Introducing our team
We are an intergenerational, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary team of dedicated permaculture and regenerative culture enthusiasts, working together to innovate and implement sustainable change.
Johana
Johanna is a gardener and ecological planting designer in Maryland. She has worked as a garden consultant in the DC area designing and maintaining residential pollinator and vegetable gardens. Johanna's experience and knowledge has been shaped by years of experimenting in her home garden and closely observing the rich environments along the banks of the Antietam by her home.
George
After studying Systems Engineering at the Naval Academy, George spent ten years in the military: first as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, then an educational administrator, and lastly as a Tactical Action Officer. He has been fortunate to travel to more than two dozen countries, gathering design inspiration from around the world. His proudest design work to date is an urban garden serving six refugee families in Frankfurt, Germany. Back in the states, he and his family planted 1000+ trees and shrubs on his Virginia farmstead, where he is dreaming up a new permaculture business from scratch. He is enthralled to join HCF to create sustainable spaces which rejuvenate both soil and soul.
Jon
Jon is an artist, designer, and budding social ecologist currently using his experience as a collaborative performance art maker as a pivot point to shift focus towards designing regenerative communities and permaculture paradises. Envisioning a future he’d like to share with his two boys and inspiring others to collaborate in that dream motivates him in taking the most practical and worthwhile steps towards actually creating it. He’s ever inspired by artists and creators who have paved the way in discovering and expressing truth, as well as how quickly nature will show you she is the original artist if you just listen, and without a doubt, his partner and best friend who is his constant reminder of true connection.
Gareth
In 2008, Gareth Noble became deeply involved in Connecticut’s farming community, focusing on sustainable farming and urban food security advocacy. Gareth is a qualified Permaculture Designer.
In 2022, after extensive research and deliberation, Gareth decided to leverage his experience in experiential design, hospitality and farming advocacy to create SettlersNest—a solution aimed at adding direct income to small family farms through farm stays and the lens of permaculture. The goal is to show how adding farm stays to the income toolkit can be a catalyst for holistic sustainable farming projects, to pay the bills, and take the pressure off.
John
John Thomas is a policy advisor (aka non-practicing attorney), former congressional staffer, Marine, and motivated permaculture practitioner. Like most, the pandemic had a significant impact on his life. What began as a journey towards self-sufficiency, became a lesson on the importance of community. He began with a very small garden using two large plastic pots and has continued to transition his suburban yard into a permaculture food forest. John participated in the SPI Fall 2021 PDC and later served as a TA for the Spring 2022 PDC and is now a Course Coordinator for the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute. He continues to advance his studies in food forest design, herbalism, homesteading, and more.
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Luzette
Luzette began her journey into regeneration, permaculture, and complex systems in 2009 during her MSc at Schumacher College. With over 20 years of experience in systems change at Ashoka, she has developed deep expertise in personal growth, leadership development, and well-being. Luzette co-founded Alive & Thriving, the Consciousness Coalition, and the Weaving Lab, and collaborates with CoCreative teaching, coaching, and facilitating Collaborative Innovation and Multi-stakeholder Innovation Networks. She is a certified permaculture designer, integral coach, and mindfulness meditation teacher trained in deep ecology and regenerative approaches. Luzette holds a BA in Finance and International Relations and an MSc in Holistic Science. She lives in Shenandoah County, USA, with her husband Adam, and their dog Olaf.
Olaf
Am Big Boi. Very barky coz am maremma guardian floof. I likes adventures and treats and scritches. Especially from mummy and daddy. I keep farm safe coz am good boi. Was fired from last job - am too playful with sheeps!
Adam
Adam is deeply inspired by nature, and believes that our most profound lessons come from the natural world. His journey in permaculture design began in 2012 in North Africa and continued through to a second PDC in 2023 in Shenandoah, VA. Adam has co-founded multiple organizations, including agricultural incubators and green technology innovation hubs, and was awarded an Ashoka Fellowship for his role in building a systemic change movement around Green Economy during the Arab Spring. This is where he first encountered the power of self-organization, which has supported him in building small teams that can achieve great things. He serves as an ambassador to North Africa for the Global Ecovillage Network, and coaches changemakers and leaders to thrive in the midst of complexity.