About Debbie
Rooted in the land.
My love of growing started early. My grandfather cultivated 20 varieties of tomatoes, and that sense of wonder never left me.
I began farming in the mountains of North Carolina and have spent the last 25 years managing regenerative teaching farms across the country, including at the University of Pennsylvania, College of the Atlantic, Merritt Community College, Pie Ranch, and Urban Adamah. Through that work I've developed expertise in educational farm management, curriculum writing, organic growing techniques and garden design.
Alongside farming, I've spent 15 years as a private chef, bringing the same connection to earth into the kitchen, cooking seasonal meals that celebrate fresh ingredients and the people who grow them. Beyond the soil, my greatest teacher in the field is my 4 year old daughter who never ceases to remind me that in nature, children thrive.
I teach at the college level and have been a guest lecturer in the UC Berkeley Environmental Engineering graduate program, an instructor at Merritt Community College and facilitated graduate degree practicums. I am available to come to your classroom for workshops and lectures.
