Wild Abundance

We believe that it is possible for humans to live in balance with the web of life.

Wild Abundance is a women-led school teaching hands-on DIY skills for personal empowerment and community resilience with deep respect for the natural world- visit us in North Carolina to learn carpentry, tiny house building, permaculture, rewilding & more Our goal is to provide people with the education, inspiration, and information necessary to do so. The breadth of skill that our instructors and

consultants bring forth is vast; we exist both in the wild and domesticated worlds, marrying innovations from the present day, historical times, and humanity's deep past in order to present a toolkit for living now as functional human beings. We enhance peoples' everyday lives by teaching and consulting on skills that we see as intensly relevent as well as deeply fullfilling and enjoyable.

08/26/2026

Rare opportunity!⁠
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Yadira Ocoguaje from the Siekopai people (an Indigenous community of ~750 in the Ecuadorian Amazon) is coming to the US for the first time to share pottery workshops and pollinate stories about territorial conservation, forest-consciousness and ancestral crafts. Yadira is a star of a woman. ⁠
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Siekopai territory has unfortunately dubbed by some as the 'Chernobyl of the Amazon' after Chevron dumped millions of gallons of crude oil into their waters in 1964. Currently, they're fighting off oil palm expansion and a highway cutting through their forest. ⁠
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Yadira helped found Keñao, a ceramics collective for Indigenous women.⁠
The flame of Yadria's community, language and culture still shines through her organization's efforts to revitalize crafts, medicine work, and cross-cultural collaboration. ⁠
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Yadira will be teaching an pottery workshop and talk on September 13 from 5-9pm hosted by Wild Abundance.⁠
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15 Spots Available.⁠
Cost: $80-$160 (Sliding Scale)-- all profits from this special one-time workshop will go to Yadira Ocoguaje. ⁠
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We don't have a registration page for this class ince it's not a typical repeating Wild Abundance worksho, so to sign up: please Venmo -goldhill & include your full name in comment with “Pottery Class”. (And jf the class happens to have filled up already she will let you know and send a full refund.)⁠
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Click this image at our link in bio to read more about Yadira and her efforts.

08/25/2026

There are two colors of ZIP panel for sheathing and waterproofing your build... here are the differences:

Green: Standard Residential
Thickness: 7/16 inch
Primarily used for exterior wall sheathing but also approved for roof sheathing depending on local building codes and rafter spacing.

OR

Sienna (Brown/Red): Heavy-Duty "Structural 1"
Thickness: 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch
Preferred for roof sheathing, as well as walls in high-wind, coastal, or high-seismic zones where building codes demand extra shear strength

If you are deciding between the two for a tiny house—especially a Tiny House on Wheels (THOW)—there is a major tradeoff to consider: Rigidity vs. Weight.

While the thicker Sienna boards offer incredible structural rigidity (which sounds great for a structure that has to survive hurricane-force winds going 65 mph down the interstate), that extra wood thickness adds substantial dead weight to your build.

Staying under a trailer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is one of the biggest challenges when planning for a MOBILE tiny home (to be built on wheels), so most builders opt for the lighter 7/16-inch Green panels for their wall assemblies to shave off hundreds of pounds, while sometimes reserving the Sienna panels strictly for the roof to handle snow loads and falling branches.

Either works for many applications, and in rare cases when we've run out of one thickness, we'ved grabbed a piece of the other color to finish a build during a workshop.

Comment "tiny" to learn more and nab a spot in our last available Tiny House Building Workshop of 2026!

08/23/2026

Trying to "push the zone" and grow a Pomegranate tree in Western North Carolina? This picture shows my personal attempt (Sarah/Creative Director)- so far it has survived 2 winters but I've not had a single fruit yet, so only time will tell if this experiment pans out. We planted this pomegranate against a southfacing brick wall where we knew it would benefit from the brick wall radiating some stored heat in the cold of winter.

Save this guide to warming up microclimates in your garden or landscape-- it will come in handy on your permaculture journey!

Here are just 5 more of 10 tried-and-true ways to create warmth on your site using natural materials, structures, and the sun itself:

1. Avoid Cold Sink Areas
Avoid placing activities or garden beds at the bottom of slopes unless you’ve designed adequate cold-air drainage. These low spots often trap cold, moist air—especially at night.

2 Choose Heat-Holding Materials
Use thermal mass materials like cob, concrete, or stone in garden walls, raised beds, and patios. They’ll collect warmth from the sun and radiate it into your space when it’s cooler out.

