I come from rural/suburban minnesota, in americas breadbasket. My childhood was filled with lakes and fish, forests filled with deer, big decidous trees with amazingly colorful autumns, pumpkin patches, corn fields, processed foods, the sweet smell of humus, fungus, and freshly cut grass. I started being curious about the world early and started traveling to places as diverse as japan, northern africa, mexico, and europe in this part of life. After 18 years I decided to give all of this up for a little place in the boreal forest of fairbanks alaska. My deer became moose, sunfish became salmon, strawberry became a profusion of sweet tart blueberries. This is the period of my life when I started learning what it meant to live with nature, and to really learn about the cyclical nature of life on planet earth. And it was also this time in life when I first had sustained interactions with traditional cultures (inuit). I continued my search for my mission in the world and spent much time on the road while at the same time persuing my degree in 'globalization, sustainability, and community development.'

Ever since I was a small child I have known that I have a mission to do somthing to make life on planet earth just a little better. I spent the first twenty years in minnesota and alaska respectively hunting for what that was. Just after my twenty first birthday I first heard the word permaculture. During that time I had finally assembled enough of the puzzle of history, evolution, sociology, and anthropology, to understand that the problems were very complex, and meeting them would start with empowerment. People did not need to rely on governments, or institutions for health, safety and happiness, and could be empowered to be able to meet their core needs themselves. The permaculture principals and ethics as well as the support of the community really helped me go further on this journey, and gave me a toolkit to bring these realities into reality.

I persued my connection with permaculture, traditional cultures, plants, and soil, in Alaska until the age of 25 when I moved to Colorado. In colorado I helped found an Urban Intentional Permaculture Community called folsom farm. While there I started learning yet another Bio-region, the arid highlands, and had a massive focus on invisible structures. After many years of self study, this is when I decided to first take a pdc. During this time I worked in landscaping, and community organizing, and permaculture design.

I finally could not resist any longer and left for the big journey that was always in the making. To go out on the road and figure out how I could make my lifelong vision of working in traditional cultures, encouraging empowerment, and spreading knowledge a reality. Visiting Palestine, China, India, and finally thailand, I am well on my way of making this a reality. I am currently managing the Permaculture garden at PhanganProject, a sustainability outreach organization in koh phangan Thailand. In addition to that I am the garden worker at Phangan Earthworks, also of Koh Phangan Thailand, and An Assistant at Itinerant Permaculture, an organization which aims to offer support, networking and training to permaculture speciaists who work on the dusty roads of the world.