Being a newer player in the new mmo skill system i found myself at the same early impasse. I really couldn't do anything. The game doesn't really start until your tier 1 skills are ground out.
I did a lot of reading about punching grass and a million other oddball ideas but do think i found some better answers to share with the community.
Go north because snow is your friend
natures lore - i loaded a fire and loaded up with snow and cooked snow into water. hit mass produce and relax while it sorts itself out ( not quite that easy but beats punching grass)
Artisan - please please don't run around chopping trees for this they are precious but if your far enough north to find snow you will find a lot of underbrush. Cutting and uprooting underbrush will give you this skill ( i did it in while grinding forestry planting trees what can i say want the world to be a better place)
materials prep will go to 30 by making a couple hundred snowballs and can be done at same place as para 1.
as for you farmers . sorry bros i ended up plowing a whole field don't have anything to add
and there we are day 2 in game planting trees hunting and playing the game instead of grinding the skills to subsist.
not saying its the best but suspect I am on to something using the mountaintop snow
feel free to discuss