PPI Board Members...
CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS:
Mona Lewis, President, Instructor
Founder of Paradise Permaculture Institute, a Montana Corporation for education of sustainable, edible gardens and landscapes. Mona is a certified instructor of Permaculture Design Consultant through two organizations; Midwest Permaculture in the U.S and Gorgeous & Edible Landscapes in Canada.
Meghan McCarthy, Board Member
Meghan McCarthy is an avid grower who loves to learn about all different growing techniques. She finds permaculture to be a wonderful meshing of many ancient and new techniques that have proven to help strike a balance with our relationship with the land. Her interest in learning different growing techniques has led her to work in different growing mediums such as hydroponics, soil work and greenhouse growing. She loves all the different ways to grow and especially appreciates what each of these experiences adds to her life and love of growing.
Angela Devani, Board Member, Instructor
A recent transplant to Montana, Angela’s studies into herbalism began in Ohio as an intern with United Plant Savers at the Goldenseal Sanctuary. After that, she joined the Herbalist Apprenticeship program with Mockingbird Meadows, studying Rosemary Gladstar’s curriculum. She started a weekly farmers market in Ohio and attempted to homestead in that area, raising chickens and ducks and growing most of the vegetables that the family needed. She is a Certified Herbalist, Certified Aromatherapist and attended culinary school. With her move West, Angela is looking forward to learning more about the local flora. She is an energy healer who loves talking to the plants. She also makes body care products and teaches others how to make products and help themselves with herbs, essential oils and meditation.
Michele Evans, Board Member, Instructor
Michele Evans is a Montana Master Gardener III and a bio-intensive farming instructor for Ecology Action, a world wide organization teaching the world’s poor how to feed themselves. Michele has been a Montana grower since 1978 and currently enjoys the challenge of growing all the food for her family in the Bangtail Mountains at 7300′. She and her husband have a business, Earth Wind and Fire, helping people become self sufficient by providing solar, wind and micro hydro power systems and alternative food production ideas. She has been studying soil mineral depletion and the bio-intensive method of soil production and enhancement for 10 years. Currently the U.S. loses about 6 lbs of soil for every pound of food produced, developing countries 12 lbs, and China 18 lbs. Bio-intensive has found a way to increase soil amounts while using no chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. Soil is Michele’s passion.
Annalisa Pedraza, Board Member
Annalisa has practiced permaculture since 2010. She became enthused about the healing power of plants, and learned how to make herbal remedies from the likes of Rosemary Gladstar and other respected herbalists. She describes herself as the “Village Herbalist” for her family and friends.
Joy Larsen, Board Member
Joy has the experience of owning an organic farm and an artisanal dairy in the Paradise Valley, founded in the mid 90’s. She is passionate about supporting sustainable farmers and educating the community to provide access to locally grown food.
CONSULTANTS AND ADVISORS:
Zachary Weiss, Consultant, Instructor
Protégé of legendary Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer, Zach is the first person to earn Sepp Holzer’s Practitioner Certification from North America. He blends a unique combination of systems thinking and empathy with action oriented process to improve clients’ relationships with their landscape. Harvesting the natural productivity over time becomes the aim with high initial input, high yield systems that last until the next ice age when done properly. Learn more at www.ElementalEcosystems.com
Adele Field, Board Member, Marketing Consultant / Webmaster
Adele is a communicator, editor, and writer with over 30 years’ experience in publishing, marketing, advertising, theatre, and press relations. She holds degrees in Linguistics and Film/TV. Since 2008, she has telecommuted and/or consulted for companies in the high-tech, arts, environmental, and general business sectors across the U.S. When she discovered Permaculture in 2010, she became a passionate advocate for Permaculture Design. A resident of Melstone, MT, Adele is also a vintage trailer enthusiast, a grantwriter, President of the Melstone Area Foundation, and Melstone Community Garden Coordinator.
Beverly Axelsen, Herbalist, Instructor of Plant Medicine and Herb Classes, and Habilitation Services Specialist at Counter Point. Bev became passionately interested in medicinal plants fifteen years ago after finding Echinacea Angustifolia growing on her family ranch in eastern Montana. Many great teachers have influenced her over the years; the most respected and knowledgeable being the plants themselves. She has studied in the mountains and prairies of Montana, the jungles of Belize, Costa Rica and in Bali. As a teacher and guide for others Bev promotes direct experience with plants.
Becky Owens, Advisor
Rebecca Owens was previously an Associate Planner, Community Development Department, City of Bozeman, Montana. Prior to that, she held the position of Sustainability Program Manager, Yellowstone National Park.
Kari King, Advisor
Kari King lives in Pony, Montana where she writes, reads poetry, plants garlic, works on a nascent permaculture project, hugs trees and generally stumbles around gobsmacked with gratitude.
