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Instructors

The Financial Permaculture Design & Facilitation Team consists of an interdisciplinary coalition of individuals from the business, non-profit and education sectors who have come together to create a forum to address the economic and environmental challenges of the day. Through grassroots organizing, participatory design, and democracy we are working with local communities to create holistic and regenerative economic solutions for local and international sustainability.

Below are the biographies of instructors and facilitators for the 2010 Course.

Eric Toensmeier 

Coauthor of Edible Forest Gardens (Chelsea Green), Eric has worked as a small farm trainer at the New England Small Farm Institute Belchertown, Massachusetts) and currently manages the Tierra de Oportunidades new farmer program of Nuestras Raíces in Holyoke, Massachusetts. There he is designing and installing a permaculture landscape in concert with immigrant farmers who are starting farm-based enterprises in an urban context. Eric is a graduate and former faculty member of the Institute for Social Ecology in Plainfield, Vermont.

Jennifer English

Jennifer English, M.S., N. D. is an instructor and consultant in sustainable and healthy lifestyles, permaculture design, and yoga. She has an N.D. in Traditional Naturopathy and an M.S. in Natural Health, a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Environmental Studies, a Diploma in Wildlife Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Eco-social Design, and 14 years professional experience leading projects and non-profits in the alternative health and environmental sectors. Jennifer is the Director and Founder of the Center for Holistic Ecology and co-founder of Solar Springs LLC, a permaculture design consulting firm. Jennifer’s areas of specialization include: local economic development, community networks, eco-entrepreneurialism, consumer advocacy and whole ecosystems design.a Masters in Architecture - she studied in Austria and the Netherlands - during and after her studies she focused on green and social aspects of architecture and urban planning - the she worked for the Delft Interfacultary Research Institute and the Department for environMental Design at the Delft University of Technology, NL - later she deepened her experience in Ecovillage Design working for the Ecovillage Training Center in Tennessee, USA - Since 2006 she is involved in Gaia University where she is working as a advisor, developer and graphic designer – Valerie is Co founder of Gaia Southeast a regional node of Gaia University in Tennessee.


Gregory Landua

Greg is the Program Coordinator for the Ecovillage Training Center on The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee.  He is an active permaculture and ecovillage design educator, founding partner of the Nemawashi Partnership, and core member of the Living Mandala Design Collective.  Along with teaching and practicing permaculture, Greg is an active bioregional organizer and NextGEN fellow helping to craft avenues and pathways for intergenerational dialog and collaboration in the shared enterprise of earth regeneration. Greg has studied marine and terrestrial ecology and evolutionary biology in the Galapagos Islands, translated for Amazonian rainforest guides, fought wildfires in the wilderness of Alaska, and studied the nuances of ecology and ethics.  Greg has B.S. in Environmental Science and Ethics from Oregon State University, and is receiving a Masters Degree in Organizing Learning for Ecosocial Regeneration from Gaia University International, and was a member of the coordination team for the 10th Continental Bioregional Congress.

For further information and Questions:

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