Nate Downey, Lettuce, Etc.
Nate Downey has been a permaculture systems consultant, designer, and contractor since 1992. An award-winning author of two books about water, he wrote the long-running “Permaculture in Practice” column for the Santa Fe New Mexican for 19 years. In 2024, the paper honored Downey with its “10 Who Made a Difference” award for his work growing and distributing 10,000 units of free aquaponics produce to people in need. Since 2017, under CEA expert R. Charlie Shultz at Santa Fe Community College, he has become an experienced CEA grower, directing much of his study toward the economics of sales and distribution. As CEO of Lettuce, Etc., Downey applies permaculture principles to business modeling for small CEA farms. With a particular focus on how local producers can access the expanding home-delivery sector, he believes CEA is an essential tool for regional food security and promising potential revenue generator–particularly where healthy soils are scarce.