MEET OUR DEDICATED TEAM
ERIK & LAUREN OHLSEN
Founders, Owners
Erik is founder and owner of Permaculture Artisans as well as a renowned certified permaculture designer and teacher. He also runs Permaculture Skills Center, a learning center in Sebastopol, CA.
Erik has extensive experience with projects that range from small urban lots to 100+ broad-acre design and implementation. His more than two decades of experience, observation, and listening of landscape patterns, managing installation crews and design teams, and his understanding of ecology make Erik a leader in the field of ecological landscape development.
Lauren has been a core part in creating Permaculture Artisans and Permaculture Skills Center with her husband, Erik. She works to help provide a space for growth in the community. She serves as General Coordinator and oversees the PSC property.
NIK DYER
Client Relations Manager
Nik has been deeply immersed in the world of ecological agriculture and landscaping for almost 20 years. After completing a BA in Environmental Studies with a focus in Agroecology at UC Santa Cruz in 2003 he began his hands-on training in ecological landscaping at an organic nursery with landscaping work on the side. In 2006, when Nik went for his MA in Ecological Agriculture from New College of California in Santa Rosa, he also lived and worked on several farms and was introduced to Permaculture. Nik had always held a holistic, systems-based philosophy when it came to agriculture and human settlement; permaculture provided him with a whole new evolutionary lens with which to view the world and a new toolbox to affect change. Nik combined this newfound design philosophy with his agricultural knowledge and started an edible landscaping business called Purple Carrot in San Francisco. He ran this business for six years before joining the team at Permaculture Artisans.
MICHAEL LITWIN
Project & Field Manager
Michael Litwin is Project Manager for our Installation Division and has been with Permaculture Artisans since the company’s inception, and is no stranger to the principles of permaculture. Michael has been practicing earth stewardship for over fifteen years alongside his friend Erik Ohlsen.
As a young adult in Sebastopol, Michael helped create a grass roots movement called Planting Earth Activation or PEA. Their mission was to bring together community, organic food, and sustainable living by planting free gardens. The inspiration didn’t stop there. Michael went on to study permaculture at The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center which lead to his first sustainable landscaping job with permaculture great, Penny Livingston. He has since planted countless gardens and dug many-o-swale upon the land of Sonoma County. His in-depth knowledge of permaculture installation and his close connection to this community make him a great fit for Permaculture Artisans.
DAMIEN McANANY LUCE
Design Director
Damien McAnany is the Design Director for Permaculture Artisans. He is thrilled to be in a position where he can influence the design of landscapes to be more in harmony with how nature works. He has been in the landscaping field since 2006 holding positions in ecological restoration, landscape maintenance and construction, arboriculture, project management, estimating, and ecological design. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, and is an Accredited Professional with the Sustainable SITES initiative of the US Green Building Council (aka LEED for Landscapes). He is a permaculture teacher and has worked with Geoff’s Lawton’s Greening the Desert project in Jordan.
TAYLOR OLSON
Associate Designer
Taylor received her Bachelor of Science at Cal Poly Pomona in Landscape Architecture in 2016 and worked as a residential landscape designer in Southern California for 8 years. Her work for a landscape contractor, farm volunteering, and personal homesteading projects provided valuable, hands-on experience which she applies to her design work every day. Her interest in the Permaculture world began during her university years and finally culminated in her signing up for a PDC at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. After completing this course, she found an opportunity at Permaculture Artisans where she is able to turn her lifelong love of nature and ecological design into a career.
TANISHA SMITH
Associate Designer
Tanisha’s first introduction to the world of horticulture was while pursuing her degree in Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University. While working in the wine industry, Tanisha discovered biodynamics, sparking her passion for sustainable agriculture and landscape design. In 2018 Tanisha joined a Landscape Architecture firm in Santa Rosa, furthering her interest in the industry and hence she began to pursue her formal education in Landscape Design at Santa Rosa Junior College. Tanisha has had the opportunity to design water-wise and fire-smart landscapes throughout Santa Rosa and is excited to grow as a professional designer with Permaculture Artisans.
