Toby Hemenway passed away one year ago today, on Dec 20, 2016 at the age of 64. Toby was a wonderful mentor, ally and permaculture teacher to me and I’ll miss him tremendously.
Toby was remarkable in several ways. His research, teaching and writing have helped many people get a handle on what permaculture can be, both on a personal and community level. He was humble, passionate, knew his soil science inside out, and was always open to learning.
I remember buying the first printing of Gaia’s Garden from him the month it was published. He was a little shy about it and proud in a sweet way too. Since then Gaia’s Garden has become the most widely read Permaculture book in the world. If you don’t know his works, check out Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture and The Permaculture City: Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience.
Thank you for all you’ve done Toby. It will continue to inspire me and others for many years to come.