Our Instructors

Our Instructors/Designers

Bill Wilson – Certifying Instructor and Lead Designer
Becky Wilson – Teacher/Designer/Business Manager
Erik Peterson – Teacher/Designer/Project Implementation
Will Wilson – Designer/Teacher/Project Coordinator
Milton Dixon – Lead Urban Permaculture Designer & Map Maker
Bryce Ruddock – Lead Guild and Planting Systems Designer
Bruce Rickard – Lead Animal and Grazing System Designer

Bill Teaching at a PDC Course Bill Wilson is co-founder of Midwest Permaculture with his wife/partner Becky.  He and Becky have hosted and/or taught over 75 courses and now have 1,500+ graduates of their Permaculture Design Certificate Courses and other Advanced Trainings. Like many others, when Bill discovered the word and body of work now called permaculture he was delighted to find that there was a word for all of the things he had been interested in and practiced for decades. Bill cut is permaculture teeth when starting a pick-your-own berry business in Kentucky when in his 20’s. Having a great interest in the people piece of permaculture he was led to the sustainably oriented community of Stelle, IL where he and Becky have lived now for over 35 years. With a passion to share this brilliant approach to positive and productive living, Bill and Becky started offering workshops which lead to the opening of Midwest Permaculture in Jan. 2007. To put it simply, Bill has a passion and a knack for taking permaculture and explaining it in ways that make it so much easier to understand. “Bill, I have been a teacher for over 40 years.  Your ability to deliver useful information in such interesting and varied ways helped me deeply understand permaculture.  This week flew by.  I did not want it to end. And I was deeply inspired by the openness and honesty that you and Becky shared with all of us. Please keep teaching!” Lea – Recently Retired Public School Teacher and Administrator   Bill in conference at Cal-Earth with Geoff Lawton (R) director of the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and Hooman Fazly, designer/builder for Cal-Earth. Midwest Permaculture is Bill’s full-time work consisting of teaching, speaking, writing, and providing permaculture design services. Bill, and his wife/partner Rebecca, are creating a permaculture oasis surrounding their traditional suburban home, pictures of which may be found here. For more on Bill & Becky’s thoughts on permaculture, click here. “Bill, Thanks so much for coming to Purdue and inspiring us. In my opinion, your overview of permaculture was one of the best presentations we’ve had at Purdue in many years.“ Brent Ladd, Center for the Environment Bill has been interviewed on National Public Radio and a wide variety of podcasts. You might enjoy this short interview from The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann. Bill talks about the history of permaculture, the essence of the PDC Course curriculum, and why permaculture thinking and designing is so relevant and needed today.   View this 28-Minute Interview with Bill from Peak Moment Television (16,000+ viewings) “The Heart of Permaculture”

Janaia Donaldson is the host of Peak Moment. – – Below are Comments that she received from this interview — “This man just summed up the entirety of life in this short interview.  Bravo!!!!”   “I thank you both for this interview, keep up the continued efforts!!!!” Cate F. – Australia “Wonderful – one of the best! I love Bill and his philosophies.” “I took the online webinars last spring. Even if I never get out there for the hands-on week the online webinar was well worth the time and money.” There are many more great interviews here at Peak Moment.

 

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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 User’s Guide to Permaculture, which is the book we use for all of our PDC courses.

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 process and development.

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”).

 

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Erik Peterson
Permaculture Teacher, Designer and Project Implementer (boots on the ground)

Erik is one of our co-teachers in the fullest sense. His knowledge base, friendly presence, excitement for permaculture and natural teaching abilities make him a great fit for Midwest Permaculture. We know you will enjoy his contributions as well.

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Will Wilson
Designer – Teacher – Project Coordinator

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 has become invaluable by taking on those tasks that need to be done and seeing them through. He can teach various sections of the PDC course and with his growing design abilities he co-teaches the Advanced Permaculture Design Course assisting students in how to use various software programs to be able make professional looking permaculture designs.

Will is a key contributor when we go about implementing a permaculture design with a client.

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Milton Dixon
Urban Permaculturist, Wild-Edibles Forager, 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 in parks and alleyways, planting gardens, making wine 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 posses 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.

Pictured below: Milton Leading a Wild Edibles Walk

— “I was inspired by Milton’s teaching and his passion.” — “Milton added such a sense of joy and levity.  His interest in plants  and ‘all things permaculture’ is contagious.” — “What a gem Milton is.  He adds such a nice balance to the Bill and Becky team.”

 

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Bryce Ruddock 
and Midwest Permaculture’s Lead Plant Designer
Co-author of new book:  Integrated Forest Gardening

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 with his wife Debby. They are currently redesigning their 1/4 acre home site to allow for year-round food and forest products harvest. Because of his vast plant knowledge we asked Bryce if he would become our Midwest Permaculture Official ‘Plant-Guy.’ As such, he and Debbie host the “Plant Guild” public forum on our networking site. Below: Bryce harvesting wild rice from one of his ponds in his backyard.

Click Here for a picture narrative of Bryce’s rice growing experiment.

 

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Bruce Rickard 
and Midwest Permaculture’s Lead Designer of Animal and Grazing Systems
Co-Designer and Owner of Fox Hollow Farm, Fredericktown, OH

Bruce and Bill met while taking their first PDC Course back in 2004.  They and their families became friends and have shared various permaculture adventures over the years.  In 2014, 10 years later, Midwest Permaculture their first PDC Courses at the Rickard farm to showcase the amazing progress their farming venture is demonstrating.

In 2016 it will be site for The Permaculture Farming Course from August 7-12. 

Fox Hollow Farm is located in the rolling hills of central Ohio in Knox County, an hour north of Columbus.  Bruce and Lisa left their corporate jobs (and “security”) to start farming in 1987.  They deeply desired a more healthful and satisfying life for themselves, their children and future generations.

The farm totals 285 acres and is primarily a livestock operation guided by permaculture design and thinking while practicing the Holistic Management techniques of the Savory Institute.

Jesse Rickard and his partner Chelsea Gandy are both PDC Course graduates, key participants to the farm and assist with teaching the PDC course we teach there.  Lisa and Bruce also share from their almost 3 decades of experience.