3. Remove Excess Shade
Prune trees or remove shading structures from the south and west sides of buildings or garden beds to allow maximum sunlight penetration—especially important in colder months.

4. Place Afternoon Terraces South or Southwest
Want to enjoy warm afternoons outside? Locate patios or sitting areas on the south or southwest side of your home so they soak up heat when it’s needed most.

5. Use Reflective Mulch to Warm Soil
Heavier "mulches" like marble chips, bricks, or small rocks can help increase soil temperature. These materials absorb and reflect warmth, boosting germination and plant growth in cooler zones.

These practical microclimate tips are adapted from the Wild Abundance Permaculture Design Course manual, a deep well of ecological knowledge for resilient living.

👉 Want to know our other 5 strategies for warming up a microclimate?

Comment “modify” to download our PDF guide to working with your landscape to improve growing conditions as you nurture your permaculture food forest.

Follow for more hands-on wisdom as you chart your course toward a more sustainable lifestyle in partnership with the planet.

08/22/2026

Swimming in the new campus pond has been a great way to cool off on a hot summer day here at Wild Abundance and students are taking advantage!

Wish you were here? You could be!

We inevitably get a few students who have to cancel their enrollment due to life conflicts and I've been sharing about the spots that have opened up in a handful of workshop dates--

Comment "workshops" or click below to see what's available and sign up to nab one a spot in one of the remaining classes in 2026!

https://www.wildabundance.net/in-person-classes/

08/20/2026

This astringent berry is a superfood! ⁠
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Meet Aronia, also known as chokeberry, a native North American shrub that's low maintenance and produces super healthy little berries. Aronia berries are bursting with vitamin C and boast more antioxidant properties than blueberries or elderberries. Although the berries are quite astringent when fresh, they’re delicious when mixed with sweeter fruits in juices, jams, and smoothies. Let us know in the comments if you've found a favorite way to consume these healthy little gems!⁠
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Aronia shrubs thrive in a variety of conditions and are pest and disease-resistant. They are great to include in a permaculture food forests or edible landscape.⁠
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These shrubs shine all year round with white blossoms in spring, glossy green leaves in summer, and stunning red foliage in the fall. The berries themselves add vibrant colors from mid-summer to fall!⁠
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Types of Aronia:⁠
Black Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa): The most popular variety, known for its dark purple-black fruit and highest antioxidant content. Perfect for zones 3-8.⁠
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Red Aronia (Aronia arbutifolia): A large shrub with striking red fruit, ideal for zones 4-9.⁠
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Purple Aronia (Aronia prunifolia): A natural hybrid that offers the best of both worlds, thriving in zones 4-7.⁠
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Aronia shrubs are easy to grow, and new varieties are being developed to fit different landscapes. Whether you’re looking for a compact shrub or a tall privacy hedgerow, there’s an aronia variety for you!⁠
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Are you Into food forests (edible perennial landscaping) and want to deepen your understanding of permaculture practice and design?

Comment "pdc" and we'll send you the link to check out our in-person Permaculture Design Certificate course!

08/18/2026

A FEW spots have become available in our Tiny House Building Workshop coming up this October 16 - 24!

Comment "tiny" or visit the link in our bio to learn more and nab yourself a spot in this rare and special class!

This class is hosted at the main campus of WIld Abundance in the glory of fall here in the mountains just north of Asheville, North Carolina. You can choose from sweet accommodations on or off-campus, or students may opt to camp for free with your own tent in our campus campground with shared facilities.

You and your classmates will frame up a 10x24 Tiny House from the ground up under the expert guidance of our carpentry instructors, getting lots of questions answered along the way.

Whether you've been dreaming of a DIY build, or just want to get comfortable with power tools and building skills, this intensive is an amazing way to spend a vacation, make connections with fascinating folks from all over the country, and elevate your skill set and build confidence to take the next steps towards your goals.

The in-person TIny House Building Workshop includes lifetime access to our Online Tiny House Academy program, as well as a full set of plans for the TIny House model we build here at Wild Abundance. You really can't go wrong!

Comment "tiny" for info and nab yourself a spot!

