Two young, energetic designer-worker-doers from Silver City, NM area headed to a Permaculture Design Certification course in Boulder, Utah. Asher Gelbart of Mimbres, NM and Jess DeMoss of Arenas Valley, NM promise to bring back to the community a wealth of knowledge and resources, and to host classes, workshops, and on-the-job trainings in Permaculture-based lifestyle, design, and installations.

Your generous financial contribution of any amount to our training costs will be a valuable and rewarding investment in the health, well-being, and sustainability of our local community in the Gila and Mimbres watersheds including Silver City, NM and surrounding areas.

Jess DeMoss is a familiar face at the Silver City Food Coop and Energy Ideal. He has also worked behind the scenes with local Permaculture specialists, Van Clothier of Stream Dynamics, and Mark Cantrell and Tricia Hurley of Lone Mountain Natives as well as on a farm in Boulder, Utah. Jess lives a simple, off-grid lifestyle with his wife and toddler-aged son. He teaches outdoor wilderness and primitive skills to children and adults. With the PDC, Jess aspires to bring Permaculture workshops, trainings, and job opportunities to the forefront of his work.

Asher Gelbart is owner and operator of a local small business Green Energy Now. He promotes through trade shows, workshops, consultations, distribution services and installations low-tech sustainable energy infrastructure including rainwater harvesting earthworks, greywater and cisterns; composting toilets; passive and active solar systems; domestic solar hot water; solar ovens; solar dehydrators; mini-solar greenhouses and coldframes; and waste-vegetable-oil based biofuels. Formerly an optical and imaging systems engineer, Asher has reapplied his engineering inclinations towards simple, low-tech sustainable infrastructures for living in close harmony with the earth. Asher home-schools his 11-year-old son. Together, they are continually experimenting with new ideas and inspirations in Permaculture-based infrastructure on their 2.5 acre off-grid homestead that has been home for the past eight years. He is a certified Rainwater Harvester and increasingly passionate about creating regenerative landscapes via Permaculture-based integrated design. He has recently been sharing his passions, learnings, and expertise through site consultations and a series of workshops.

Together, Asher and Jess are excited about bringing home from the training a wealth of experience, knowledge, and resources for expanding Permaculture education, community-enhancing projects, and job opportunities to Silver City and surrounding areas. Furthermore, they intend to continue their ongoing education in Permaculture through future advanced courses to become certified Permaculture instructors.

Our PDC course runs 14-27 July. The 14-day Intensive Hands On Training PDC is sponsored by True Nature Sustainable Living and Wilderness School and hosted by the Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch. Lead instructors are Owen Hablutzel and Cathe Fish.

Asher and Jess will be traveling to Boulder, Utah together in Asher's veggie-powered pick-up truck, and bringing along Jess's wife and toddler, camping along the way.

Thanks so much for your interest in our endeavor. We wish to express our utmost gratitude, appreciation, and LOVE to you for your support, in whatever form you choose to offer it!

Video Credits: Video produced, filmed and edited by 11-year-old Uriel Gelbart.

Thanks to WeTheTrees.com for providing this spectacular fund-raising resource!