About
I move between places—farms, communes, schools, off-grid projects—offering what I can, learning as I go. I live simply, travel light, and try to build things that last. My work is rooted in food, writing, and human connection. If that resonates, let’s talk.
Newsletter
Village Dispatch is a monthly field report from the edge of the grid. Notes on how to live simply, build comfortably, and stay human.If you’ve read this far, drop your email and let’s stay in touch.
Pilgrimish
The flame. Written in 2025, Pilgrimish traces an 18-year journey through farming, failure, walking, and the slow return to a life worth living.
Permaville
The plan. Written in 2015, Permaville outlines core concepts about how to live in harmony with nature. Nature makes the rules, just follow them.
Bananadog
The spark. Written in 2006, Banandog is a story of a bicycle trip around New Zealand. 2000 miles on a $35 bicycle. A bumpy ride, in a gorgeous country, with many unexpected turns.
Sustainable Living Made Simple
The course. Edited from 2015-2018, this is my opus for sustainable living. Grow food, sell food, get better at it. Thats what we’re here to do.
Surviving on an Island
The sequel. Edited in 2022, it’s a sequel to “Sustainable Living Made Easy”—doubling down on how farming is the way forward.
Rootmath
The foundation. Edited in 2020, this is a story of how math and science fit together. A point of view of how life began, rooted in a bit of truth.
Thank you for visiting my site. This journey has been deeply rewarding, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it with you. Feel free to reach out—I’d love to hear about your work or how we might collaborate.
“The soil remembers. So do we.” —Village saying
Pilgrimish
“The long road, a backpack, a cart at times, and the search for something real.”Why I Wrote This
This is the story of my 18-year journey through the unknown. What started as a Peace Corps service turned corporate job became a journey of social intricacies of living with people and solitude. I wrote it to trace the road back to a kind of truth.What It’s About
• Farming, failure, getting fired
• Walking, weed, women
• Deportation, jail, homelessness
• Banking, extraterrestrials and empires
• Hydroponics, fermentation, compost tea
• Permaculture, psilocybin, peyote
• A raw story of survival, service, and soulA field report from the long road to a simpler life.
Buy the book
Permaville
“A practical guide to living off-grid.”Why I Wrote This
Permaville is the manual I needed when I started farming. I wrote it for anyone curious about building systems from the soil up—and making life a little more local.What It’s About
• How to make compost
• The soil food web—Why soil is important
• Closed loop cycles
• Building with earth
• Water filtration—the simplest (and most effective) system known to man
• Based on permaculture principlesIt’s part how-to, part why-not.
Buy the book
Permafunk
Raps about sustainable living
Bananadog
“A cycling trip gone sideways—and the story that came out of it.”Why I Wrote This
This is where the journey began. 97 days. 3200km. One $35 bicycle. What could go wrong? Bananadog is a story of the many unexpected turns that happened between Christchurch and Auckland.What It’s About
• A cycling trip through New Zealand
• Misadventure, bicycle maintenance, falling apart
• The search for something real underneath it allThe prequel to Pilgrimish, and a spark that lit the whole road.
Buy the book
Watch the movie
Sustainable Living Made Simple
“Grow what you eat. Eat what you grow.”Why I Made This
The Plan is a starting point for anyone wanting to grow food in small spaces. It’s the most distilled version of what I learned after years of land-based living.What It’s About
• How to make compost, filter water, and build with earth
• How to plant, harvest, and regenerate
• Soil health, garden design, small-scale, self-reliance
• Includes a video series and PDF workbookSimple systems. Big change.
Watch the preview
Surviving on an Island
“Food, fuel, and the future—on your terms. From your hands.”Why I Made This
After Permaville, I wanted to doubled down and express the simple high level functions of nature. Nature is the same everywhere. It’s a matter of implementing the basics that is what takes time and a lifetime of effort.What It’s About
• Composting basics
• Water filtration basics
• Earth building basics
• Hydroponics
• An outline of what you could do on any piece of landFrom farming to feeding the village.
Watch the preview
Rootmath
