About Paula Westmoreland

          Paula Westmoreland                         

 

Paula is a permaculture designer, agroecologist, teacher, and author who is passionate about healing land and water and connecting people back into deeper relationship with the living world. She does this through designing regenerative farms and homesteads, creating products to support people on their land journey, and hosting retreats and trainings.

Paula founded Ecological Design in 2000. In 2001, she began work on the Natural Capital plant database, knowing that an easy-to-use online tool with plant ecological functions and human uses was critical for polyculture and guild design.

She has a Masters degree in Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture and Landscape Design from the University of Minnesota, and diplomas in Site Design and Implementation from the Permaculture Institute of North America.

In 2003, she co-founded the Permaculture Research Institute Cold Climate, now known as Land Song. Paula is co-author of a book of illustrated essays called, “This Perennial Land: Third Crops, Blue Earth and the Road to a Restorative Agriculture”.  

 

Master Plan and Design Highlights

  • Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative, Rosebud, SD
  • Valley of Our Lady Monastery, Hollandale, WI
  • Rock Creek Farm, Peotone, IL
  • Sharing Our Roots Farm, Northfield, MN
  • Frogtown Farm, St. Paul, MN
  • United Tribes Technical College, Bismarck, ND

Teaching Highlights 

  • Growing Water Knowledge retreats
  • Regenerative Culture retreats
  • Cultivating Land Relationship workshops
  • Mycelia Mapping workshops
  • Walkabout Permaculture workshops
  • Building a Regenerative Farm workshops
  • Permaculture Advanced Series, 5 month program
  • Permaculture Apprenticeship Program, 6 month program
  • Urban Farmer Certification Program, 9 month program

Professional Development

  • Grinnell College, BA Anthropology, 1975
  • University of Minnesota, MLS Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture and Landscape, 2000
  • Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, Permaculture Design Certification, 2000
  • Permaculture Teacher’s Training with Dave Jacke
  • Soil Food Web Series with Elaine Ingham
  • Holistic Management with Kirk Gadzia
  • Keyline Design with Darrin Doherty
  • Carbon Pathways with Dr. Christine Jones
  • Radical Mycology with Peter McCoy
  • Journey of Intrinsic Health with Zach Bush
  • Internal Oceans with Isabel Friend