My youth is a green memory. I was born in the country a small distance from Amish country in North East Ohio here in the States. We had 17 acres, goats, a pond and many trees for climbing. All of which are essential ingredients for fond memories. Without it being an intention, we were in many ways self-sustaining: my father hunted, we drank goat's milk, ducks and had a pond stocked with fish. My mother cooked wholesome food made from all of the above. Around 8 years of age I moved with my mother to Florida's East coast (Satellite Beach) where an entirely different climate awaited: ocean, sunrises, sea breeze, humidity and tropical fruits. As a young man I realized my gardening efforts were, in part, an attempt of trying to bridge together these two separate realities. Why couldn't they exist side by side? That is, the country and the city? I find it fascinating that individuals living in the city have a lower per capita energy usage than individuals in the country, yet those in the country often have self-sufficiency as one of the primary elements of their foundation. Often times not even using the word themselves.

Its through this awareness that I came to know permaculture. The name first found my ears somewhere in 2001 in Florida where I began to topically study it, however, it wasn't until 2003 while living in rural Germany (outside of Kulmbach, Northern Bavaria) on a largely self-sustaining project (energy and food production) that the pieces really began to line up. My wanderings between country and city continued as I have gone back and forth countless times and on each occasion the gap would lessen as realizations increased. I only somewhat recently tied the not between myself and Permaculture and acquired my PDC in the Spring of 2011 here in Orlando, FL.

Now once again living in the city I strive to let the natural world permeate both the landscape around me and my perspective so I'm always enveloped by my roots. The projects I undertake as well as the classes I teach all share a common focal point of bringing together two seemingly-separate worlds, the country and the city, in the hopes that humanity might find a more sustainable way to live upon this beauty-filled world of ours.