic gardening and permaculture is like a journey, it's definitely not as simplistic as spraying fertilisers or chemicals around but definitely more rewarding and interesting :)

TG

On new land: map it out, and draw a plan. I have areas where I buy something because I want it, then it doesn't really fit as well into my scheme/planting as I had imagined.

Second to that- plant fruit trees, berries, perrenial bearing fruits ASAP. Buy them at a reasonable size. You will regret not having them started in 3 years when you wish you had trees bearing fruit.

On renting machines- I agree... up to a point. There will be a few that you'd need a lot, and may have room for. Buy those. Mower or tractor may fit in that category. Rent: chipper, splitter, backhoe, tiller (I never use one anyway)...

Mulch more. Mulch grass in place. Plant lots of cover crops. Never leave bare ground- either windrow compost, lasagna compost, or cover crop on it.

Discover rainbarrels, and use gravity wherever possible to direct water.

Use Bt correctly. Awesome against all sorts of nasties. Leave one source of water open (maybe rainbarrel) with a dunk in it- skeeters will go to it preferentially, and thus ends their cycle.

Grow a few crops that stay fresh a long time, or at least freeze well: onions, garlic, winter squash.

Learn to preserve food. Jellies, sauces, veggies, and dried stuff- would you rather buy that at the store this winter?

Fence in food crops with a 3' fence. Then take chicken wire and attach it to the same poles, bent out at the bottom for another 1'. Put mulch over that, or let clover grow through it to disguise it really well. Mine's now buried. Critters will try to dig under, but keep hitting the chicken wire. That eliminated the woodchucks from my tomatoes etc (but they still get my echinacea, lettuce, and other stuff). This fencing trick will save you a ton of heartache, in my experience (learned the hard way).

Get good with the idea that woodchucks will try to eat your hard-earned fruits and veggies. They will chew fruit buds and new growth off flowers and trees. They will eat any veggie that they can get to. They will undermine your outbuildings, and your foot will sink 18" in the ground when you walk over their tunnels. I hope that you don't break an ankle in the process- I almost re-broke mine. Buy a havahart trap (or multiple sizes, I have a squirrel one, and a woodchuck one) and a good BB gun- like a Crossman 760. Get a 22 if your area is big enough.

Oh- a few more.
Don't buy bottom of the line tools. You may not need top of the line tools, but el-cheapo brand will waste time, not hold an edge, be less safe, and cost money in the long run when you have to buy another to replace that cheap-@$$ steel.

Learn how to sharpen tools. Use them properly, and show them the respect they deserve for safety and efficiency sake!!!

Keep tools and machines serviced well, oiled, etc. You will save yourself tons of work, save money, and have tools/machines that last much longer. Taking 30 minutes to sharpen a chainsaw chain or an axe will save you hours in a single day.

hand tools. Buy an axe, sledge, and maul. Learn how to sharpen them, and keep them sharp. You really won't believe the difference that it makes. It seems like a hassel, but your body will appreciate the break, and the tool will work better for you. Sustainable means heating your own house.

A chainsaw is a "buy" tool, IMO- for firewood, and emergency tree removal.
Short handled spade.
Digging fork (most used tool that I have).
A machete.

Finances: look at the permaculture forum about living without extra income. Hard realities, and good ideas on compromises.

FWIW Ryobi Tools, Are now serviced ONLY By Home Depot

For me it took 3 months and $32.50 for a 2mm x 6 mm set screw in a $129 jig saw.

The tip is make sure you can get local service, I can get Black and Decker, Milwaulkee, Porter Cable or Makita serviced in less than 1 hour, if parts are in stock, 24 hours if I have to wait for parts

3 months service for a Pro Grade tool is assinine

If I could do it over, I'd double-dig all my beds before putting them in production. I did the newspaper/mulch layering thing on some of them... well, let's say those have been really slow (a few years) getting up to speed. Possibly because there are old tree roots or something down there taking a long time and lots of nitrogen to rot away. The beds I double-dug (and cleared of roots and rocks) have been in good production with little fuss.
I suppose tilling would accomplish much the same thing.

