Our Instructors and Staff

We depend upon local experts and volunteers to offer workshops and teach courses. This page will give you an idea of the diversity of talents and experiences that make the School such a vibrant endeavor.

Donna d’Terra is the founder and director of Motherland Botanical Sanctuary and Herb School, located in the hills outside of Willits, where classes have been offered since 1989. Her focus is on local, sustainable, restorative herbalism.

Michael Foley is a farmer, writer and local food activist. He is currently market manager of Willits Farmers Market, President of the Mendocino County Farmers Market Association, Chair of the Board of the School of Adaptive Agriculture, and Director of the School. He taught for twenty years in academia and more recently has taught classes on the real economics of farming, the history of agriculture, and small farm growing philosophies in the Practicum Program. He is the author of Farming for the Long Haul (Chelsea Green, 2019).

Sarah Gilbert began spinning in highschool when she got her first spinning wheel from a friend. She has handspun professionally and now spins yarn at MendoWool commercially. She loves the technical yarn design aspects of wool processing.

Vani Mayshark has been working with plant medicine for 15 years. She has completed study in Clinical Western Herbalism, Permacuture, Ayurveda and Yoga. She is the owner and head herbalist of Bhoomi Herbs, an herbal apothecary in Ukiah, California.

Kathryn Rossum has been involved in textile and fiber arts as well as teaching for over 10 years. She loves the creative process of handling and spinning the wool. She now spins professionally at MendoWool.

Lila Ryan is an instructor, board member, long time volunteer and database builder for SAA. As a clinical psychologist and 20 veteran of UCLA student administration and counseling, she is ready for just about anything. Toolkit includes The Four Agreements, whiteboard markers, words for all occasions with a big side of grammar and usage, a variety of shovels and pruners, an exciting, elaborate view of the future and enough woo-woo to get her there. She and her husband grow truffles, hazelnuts, occasional sheep, and older together at Lucky Monkeys Ranch.

Takashi Yogi is a retired medical electronics engineer who has been volunteering at the SAA since the beginning. He teaches industrial skills, such as carpentry, plumbing, and wiring. He can fix almost anything and has built several of the structures on campus, such as the octagon outdoor classroom. He serves on the board and commutes from the Sierra foothills, where he tends a 5-acre hobby farm. He is passionate about organic farming and sustainability.