GUEST INSTRUCTORS:
Robin Kelson, Guest Speaker
Robin Kelson, Whitefish, MT: Owner – Good Seed Co.; Founder – Resiliency Intelligence Alliance; Interim Executive Director – AERO. View Robin’s Seed-Saving presentations for PPI on January 30 and February 27, 2021 here.
Cheryl Moore-Gough, Guest Speaker
Cheryl Moore-Gough holds a B.S. in Horticulture and an M.S. in Plant Sciences from Montana State University, where she retired as the Montana State Extension Horticulturist in 2008. While serving in that capacity, she instructed and coordinated the Montana Master Gardener program and co-authored its manual. She was the plant disease diagnostician in MSU’s Schutter Diagnostic Lab and is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor in horticulture at MSU, where she teaches Vegetable Production. Additionally, she has taught various undergraduate classes at MSU and has published numerous works alone and with her late husband, the well-known Robert “Dr. Bob” Gough. Together, they wrote in 2007 The Montana Gardener’s Companion, first edition; in 2010 Guide to Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening, and in 2011 The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds. She is currently working on the second edition of The Montana Gardener’s Companion, scheduled to be published in 2015. Cheryl’s articles have been published in numerous magazines including Fine Gardening, Zone 4 Magazine, Montana Magazine, American Nurseryman, and Big Sky Small Acres. She has co-authored over 25 Montana Extension yard and garden informational MontGuides and Bulletins. Cheryl is an articulate and entertaining speaker, much in demand throughout the western United States. Cheryl is also the technical horticulture editor for Zone 4 Magazine, and she produces and hosts the Northern News Network’s daily radio program, “Northern Gardening Tips,” carried by stations throughout Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. Cheryl currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Montana nonprofit “Gallatin Valley Farm to School.” She has been gardening and saving seeds in the Gallatin Valley for over 40 years. In addition to her horticultural pursuits, Cheryl holds a fourth degree black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido and is an instructor at the Bozeman, Montana dojo.
Christopher Borton, Sage Mountain Center
Christopher Borton is director, co-founder, and designer of Sage Mountain Center LLC, an award winning off-grid educational facility promoting personal and environmental awareness. For over 25 years Sage Mountain Center has provided sustainable living education in everything from straw bale/cordwood construction and solar/wind power to organic gardening, composting toilets and vegan living. A fourth-generation builder, Chris is a founding board member of the Montana Renewable Energy Association (VP from 2003 -2012) as well as on the board of the Montana Energy Education Council. Coupled with his residential and small business consultation services, he continues to promote proven sustainable methods and techniques at all levels, from remote villages in Guatemala to federal agencies and large corporations. Classes: Cord Wood Building, Mini Straw Bale Workshop. Contact: Christopher Borton, Sage Mountain Center, 79 Sage Mountain Trail, Whitehall, MT 59759, 406-494-9875
email: cborton@sagemountain.org | website: www.sagemountain.org
Caleb Warnock, Guest Panelist, 2019 PPI Seed Extravaganza
Caleb Warnock, owner of Renaissance Seeds, Alpine, Utah, is a long-time seed saver, year-round gardener, and author of 24 non-fiction books, including Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency Used by the Mormon Pioneers, The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast and Skills of Self Sufficiency.
Kristine Backes, Instructor: Medicinal Plants in the Kitchen
Kristine offers consultations, workshops and mentoring rooted in nature-based healing traditions. She loves to show people how to listen to their own wisdom by moving in closer harmony with nature. Kristine is a registered yoga teacher, holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership, and has studied Ayurveda and other traditional healing methods for over a decade.
Kareen Erbe
Kareen Erbe has been studying, practicing and teaching permaculture since 2006. After training under Geoff Lawton at the Permaculture Research Institute, she founded Broken Ground, a permaculture education and edible garden design company in Bozeman. She has a Master Composter certification, has training in Ecology Action’s Grow Biointensive method and has worked and volunteered on numerous organic and permaculture farms in Australia, New Zealand, western Massachusetts and Montana.
Greg Johnson, Montana Ponds
Montana Ponds is locally owned and operated by Greg and Marnie Johnson. We pride ourselves in having the expertise to help you get the most enjoyment out of your water feature. This includes minimizing water loss, maximizing water health and increasing the sustainability of the water feature in the long term. Controlling algae and pond weeds, planting the right types and number of plants and providing adequate aeration are all things that are essential to the health of a pond. We provide consultations, once a year clean outs and weekly maintenance during the summer months. We also install pumps for spring startups then remove them and store them for the winter. This is a customized service and can be designed to meet your specific needs. We are a full scale design and construction company for water features, however big or small. From an ornamental, pondless waterfall to a full scale trout pond, we can help you add the enjoyment of having water on your property.