FARM OWNER | EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR | RESIDENT HERBALIST & APIARIST

Tammy Kattner has always had a deep love and passion for the natural world. Growing up in Southern California, she would spend as much time outdoors as possible, often frequenting the beach, mountains, Yosemite National Park, while developing a strong desire to live off the land. Connection to the wild has always been her compass.

Tammy holds a B.A. in Social Science with an emphasis in environmentalism, a teaching degree and a Master's in Education. She was a member of San Diego State University's Division 1 NCAA Women’s Volleyball team. As a longtime athlete, Tammy has always been connected to her body’s wisdom and strength, which has carried over into her current passion of living in connection with oneself and the natural world around her.

She has over 20+ years working within the holistic health arena, including nutrition, fitness therapy, teaching, re-wilding, nature immersion, herbalism and regenerative & permaculture-based farming. She has found a beautiful way of encapsulating all of these elements of holism into methods of healing oneself through the lenses of their constitution and their natural rhythms in this world. One size does not fit all, and Tammy believes that the best way to make any change in this world is to look within oneself and acquire the education and tools to learn how to navigate life effectively so that change can happen. "Be the Change" has been her guiding light. All of these elements have brought her to building her dream at Hamilton Pool Farms - where she has co-created a regenerative, permaculture & biodynamic farm, with an outdoor education program that connects over a hundred students each semester with gardening, food sourcing, sustainability and nature skills.

Tammy is a mother of five children who have always been her inspiration for a more natural world. She enjoys beekeeping on her apiary at the farm, loving on her sweet Golden Doodle farm dog, and connecting with nature as she develops the farm culture while teaching a more sustainable & natural way of living.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR & LEAD TEACHER FOR NATURE ACADEMY

Denlin has 25 years of experience working with children. Starting as a teen ranch camp counselor in Malibu California where she led children in animal care, hiking, games, crafts & campfire songs, along with their daily chores and games, she found her calling. She has completed child development & psychology coursework at UCSC, and pursued a lifelong career as a Kidpower instructor, training annually and teaching workshops all over the world for this lead international personal safety NGO. She specializes in social emotional education for children & families, and has brought that skill set into her work as preK-8 special education teacher, PE coach, and classroom teacher. Her passion is to weave confidence and competence building lessons into games, empowering children and their adults with lifelong skills in a way that both fun & impactful.

FARM SCHOOL PROGRAM DIRECTOR & TEACHER

I grew up in Southern California in a semi-rural suburb of Los Angeles. My backyard had an old apricot tree that I would climb and in the summers eat apricots with the squirrels. I spent most of my time outdoors as a child and this is where I found my peace, quiet, and happiness. My time in this tree would lay the foundation for a lifetime of tree climbing with children and a quest for the perfect apricot (not easy to find)!

I have a background in holistic nutrition and worked as a cook for yoga retreats in my 20’s and later as a cater chef while I was getting my degree in Child Development. I have been working in childcare for almost 20 years, 5 of those as an early childhood educator. My passion is for outdoor education and restorative justice. I believe nature is the best teacher and having children grow slow with the cycles allows them to mature and thrive at their own pace.

In my free time I am an avid camper, naturalist, and dancer. A perfect evening for me is a home cooked meal with my family and friends. Every day I relish my time on Earth, and feel deep gratitude for the mystery of life.

FARM SCHOOL TEACHER

Hello! My name is Makenzie and I love nature and being outside. Growing up I always wanted to be out in nature where I felt more at peace and one of my favorite things to share with others is the peace that nature brings me. Through the last 14 years I have spent my time working with children of all ages in many different ways. Between day care work, being a personal nanny, teaching swim lessons, behavioral therapy and more I have been blessed to encounter and be encouraged in so many circumstances. I love to share the importance of emotional awareness and social emotional learning within our own being. I believe that each individual was created to be their unique self and deserves to be supported as they are and for who they are. In my personal time I love to do art, craft with all sorts of different mediums and be outside. I love to learn new things so I am always trying something new or asking alllll the question to fill my curious brain. I love spending time with those near and dear to me but also enjoy listening to music or an audio book while I embroider (or whatever art/craft) for some me time.

