Financial Permaculture Institute

Dave Jacke has been a student of ecology and design since the 1970s, and has run his own ecological design firm—Dynamics Ecological Design—since 1984 (click here for a PDF of Dave's resume). Dave is an engaging and passionate teacher of ecological design and permaculture, and a meticulous designer. He has consulted on, designed, built, and planted landscapes, homes, farms, and communities in the many parts of the United States, as well as overseas, but mainly in the Northeast. Dave co-authored Edible Forest Gardens, a two-volume set about the ecology and design of home scale food forests in temperate climates. A cofounder of Land Trust at Gap Mountain in Jaffrey, NH, he homesteaded there for a number of years. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Simon's Rock College (1980) and a M.A. in Landscape Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design (1984).

Kay Cafasso -- Kay Cafasso is a certified permaculture design course instructor, a designer of ecological landscapes, and a natural builder. After documenting ecological design applications in homes and landscapes in arid, temperate and tropical climates worldwide, Kay founded Sowing Solutions, offering educational workshops & certification courses, as well as ecological design & consultation services for homeowners and land stewards. Kay also has many years of experience specializing in earth plasters and natural finishes for straw bale and other natural buildings. Kay practices what she teaches: thoughtful and holistic design of landscapes, agriculture, dwellings, and communities. She holds the following certificates and degrees:

B.S., Environmental Geosciences, Boston College
Permaculture Design Certification, Naropa University
Natural Building and Solar Home Design Certification, Solar Energy International
Permaculture Instruction Certification, Dynamics Ecological Design

Chris Jackson -- Chris Jackson lives in Plainfield, Vermont where he manages Maple Hill Community Farm.  He is a founding member of the Winooski Valley Permaculture Collective and has taught Permaculture and related workshops since 2005 for Yestermorrow, University of Vermont, Sterling College and various community groups.  He took the Teaching Permaculture Creatively course in 2007 and has been on the staff of the course since 2009.

Kim Almeida, a Permaculture Degree candidate, brings vibrancy and a light-hearted approach to the study of Edible Forest Gardening. Apprentice to “Edible Forest Gardening” author and pioneer Dave Jacke, Kim offers comprehensive workshops on this earth-centered and community-oriented gardening method.

Trent Rhode is a permaculture gardener, designer, teacher, and researcher living in Peterborough, Ontario. He has a background and education in communications and sustainable land use practices, and has been studying ecology and natural farming since 2004.