Mulberries in the Rain

Ryan Blosser is a farmer, educator, permaculture designer, writer, and mental health professional. He is co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute and owner/operator of Dancing Star Farm. In addition, he holds a teaching license in the State of Virginia and earned an MA and Ed.S. in clinical mental health counseling from James Madison University. Ryan served as Executive Director of Project GROWS, an educational non-profit farm dedicated to growing healthy communities. He also taught permaculture design and gardening in Staunton Public Schools before accepting a position with Waynesboro School, where he directs the continued development of the Waynesboro Education Farm. The intersection of his twin passions for growing food and helping people fuels his unique perspective on building community health and resilience through permaculture design. Ryan lives in Churchville, VA.

Trevor Piersol is a farmer, permaculture designer, and educator. He is co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute and owner/operator of Wild Rose Orchard, a diversified pick-your-own orchard and nursery producing fruits, berries, herbs, and pastured pork using beyond organic practices. Trevor is dedicated to the advancement of regenerative agriculture with a particular focus on perennial fruits, medicinal herbs, and easy-care native plants. He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and is a graduate of Allegheny Mountain Institute’s Food and Farming fellowship. A longtime self-confessed “plant geek” who loves spending time in the forests of Appalachia, foraging, wild crafting, and continually learning from nature, Trevor has been practicing, teaching, and writing about Permaculture Design since 2012. He lives in Mount Sidney, VA.