Team

  • Man holding large bunch of rhubarb in an outdoor garden or farm setting.

    Ryan Blosser

    CO-FOUNDER

    Ryan is a writer, farmer, teacher and former child and family therapist living in the Shenandoah Valley.

  • A man smiling while holding a baby outdoors surrounded by trees, with a large green leaf in the baby's hand.

    Trevor Piersol

    CO-FOUNDER

    Trevor Piersol is a farmer, permaculture designer, educator, and writer. He is co-founder of the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, owner of Wild Rose Orchard, and author of the 2025 book Mulberries in the Rain. 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. Most recently he is a founding member of the Farm Commons Shenandoah, a community land trust model aiming to provide affordable land and home ownership to new farmers. A longtime plant nerd who loves spending time in the forests of Appalachia, Trevor has been practicing, teaching, and writing about Permaculture Design since 2012. He lives in Mount Sidney, VA with his wife and 2 children.

  • A woman and a child in a shed or barn, with the woman preparing to process a turkey that is on a table, while the child observes.

    Emilie Gooch Tweardy

    CO-FOUNDER

    Emilie is a permaculture enthusiast, first generation farmer, mother to 1 little hobbit, and a creative dabbler.

  • A man with light skin, brown hair, and a beard, smiling and standing in front of a brick wall. He is wearing a dark blue zip-up sweater over a light blue collared shirt.

    John Thomas

    CONSULTANT

    John is a consultant for SPI and is also the author of staffordpermaculture.com.

  • A woman standing outdoors in a garden or farm, smiling with arms crossed, wearing a green sleeveless shirt and jeans, with trees and plants in the background.

    Betsy Trice

    PARTNER

    Betsy is a farmer, teacher, homesteader, maker, and lifelong student. Betsy is the Sustainable Agriculture Instructor at Reynolds Community College and has been teaching since 2010.

  • Man with a beard smiling while holding a large radish in a greenhouse.

    David Waters

    EDUCATOR

    David is a farmer, permaculturist, handyman, and amateur naturalist. He joined the SPI design team in 2023.

  • Man with curly hair and glasses in an orange shirt drawing on a large flip chart with a marker.

    Dr. Ted Butchart

    Dr. Butchart is retired from Shenandoah Permaculture, but remains a friend and valued member of our community.