...just private objections as to the quality of my (river) irrigation water and my asbestos/cement main connecting line half full of sediment....the installation of dual filter clogs water intake (to the pump)very rapidly and stresses the pump motor....Already replaced the pump recently.....I could go with another set-up:a more sophisticated pumping system to pressurize a water tank (I used this set-up back east),but I am not committed to my current property because I have water quality issues...I'd rather move on...

... Jayne Belnap,a USGS Biologist succinctly suggests that there are lots of voices to be heard while she continues studying the role and function of cryptogamic desert crusts,various soil characteristics of different desert sands,endemic rhizospheric relationships, plant communities and subsequent definitions related to land use issues addressing economic development.I have sat way in the back row near the exit door with city commissioners focussed on economic development/land-use planning issues utilizing effective versions of "Roberts Rules of Orders" overlooking a series of storm runoff issues,erosion control,buffering functions of wetlands and the peculiarities of the behaviour and role of plants based upon uptake studies...I have concluded a general aversion to inputs of biological sciences and just another definition of our "artistic" decision making processes under contemporary conditions....
(...no politics,thank you...)...

The no 1 thing I have learned in 8 years of gardening on a sloped site? Do not garden on a sloped site, even a south-sloping one like mine.

Building up soil and clearing trees, stumps and brush is easy compared to dealing with sloped ground. Gravity never goes away - it will never correct itself. I have extensively tested and found to be exceptionally true the old adage that water does not flow up-hill.

....well,I don't know.....Perhaps incorporate terracing integrated with maybe subsoil methods of irrigation and peripheral plantings of shrubs/ dwarf or semi-dwarf trees planted just so: figure out shadow projections to help alleviate high noon heat intensities inherent with a southern exposure...
likely written about,you know....

One thing I've learned is to not to get carried away with the idea of interplanting 'to confuse the pests'. Looks nice but creates unnecessary work. Even in a 4000 sq. ft. garden the pests can find their way around pretty easily. I plant more and more in single-crop blocks. If there is a pest problem it's easier to find that way.

Weed prevention is crucial. Many give up on strawberry or asparagus plantings because of weed infestation. Planting buckwheat or annual ryegrass the year before and turning them under helps prevent weeds and improves the soil. Mulch between rows. Weed perennial beds by hand before things get out of hand.

'Never leave the soil bare' is key, as pablo says, and that includes paths. All our paths are mulched with sawdust, straw, woodchips or eelgrass, depending on the kind of traffic they get.

Terracing is a wicked pain in the butt - something to do only if there is no choice (as in my case). It's dramatically better to garden on a flat spot. And I want to grow vegetables, not shrubs. Bring me not shrubbery, I say.

I believe 'bare ground' culture is practiced to good effect in semi-arid climates where space is not an issue, but inputs - especially water - are. It seems very wide crop rows (2 or 3 times average) and dirt-mulch are more effective at conserving soil moisture than typical intensive gardening.

Excellent advise so far!! I'd like to add:
Keep tetanus shots up to date. Puncture wounds from thorns/spines/sticks can be source of tetanus.

Use a garden journal, either electronic, or pencil and paper (my preference, as it can go into the basket of garden tools,) and photos too. It helps to understand all the connections between weather, pests, soils, time, everything, and makes enjoyable reading in the winter.

Jean

Another thing. If you see that some strategy you've used to reduce pest destruction, conserve water or whatever is working, stop right there on the spot and tell yourself, That worked! Good for me! Because it's all too easy to see only where you're failing, and to feel you're in an endless race. I think organic growers feel this way more than conventional growers with their chemical arsenals and high fuel inputs.

Terracing is not the only successful way to farm a slope. An alternative to terracing is to plant downslope, as the farmers in Papua New Guinea do. Here's a recent newspaper article about this technique.

SF Chronicle, May 13, 2006
Alternative to terraced hillsides is going with the flow
Hillside farmers from New Guinea to Santa Cruz reducing erosion by planting down-slope
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/13/HOGKRIOR951.DTL