Tammy is the farm manager at the Regenerative Design Instititute, coordinating food production and teaching and facilitating the 6-8 farm crew staff work-traders.

Tammy’s formal education experience at University of Florida included a B.A. (1991) in Russian Language, complemented by a summer abroad program in Moscow, USSR in 1989, a foray into the nature of light and holography with a minor in Physics, and a broad cultural perspective with a minor in Anthropology. She gained experience working in a science and arts laboratory by apprenticing with August Muth, world-respected holographer and artist, where she was the production manager at LASART/Solid Air for his line of holographic jewelry and glass-encased artwork.

In New Mexico, from 1996-1999 she turned to working outdoors in the landscaping field in Santa Fe, New Mexico, while training in several Permaculture Design Courses. This included learning traditional Native American agriculture from several local pueblo teachers, as well as the many permaculture educators emerging in New Mexico.

At the same time, she spent many hours volunteering on various environmental and social justice campaigns, organizing and holding office for the New Mexico Green Party and supporting Green candidates who won local elected office during their terms.

In May of 2000, Tammy joined Lost Valley Educational Center in Dexter, Oregon to become the Organic Garden Coordinator and member of the intentional community and non-profit for 6 years. After completing the Permaculture Teacher Training, with Jude Hobbs and Tom Ward in 2002, she began offering more permaculture curriculum in the internship program at Lost Valley.

She also participated in and became a trained facilitator of Naka-Ima, a personal growth workshop offered at Lost Valley by Deborah Riverbend and Larry Kaplowitz. Tammy co-created the Eco-village and Permaculture Certification Program with Marc Tobin and Rick Valley. Tammy was instrumental in incorporating a weekend training in Naka-Ima, which she co-facilitated, into the permaculture training program.

In 2004, Tammy purchased a 1974 Gillig school bus and converted it to an eco-RV that runs on biodiesel and solar power. She took a group of 14 ‘superhero’ volunteers from Eugene, Oregon, down to New Orleans, Louisiana for a month to support the people recovering from Hurricane Katrina. She has also participated in many volunteer service experiences with the ‘Haul of Justice’, a bicycle-powered network of costumed superheroes, who ride bikes from town to town doing spontaneous acts of service and compassion.

Tammy also had the pleasure of working with entrepreneurs and creators of Coconut Bliss, Larry Kaplowitz and Luna Marcus, making delicious pint after pint of this popular vegan, agave-sweetened delicacy, and bringing it to Oregon and California audiences with a festival vending booth.