About us and
Our Instructors
About Midwest Permaculture
The purpose of our work is to support the transition of our society
from a culture of consumption, into a culture of creation.
We are Bill and Becky Wilson. Midwest Permaculture is the culmination of our life’s work
– of everything we hold dear and have been working on for over 40 years.-
Permaculture Teachers
Our goal is to support students in developing the observational skills, the knowledge, and the practical information to create sustainable gardens, homes, landscapes, farms, businesses, relationships, and communities – in essence – how to develop a more ‘permanent-culture’.
We explore how we as humans and designers can provide many of the goods and services we need to live abundantly well — and do it in such a way that we leave the planet in better condition than when we arrived on it. If each successive generation had left the planet in better condition, we would be living in a very amazing world today.
Making Permaculture Our Life's Work
When Bill and Becky became deeply interested in permaculture in the early 2000’s, they were not able to find a PDC Course in the Midwest. So through the non-profit organization they are a part of (Center for Sustainable Community) they brought a teacher in from California and hosted what was probably the first PDC course in the Midwest.
The PDC course was a watershed moment for them both and having lived, worked and volunteered in their small community of Stelle, IL, for two decades they found that permaculture ideas and practices fit perfectly into their own life experience. It became obvious how the body of work known as “permaculture” could become a great healing and building tool for solving many of the problems humans have created around the planet.
For Bill and Becky, there had always been two fundamental questions in the back of their minds:
- Is there not a way that we as humans, all humans, can live abundantly well on this planet without polluting, consuming or degrading it?
- Can we find a way to peacefully coexist with each other as one caring human family while we co-create this culture?
The PDC Course answered both of these questions with a resounding …YES…!!!
It is this clarity that motivated them to start Midwest Permaculture on a shoestring in Jan. 2007 with a desire to make permaculture education more available in the Midwest and beyond as well.
Since starting Midwest Permaculture, Becky and Bill have been transforming their residential lot into a permaculture homestead. The yard is now a wonderful demonstration site for how to combine diversity, productivity and beauty into a relatively small space. A walking tour of the yard is always an enlightening journey during an onsite training in Stelle.
Here is a photo summary of their permaculture-yard transformation over a 15-year period. The yard design includes rain gardens, berms, plant guilds, a 425-gallon rain tank and a front-yard aquaponics system.
A Bit About You
• Our Future Students •
The culture we are surrounded by does not reward one for looking into alternatives to the established systems. Many who take our trainings are individuals who are already looking outside the box and asking the more difficult questions, but as such, they often find themselves more and more alone in their thinking. Within their family or circles they are often the ‘odd one’, the ‘black sheep’, the ‘tree hugger’.
If this describes you then we are fairly confident that you will enjoy our trainings. You are not alone in your feelings and thinking. We have been walking the same path you are on. We want to know what is really going on behind the scenes and how we can support the alternatives that create genuine security and abundance for life and our human population as well.
Should you never take one of our trainings, we know you will not be disappointed as you walk through the permaculture door. You have found something real, true and worthwhile in the permaculture approach to living and understanding life. There is a lifetime of fascination before you.
Bill & Becky Wilson
Midwest Permaculture
Some of our Favorite Quotes…
Bill Wilson
Co-founder of Midwest Permaculture
Lead Designer and Teacher
Bill cut his permaculture teeth when starting a pick-your-own berry business in Kentucky in his early 20’s. This whet his appetite toward learning a raft of practical gardening and homesteading skills.
Having a deep interest in the people aspect of permaculture, he was led to the sustainably oriented community of Stelle, IL where he met Becky, started a family, and where they have now lived for over 4 decades.
Taking the PDC course in 2004 was a watershed moment for Bill as it provided the understanding and answers to so many of the questions he held, as well as marking a path or a way to deal with so many of our cultural dilemmas. It was clear that he had found his life’s work — bringing this amazing and inspiring body of work closer to home so others could learn about permaculture as well. Midwest Permaculture was birthed shortly thereafter.
To put it simply, Bill is a unique and gifted teacher (say most all of our students) with a knack for taking the complicated and explaining it in ways that make it more easily understood and digestible. It is Bill’s teaching ability that has carried Midwest Permaculture into becoming one of the most respected and recognized permaculture educational providers, worldwide.
Becky Wilson
Co-founder of Midwest Permaculture
Becky earned her Permaculture Design Certificate in 2007 and her Permaculture teaching certificate in 2011, the latter from Rosemary Morrow. Rosemary is a respected scientist, agriculturalist and elder in the permaculture world. She is also well noted for her popular text, The Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture, which is the foundational book we recommend to all who register for our PDC Course.
Besides being active in family and community life, Becky has served as the Stelle Community Association Manager for 18 years and served as the Community Association Board President for 8 years.
From these experiences she has developed a strong understanding of community building and business management.
Becky has also taken an Advanced Training in Permaculture Design with Peter Bane (former editor of the Permaculture Activist and author of The Permaculture Farm).
Becky here with Nadia Lawton of The Permaculture Research Institute, Australia
Milton Dixon
Director of Student Relations - Permaculture Designer - Instructor - Urban Permaculturist - Forager - Our Internet-technology Guru
Milton has been a part of Midwest Permaculture from almost the beginning. As an urban dweller, he has taken many creative steps toward a more-permaculture lifestyle including foraging for fruit and nuts in public parks and alleyways, planting gardens, making wine, preserving food and growing mushrooms…to name a few.
He is accomplished at identifying edible-wild plants and took his Advance Permaculture Teacher’s Training with David Jacke (author of Edible Forest Gardens) in 2010.
As a permaculture designer, Milton also possesses excellent computer mapping skills which we use to create some of our larger permaculture designs. Others might like to utilize his creative and design abilities by contacting him at Permaculture Productions LLC.
Milton brings a spontaneity and youthfulness that is contagious and very complementary to Bill and Becky’s style of teaching.
Will Wilson
Designer – Teacher – Project Support
Will returned home after 10 years of work and college to join his parents, Bill and Becky, in the development of Midwest Permaculture.
Having abilities in multiple areas, he can take responsibility over a wide range of tasks that come along and see them through. He can teach various sections of the PDC course and with his design abilities, assists on various projects.
Megan Christian
Permaculture Designer – Teacher – Mycologist
Megan took her PDC with Midwest Permaculture in 2019 and expressed a clear determination to make permaculture part of her life’s work.
To be closer to Midwest Permaculture, she moved from New Hampshire into our small town of Stelle.
In short order she became an important part of our work team and was an essential contributor to our two key online training programs, the Property Design Mini-Courses and the Online PDC Course.
Megan has since moved on as she pursues her continuing education, but we still consider her part of our team as her joyful and brilliant presence is now embedded in our work. Students will get to know her well should they take either of our Online Courses.
Thanks Megan!
And oh… she knows her wild mushrooms!
Bryce Ruddock
Midwest Permaculture’s Lead Plant Consultant
Bryce holds a Permaculture Design Course Certificate (with Midwest Permaculture) and received his Permaculture Teachers Training Certificate with Jude Hobbs of the Permaculture Research Institute, U.S. He has been practicing permaculture techniques at his suburban property in South Milwaukee since 1984. Because of his vast plant knowledge, Bryce has become Midwest Permaculture’s official ‘Plant-Guy’.
Having someone like Bryce just a call away gives us the confidence to design just about any project.
He is also one of the co-authors of ‘Integrated Forest Gardening’. We highly recommend his book.
