The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia

I grew up at a time when I could still help my Grandmother bake pies and can jellies from the fruit grown on her land. She and my Grandfather instilled a great love of gardening and care for the planet in me, and over the years I have always loved the small urban gardens that I have planted that have provided me with food in the form of my favorite vegetables.

Having relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to Northwestern Panama, I am in the process of restructuring my life to become more self-sufficient. I’ve been a supporter of organic produce and farmers market for over two decades now, and that interest has lead me to permaculture. Here in the tropics, permaculture is all around me - however, people don’t call it permaculture - they call it food. Each day I find new examples of “indigenous permaculture” all around me and that continues to inspire my desire for a lifestyle based around permaculture principals.

My current project involves reforesting 16 acres of pasture land in Chiriqui with a permaculture based model in an effort to protect the waters that are born on the land, diversity of wildlife found here as well as to provide food and shelter for the healthy, whole lifestyle I desire.