CHRISTINE ELLIS
Associate Estimator
Christine comes to Permaculture Artisans from Vermont where she worked as a technical writer and greenhouse and irrigation specialist and where she supported the Intervale Center to develop initiatives such as a business incubator for farmers, a hands-on youth farm, a nursery that grows native trees and shrubs for stream bank restoration, and the state’s largest compost facility. As a coordinator on the Intervale Center’s Development Board, Christine created educational seminars to strengthen community food systems, including “Summervale,” a popular, summer-long, farm-to-table annual event showcasing the region’s love for art, food and culture. Christine’s dedication to stewardship of land through community engagement extends to her work in herbalism and permaculture—most recently having studied with Matt Powers of The Advanced Permaculture Student. As a new resident of the Russian River watershed region, Christine is focused on efforts to advance watershed protection.
JULIAN ANDERLE
Maintenance Project Manager
Julian joined Permaculture Artisans in 2019 after moving from Southern California to Forestville with his wife and two children. With nursery and landscape experience and a certificate in horticulture from UCLA Extension, Permaculture Artisans seemed like a good fit for his interest in ecological landscaping. Julian’s interests are mainly native plants, food crops, and permaculture techniques which promote biodiversity and landscape restoration. On his own time, he loves to be with his family exploring the natural beauty of Sonoma County, playing and listening to music, and tending to his own native garden.
JENNIFER MAGLIULO
Office Manager
Jennifer joined our team in 2020 assisting the Business Manager on specific projects which led to a full-time position assisting other department management. She comes to us with over 20 years of office experience. Jennifer enjoys the camaraderie, professionalism, and enthusiasm of her co-workers at Permaculture Artisans and she is always ready and willing to help with any task that is thrown her way.
Jennifer was raised in Marin County and later moved to Sonoma County where she has lived and raised her family for more than 35 years. Her passion outside of the office is riding and showing her Arabian horse and spending time with family and friends.
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Testimonials
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![Pink snapdragon flowers in the foreground with a stone sculpture, wooden arch, and house with a garage in the background.]()
"We are absolutely delighted with the work that Permaculture has done with our Landscape project. Everything has been done with such knowledge, thought, and care. From the original consultation and collaborative planning (and "value engineering") through to completion! The staff are all great and do wonderful meticulous work - going the extra mile. We have appreciated all of Michael's enthusiasm, knowledge and great communication and Rene is an absolute Gem on all levels.”
— ROBERTA, BODEGA, CA
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![Outdoor scene featuring two modern lounge chairs with cushions, a small wooden barrel, and a miniature sauna with a rounded wooden interior and an exterior covered in metal shingles, surrounded by colorful flowering plants and a stone pathway.]()
"It’s with genuine appreciation that I recommend Permaculture Artisans, a company I’ve had the pleasure of working with for many years on both new landscape projects and ongoing maintenance at my property in Sonoma County. From the beginning, the team at Permaculture Artisans has felt like an extension of my own family. They bring not only deep ecological knowledge and technical skill, but also a thoughtful, caring approach that makes every interaction a pleasure. Whether it’s designing new plantings, tuning irrigation systems, or fine-tuning existing elements of the landscape, they approach each visit with professionalism, creativity, and heart. They don’t just maintain landscapes—they nurture living systems and lasting relationships."
DANIEL M., SEBASTOPOL, CA
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![A small waterfall flowing over rocks into a pond with lily pads surrounded by green plants and rocks.]()
“If you are looking for a permaculture team with great customer service, talent, and efficiency, [Permaculture Artisans] is your stop. I am very pleased with my new rainwater catchment system, downspout redirection, swales for slow water draining from my hill, and general advice. Smart folks.”
— RITA P., SEBASTOPOL, CA
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![A garden pond with a small waterfall made of rocks, surrounded by colorful flowers and green plants, with a house and fence in the background.]()
"We just wanted to let you know how pleased we are to be working with both Julian & Todd. It's been a while now that Permaculture has been working in our yard and we look forward to their every-other-week visits. We don't think of them as maintenance guys but more like our "garden gurus." They are both fonts of knowledge and beyond caring for the yard, they care for us; educating us and continually coming up with new ideas for plants or infrastructure that will make [our property] function better as a food forest.. We really stepped off the deep end when we rebuilt after the fire and decided to have a food forest. We doubt we could have done it without the guidance and support from Permaculture Artisans and now, specifically from Julian & Todd. "
— ALISON & RICHARD, SANTA ROSA, CA
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![Pink coneflowers with orange centers and green leaves, with a bee flying near the flowers in a garden.]()
“We have had only great experiences with everyone at Permaculture Artisans. We have used them since last summer for bi-monthly upkeep of our 1/3 acre yard—which has a wide variety of shrubs, fruit trees, flowers, and a small lawn that needs more care than we can provide. We also recently used them to redesign and replant all of the plantings in our front yard—with great results—done on time, at a reasonable cost. We can recommend them highly without reservation.”
