Kara Holzmiller, Natural Builder, Home Designer, and Founder of Build. Sow. Grow.
Name: Kara Holzmiller
Occupation: Owner and Founder at Build. Sow. Grow.Home Designer, Natural Builder, Project Manager, Gardener, Photographer, Environmental Scientist, Lifelong Student
Place of Residence: Colorado
Background: Kara Holzmiller, the founder of Build.Sow.Grow., is a Wisconsin native with an Environmental Science degree from the University of Minnesota. Further education includes Permaculture Design Certification (Loveland, CO) and completion of the Endeavour Sustainable New Construction Program (Peterborough, ON Canada).
During Kara’s extensive travels throughout the US and Central America, she has been involved with various internships, WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and volunteer experiences through which she acquired valuable work and education experience within environmentally conscious agricultural and construction settings.
For the last two years, she has also been a builder, project manager, designer and office manager of SmithWorks Natural Homes, a green building company in Crested Butte, CO.
Build.Sow.Grow was founded on Kara’s two passions; her desire to design and build the most healthy, low impact, efficient living spaces and the production of nutritious food grown locally through all seasons.
Build.Sow.Grow recently completed a 12’ x 20’ greenhouse in Crested Butte, Colorado using clay/straw natural building techniques, passive solar design and climate battery technology. The greenhouse is currently also own and maintained by Build.Sow.Grow.
Kara’s Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree of Environmental Science – University of Minnesota (2008)
• WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)/volunteering on various sustainable agriculture centers throughout Central America and the United States:
Spanish Creek Rainforest Reserve – Rancho Dolores, Belize
Hidden Falls Farm – Belize
Hanan Farm – Ashland, Oregon
SchoolGrown, Living Ecosystem Aquaponic Facility – Felton, California
Permaculture Skills Center – Sebastopol, California
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center – Occidental, California
• Permaculture Design Certification – Loveland, Colorado (2012)
• Assisted in establishing the Flagstaff EcoRanch – Flagstaff, Arizona (2012)
• Attended the Endeavour Sustainable New Construction Program – Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (2013)
• NorCal Aquaponics coursework: Closed Loop Aquaponics – Sacramento, California (2015)
• Attended Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web 3-day workshop – Laytonville, Califonia (2016)
• Builder, Project Manager, Designer, Office Manager of SmithWorks Natural Homes – Crested Butte, Colorado (2014 to present)
Current Projects: Building“Greenie,” a 12-foot-by-20-foot passive solar, naturally built greenhouse in Crested Butte, Colorado
Connect with Kara Holzmiller:
http:// buildsowgrow.com