08/16/2026

“Walk in such a way that each step is a greeting to Mother Earth.”⁠
— Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi Nation)⁠
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Robin Wall Kimmerer is a Potawatomi botanist, professor, and the author of "Braiding Sweetgrass". ⁠
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Through this metaphor, she invites us to live with intention, gratitude, and awareness—treating each action as ceremonial, acknowledging reciprocity with the living world. It’s a modern expression of Indigenous ecological knowledge, blending traditional values with scientific understanding. In permaculture, it reminds designers to approach every pathway, planting bed, and structure as an act of relationship with land, not extraction.⁠
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This mindset aligns beautifully with permaculture ethics: Earth care, people care, and fostering abundance through gratitude and deep listening.⁠
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Many of the methods and insights we now call permaculture are drawn from the timeless land stewardship and deep ecological knowledge held by Indigenous cultures all around the world.⁠
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At Wild Abundance, we embrace permaculture thinking and design-- we teach it, we live it, and we value a structure that helps us design regenerative, life-supporting systems.⁠
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Comment "PDC" or visit our link in bio to learn about our in-person Permaculture Design Certificate Course in North Carolina! You can join the waitlist on our website to be alerted with first dibs when our next dates open up.

08/15/2026

Heads up! THREE spots have now opened up in our beloved class, The Wildcrafted Apothecary-- comment "herbs" or visit the link in our bio to learn more and nab yourself a spot in this rare and special class!

This workshop features plant walks to introduce you to our many allies in the plant world, and opportunities to practice foraging and wildcrafting herbal medicines ranging from vinegars and salves to tinctures, teas, and more!

This class is hosted at the original campus of WIld Abundance in the glory of fall (10/15-10/18) here in the mountains just north of Asheville, North Carolina. You can choose from sweet accommodations on or off-campus, or students may opt to camp for free with your own tent in our campus campground with shared facilities.

You'll learn from our beloved instructor and renowned author, Rebecca Beyer of , as well as several guest instructors guiding you as you dip into a handful of juicy topics over this 4 day workshop.

08/13/2026

If you’ve ever come home with berry-stained fingers and a bucket full of juicy, sun-warmed blackberries, you know they’re one of summer’s sweetest gifts. Here at Wild Abundance, harvesting blackberries is one of our favorite *“Get-to-do’s” for July!⁠
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Blackberries are hardy, adaptable brambles that thrive in full sun with well-drained soil but they naturally thrive in transition zones. They spread by sending up new canes from underground runners. In a food forest, they can be a productive understory shrub on the sunny border. Some folks grow them along fences or trellises for easier picking and tidy rows.⁠
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Pruning blackberries is key to keeping your patch productive and manageable (and to keep them from taking over!).⁠
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In summer, as you harvest, cut spent floricanes (the canes that fruited) down to the ground — they won’t fruit again.⁠
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Late Winter/Early Spring Maintenance: Thin crowded new canes to 5–7 of the strongest per plant. Trim these to about 3–4 feet tall to encourage branching and more fruit. Keep pathways clear and remove any canes that wander where they’re not wanted!⁠

Here are some "pros and cons" of blackberries...
⁠They’re prolific, low-maintenance, and provide sweet, nutrient-rich fruit for you and wildlife.⁠Some blackberry varieties spread aggressively and can outcompete other plants if not managed carefully.⁠The thorns can make maintenance and picking scratchy business — though thornless cultivars are available!, and thorny canes can make for great living fences or protective hedges.⁠ If you’re short on space, choose wisely — blackberries need a sunny spot and consistent pruning to stay contained.⁠
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If you're on the permaculture path and have a fondness for food forests and edible landscaping Comment "pdc" to check out our in-person Permaculture Design Course and we hope to share some berries with you at Wild Abundance!

08/11/2026

There are a FEW SPOTS available in our 4 day cooking class "The Nourishing Kitchen Retreat for Women," featuring instruction and facilitation by the wonderful Kearsley Tate Schweller of .kitchen

Comment "nourish" for the details & nab yourself a spot!

We receive so many requests for classes on fermentation, canning, and food preservation. This fall, we're delivering. After all, what's more comforting than a fully stocked pantry when winter rolls around?

If you want to learn traditional, delicious ways of preparing and putting up food, join us for the Women’s Nourishing Kitchen Retreat on September 24 - 27 here in the mountains just north of Asheville, North Carolina.

We'll be gathering in our brand new timber-framed kitchen to learn the essentials of a mouth-watering, nourishing, from-scratch table. This class is completely hands-on!

Topics covered include:

Fermented krauts, condiments, and kvass
Sourdough (take home your own starter!)
Pressure canning fruits, veggies, and meat
Cheese-making
Infused butters, oils, and ghee
Homemade sausage + nose-to-tail cooking
And more!
If you want to take part, enroll now to ensure your spot 🍯 This is the LAST time we'll be offering the workshop until 2028!

Address

Weaverville, NC

Website

http://wildabundance.net/

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