— DOUG F., CA
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![A stone pathway winding through a lush garden with purple and yellow flowering plants, surrounded by greenery and tall trees in the background, illuminated by sunlight.]()
"I interviewed three local landscaping firms and was immediately impressed with how well the folks from Permaculture listened and understood what I wanted to do. My front yard is small, and my back yard is tiny. However, Permaculture Artisans gave my job the same professional and thorough attention I imagine they give folks with acres of grounds. The entire crew was fully engaged, and the guys doing the work made a few suggestions which turned out better than my initial design...I have now contracted with Permaculture Artisans for quarterly maintenance so they can fine-tune and service the irrigation system, address issues they discover, and make suggestions to help me keep the plantings alive. I am more than happy with the results, and I would recommend Permaculture Artisans to anyone with any sized landscaping project."
—DOUG Y., SEBASTOPOL, CA
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![Colorful garden with yellow, pink, orange, and red flowers, green shrubs, and a water tank in the background surrounded by a wooden fence.]()
"We are so fortunate to have been working with Permaculture Artisans for almost 2 years now. They have been there every step of the way to help us transform 5 acres of fallow land/invasive shrubs into a beautiful working permaculture farm. Everyone on the team is passionate about what they do and it absolutely shows in their work. We look forward to our continued relationship with them! "
—SARA C.
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![A serene outdoor garden scene with a round wooden table and four matching chairs, surrounded by lush green foliage and tall trees, illuminated by warm sunlight.]()
"[At Permaculture Artisans] I found a one-stop shopping experience for design, landscape, hardscape, and electrical work to install a fountain. The design of my garden surpassed my expectations. The quality of workmanship was superb. [Project manager] Michael was always responsive to my questions or concerns. Rene, the supervisor kept a good eye on the ongoing work. Nik, Client Relations Manager, also was super responsive and thoughtfully addressed my questions or concerns. Permaculture Artisans employees are passionate about their work. Another cool aspect about them is they provide maintenance of your landscape if you need some help afterwards. Without hesitation, I recommend you give Permaculture Artisans the opportunity to create the landscape of your dreams."
—G.N., Rohnert Park, CA
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![A garden with various green plants and flowers surrounding a stone birdbath in sunlight.]()
“Thank you so much for the most wonderful work on the garden. We enjoy it enormously! Pure pleasure to walk around the front and the back yards and see it all well-pruned and well taken care of. Thanks again. “
- PATTY, SANTA ROSA
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![A garden with purple flowers in the foreground, a wooden table with chairs in the middle, and lush green trees and shrubs in the background, illuminated by sunlight.]()
"I encourage anyone needing ecologically minded landscape installation to hire Permaculture Artisans! We worked with their wonderful designer to help us create a great design for a very complex rural water system connecting springs, wells, and storage tanks for two parallel water systems—potable and irrigation. Their installation crew was on time, pleasant to have around, and very responsive to our needs…. They were always most interested in how to make the project what we needed it to be. Their estimates were fair and they did not go over budget. There were no surprises in the cost, which was very important since we were on a budget. This is a very ethical and principled group of people from the laborers to the site supervisor to the general manager."
—WILLOW S., FORESTVILLE, CA
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![Regenerative Landscaping, Ecological, stone, paving, Food forest, Water harvesting, Hardscape, Landscape, Permaculture, design, build, installation, install, planting, flagstone, maintenance, water features, pond, fire smart, rainwater harvesting]()
“The paver project that Taylor designed made a big initial impact of transforming the outside of our home, especially making each entryway accessible for me. Gardening has always been a passion of mine and we have spent so much money on the inside and outside of our home that the Permaculture Artisan proposal was, at present, beyond our reach. Thus, I have taken on the role of planning and implementing the landscaping. Also, given my physical limitations, being involved in a project such as this is very good for my psyche. Should we hear of someone looking for the services you provide we would strongly recommend Permaculture Artisans. When our outside planting is complete, we would welcome a visit by you (Nik) and/or Taylor to observe the finished outdoor project. With much appreciation for you both for inspiring us....”
— MICHAEL C., SANTA ROSA
