Providing education and design focused on the future.
Permaculture education and design need to be rooted in place and fostered over years
to bring out the best in facilitators, teachers, and designers.
REED aims to develop this for Indiana's bioregions.
Rooted Education and Ecological Design (REED)
Is a project of Sheltering Hills Design, LLC. We work collaboratively using dynamic governance and permaculture principles to organize education and design services for our respective communities.
OUR NEXT Offerings
Discover Community-Led Permaculture Education
Permaculture Design for Resilience:
October 30, 1-2:30 pm eastern -- online
Permaculture Design Course - Spring 2027
NorthWest Indiana
March 20-21
April 17-18
April 23-25
May 15-16
May 22-23
June 12-13
$850-$1,350 sliding scale; $250 nonrefundable deposit
Our Team
Emerson Bright
Sustainable Food Systems
Hi, my name is Emerson. I’m currently a senior at Indiana University studying sustainable food systems. I’m passionate and deeply inspired by this work, and permaculture in all its shapes and forms align closely with both my professional and personal life.
I’m a creative person, and right now my energy is focused on site design, helping imagine and build spaces that connect people more deeply to land and food. I’m working alongside my mentor and friend, Rhonda Baird, and I would love to help you align your own love of land and food within your backyard or property.
Rebecca KoetZ
Design and Education
Becca Koetz is the Agriculture Education Specialist for the NWI Food Council. She organizes the farmer apprenticeship program and assists with farm to school work. She also serves as a regional Agriculture and Natural Resource educator with Purdue Extension for the Northwest Region where she focuses on urban farms, diversified farms, and community gardens. She also serves on the IN state SARE team (Sustainable Agriculture, Research, and Education). She is passionate about food justice and the connection between conservation and agriculture. She obtained her PDC from Rhonda at Sheltering Hills Design in 2023. She obtained her Permaculture Advanced Teaching Certificate from Jude Hobbs of Cascadia Permaculture in 2026. She can be reached at beccak@nwifoodcouncil.org or busser@purdue.edu. Call or text 219-232-8058
Rhonda Baird
Lead Teacher, Designer
Bloomington, Indiana
What We Do
REED organizes full design courses, topical workshops, and offers design consultations throughout the state as a means of increasing community resilience and collaboration.
Permaculture Education
Permaculture design is one of the most hopeful and practical things we can do to care for our land and our people. Whether you are just learning about permaculture and want an introduction; you want to bring a permaculture lens to a specific skill; or your community is looking for a full permaculture design course, we are there to support you and those like you.
Ecological Design
We offer full design services. With a range of experiences and resources, we can support you with projects of all sizes.
Community Resilience
At its heart, permaculture education and design is about strengthening community connections and resilience for the future. We use our offerings to help you strengthen your own community and make more wonderful things possible.