Ever since I was born I have been living close to the land. Growing up in Southern Illinois my family would camp 6 months out of the year at crab orchard lake. Hunting, fishing, gardening, cutting firewood was part of our life. Living near large tracts of woodlands I experienced the Sacred taking walks, building forts and climbing trees. I have fond memories of those days.
After college I set out on a sacred journey to find the meaning of life. What I found was a way of life that mimicked nature, respected indigenous knowledge and created positive solutions to the world’s problems. I found permaculture or permaculture found me. Interning on organic market gardens, working at a tropical permaculture farm, designing and managing permaculture gardens, operating an Arborist business, building numerous natural buildings, teaching permaculture and natural building and helping people design their sites have been but a few of the many things that I have done over the last 12 years.
I currently live in Tennessee and am the co-owner of Spiral Ridge Permaculture, a family ran Permaculture Design/Build company and Forest Garden Nursery. I have applied and taught permaculture in tropical, subtropical, desert, and temperate climates. I have also created an Advanced Permaculture Skills apprenticeship for the The Farm's Ecovillage Training Center where I share the skills needed to start permaculture projects around the world. My passions and skills include design, bamboo, forest gardens, natural building, water harvesting, eco forestry, ecological restoration, earthworks, Tai Chi/Taoism, and creating a permaculture homestead with my young family.

Winter Weekend Permaculture Design Course - 2015

February 21, 22 & 23, February 28 & March 1, March 7 & 8, March 13, 14 & 15 Earn your internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certification during this 10 day weekend format course that integrates real-world design, and homestead skill building.

2 Day Cyber Tracking

Zone 5 Wilderness Skills - Tracking course for beginners and advanced students

Agro-Ecosystems: A Permaculture Practicum Course

Agro-Ecosystems: A Permaculture Practicum Earthworks - Soil Fertility - Agroforestry - Animals October 9-13, 2014

Holistic Management and Keyline Design Courses - Back to Back

Spiral Ridge Permaculture and Owen Hablutzel, director of PRI - USA, team up to offer two courses back to back on Whole Farm Design. Take one or both.

Winter Weekend Permaculture Design Course

Join us for a weekends-only permaculture certificate course in Summertown, TN. Early bird pricing until January 10th. Perfect for those folks that cannot take off work for a residential course.