I grew up on a small family farm in Indiana, caring for hogs, a few chickens, ducks and a pigeon, milking goats and cows by hand and growing annual vegetables as well as a variety of fruit and berries. While my attempts at growing giant pumpkins were largely unsuccessful, I did learn to forage for the abundant edibles in the surrounding countryside. As an adult, I spent almost a year in El Salvador, and several years in South Florida, sparking an interest in growing tropical plants. When I moved to a Mediterranean climate in California, I found I could combine elements from my previous experience in a temperate climate with other elements from my experience in the tropics.

As I learned to grow cool-weather plants in the humid winters and heat-tolerant species in the dry summers, I discovered permaculture and began to experiment with permaculture design and techniques as I learned more. I started with the community garden in our small urban apartment complex, gradually converting lawn into more garden space. My focus has been diversity in both plant and soil life, constantly adding new varieties perennial herbs and vegetables and building water efficiency in the landscape.

After several years of learning about permaculture from other online sources, I was finally able to take Geoff Lawton's online PDC, which gave more a organized, systematic understanding of the field. My opportunities for applying permaculture have expanded as well. As I finished the PDC, I began to convert one front lawn into an edible, water efficient garden and started work with a team of designers looking to convert an other front lawn into a food forest.