In 2021, I graduated from Hampshire College with a Bachelors degree and a 5 College certificate in sustainability studies. My focus then, and now, is how to live in harmony with the natural environment.

A 4 week Earthship Biotecture Academy, and later field study, introduced me to the idea of buildings as self sustaining structures that repurpose waste and reduce consumption of precious natural resources.

Regenerating the damaged land on a family farm has taught me how to capture rainwater and rebuild the water table using terraces and swales. We’ve applied permaculture concepts to regenerate the land and plant orchards and food forests in order to produce enough food our family and the wildlife that shares the land with us.

For the past two years, I have experimented with building alternatives such as hempcrete - completing a two week internship with Texas Healthy Homes; and rammed earth -completing a workshop with SIRE Wall Canada (Structural Insulated Rammed Earth).

I have explored rocket mass heater construction as a means of generating long lasting heat sources that require far less fuel than conventional fires. And more recently, I’ve been working with an engineer and designer to create a cold climate greenhouse for year round food production without electricity.

In the coming months, we hope to move forward on a rammed earth shop building and utility kitchen.