FARM SCHOOB TEACHER

Braden has been working with youth outdoors since 2009. His work began in educating youth about sustainability and has evolved over time to focus on social emotional learning, team building, and survival skills. Braden has worked with multiple Montessori Schools, the Whole Life Learning Center, the Amala Foundation, the Maine Primitive Skills School, Earth Native Wilderness School, Camp Ketcha, and others.

His love of all things outdoors began at a very young age with his Nana and Papa. He planted his first garden at home at age 5, and caught his first fish big enough to eat at a small campground named “Little Grassy” near Joliet, IL at age 6.

Braden studied permaculture and natural building while working as the education director for a sustainability non-profit called The New S.H.I.R.E. Institute in Manor, Tx and eventually made his way to the Maine Primitive Skills School to complete an extended apprenticeship about nature mentoring and living off the land in the most direct way possible.

Braden has been a volunteer associate director for the Amala Foundation’s Global Youth Peace Summits here in the states, as well as in Meru, Kenya.

He is trained in survival skills, nature connection, mentoring, team building, non-violent conflict resolution, restorative justice, rhythm facilitation, permaculture practices, and natural and conventional building practices.

FARM SCHOOL TEACHER

Hi, my name is Jennifer Allen, my husband and I have been married for 25 years and we have two young adult sons and a mini Australian Shepard. I grew up in Iowa and our love of music brought us to south Austin 27 years ago.

My passions include spending time with family, children, animals, music, upcycled crafting, nature and camping.

I've worked in several Montessori preschools and holistic learning environments for all ages as well as being a stay at home mom, small business owner, nanny and photographer.

I'm thrilled to be part of the community at Hamilton Pool Vineyard and Farms!

FARM DIRECTOR | PERMACULTURE DESIGNER | LAND CONSULTANT

Born and raised in the piney woods of Texas, Sam has always had a deep connection to the outdoors. Growing up in a large homesteading family, he spent his childhood tending to expansive gardens, raising chickens, and maintaining the family homestead. This early immersion in self-sufficient living instilled in him a lifelong love for agriculture and sustainability.

As a young adult, Sam ventured to Austin, experiencing city life for four years. However, his longing for a more grounded and sustainable lifestyle drew him back to his roots. He found a homestead on the outskirts of Austin and embraced the homesteading life once more, this time through the lens of permaculture.

Sam's journey into permaculture inspired him to start his own landscape design and construction business. His desire to make a larger impact led him to farm consulting, where he could apply his ideas and passions on a broader scale. Today, his company operates farms across central Texas, focusing on permaculture, holistic land management, and sustainable development.

Sam is dedicated to empowering and educating new land stewards, fostering a network of sustainable permaculture farms that serve as a vital connection for local communities. His vision is to create spaces where people can engage with and support their local farms, promoting a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

HEAD FARMER

Andi is from San Diego, California and has over 3 years of farming experience. Andi recently graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in June of 2023 with her B.S in Agricultural Science and a minor in sustainable agriculture. For the last year, she was working on a nonprofit regenerative organic farm in San Diego, that donated and distributed over 70% of their harvests to communities in need. She has always loved the outdoors, and from a very young age knew that she wanted to work in nature. Her favorite book when she was a kid was Miss Rumphius (the lupine lady).

Andi was an intern at Hamilton pool farms in the summers of 2020 and 2021 when the farm was just starting out. Working this land is what ignited her passion for regenerative agriculture and she is so grateful to be able to come back and be a steward of this beautiful land again. She is very passionate about regenerative agriculture, educating people about plants, and growing food for others.

In her free time, she likes to explore Austin, go swimming, spend time outdoors, listen to podcasts and music, and go on runs. Her goal in life is to be happy and to leave her corner of the earth better than how she found it.