Stephanie Hancey

Biography

Stephanie Hancey is a permaculture systems creator. Raised on a dairy and grain farm in Southern Idaho, her work has taken her from traditional agriculture to off-grid living, earth building, and the application of regenerative practices to agroforestry in the Oregon rainforest, and many places in between. She has developed her own practical approach to creating systems and solving common problems facing her communities. Along the way, she has consulted and gardened throughout Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Stephanie has a particular love for biodynamics and French intensive systems for their ability to produce an extraordinary amount of food from a small piece of land through thoughtful planning, healthy soil, and intentional use of space. Her work centers on leading land-based projects, developing new approaches to growing, and bringing people and resources together to turn ideas into reality. She is returning to Utah State University for 2026–2027 to continue leading the Logan Permaculture Initiative and help shape where the garden goes next. When she is not working with plants, Stephanie loves spending time with her family, hiking, paddle boarding, foraging for mushrooms and wild edibles, and exploring the world through her adventure photography, where she captures meaningful moments for families, couples, and fellow adventurers.

Stephanie was able to use simple, no nonsense methods of gardening to maintain supplemental food for her own family, and to also create a duplicate garden that was used in a service project feeding intercity homeless populations and struggling families in need.

As a recent caretaker and teaching assistant of an off grid, land conservancy in the Oregon rainforest, she gained valuable experience in permaculture practice, such as the importance of layout (zones), plant/ animal relations, and pollinators. She oversaw the design and implementation of additional gardens, experimented with both traditional and new methods of herb spirals, vertical gardening, no till soil care, seed propagation and food preservation.

Stephanie’s love for food growth and preservation is lifelong. She was raised on a dairy/ grain farm in Southern Idaho and is so happy to be able to bring her studies of soil science and natural systems back to the area where she began.

Stephanie is an avid hiker who stalks mushrooms and medicinal/edibles in her free time. Foraging and propagation fill her cup. Her husband and two young boys share her love of this beautiful earth, and drive her everyday to create a better place for them and future kin to grow.