Our Story
Welcome to Tierra Sagrada, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing Pennsylvania’s landscapes and communities through placemaking and shared stewardship. We transform land into food forests, gardens, and gathering places that nourish both people and the earth.
Our projects double as living classrooms where youth, neighbors, and guest speakers come together to share skills, learn by doing, and build spaces that reflect community care. Each initiative—whether planting, building, or teaching—connects resilience with tradition, ensuring that knowledge and resources flow across generations.
At Tierra Sagrada, we believe true empowerment begins with reclaiming autonomy over life’s essentials: food, shelter, and community. More than a school, we are a movement for regeneration—inviting people to imagine and build the future they want to belong to.
Our Mission
Tierra Sagrada empowers communities through ecological placemaking, hands-on education, and collaborative stewardship—transforming land into resilient spaces that support both people and the planet.
Our Vision
We envision communities where people and land flourish together — strengthened through accessible education, sustainable land use practices, and public spaces that foster resilience, equity, and environmental stewardship.
Our Team
Tierra Sagrada is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2024 by farmers, carpenters, entrepreneurs, craftspeople, and artists. Tierra Sagrada is a collective of people passionate about creating a more resilient, lively, rich culture, and society from our roots in Northern Appalachia.
Founder, Instructor
Alex Catizone
Alex is a maker from Northeastern Pennsylvania, who has received her training in woodworking, carpentry, and design through Lohr School of Woodworking, Yestermorrow Design/Build School, years of self-directed learning, and experience in the field.
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Alex is primarily an educator, tiny home designer and builder, and landscaper. She is passionate about affordable housing solutions, the effect of the built environment on human behavior, and empowering people through the design/build process.
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For a listing of her current course offerings, or for design/build inquiries, visit her website at https://www.alexandracatizone.com
Board Treasurer
Alana Dee Haynes
Alana Dee Haynes is a mixed media artist who primarily works with illustrations over found objects or photos. Her work has also taken her to event production having produced live events from 100 - 5k people. Most recently her artistic endeavors lead to renovations and she’s been turning a 1895 church into a home; using her artistic aesthetics and translating them to interior design. Haynes has expanded her artistic practice to include kitchen and bathroom remodels, hard scape masonry design, and more.
AlanaDeehaynes.com
@belltowerbuilds
Board Vice Chair, Instructor
Kyle Beaver
Kyle is primarily an entrepreneur and mushroom farmer, but finds himself wearing a variety of hats as the owner of Ten Mile Mushrooms. Kyle is a pioneer in commercial mushroom production, and a leader in his field, supporting other farms and farmers in supplying their communities. When Kyle's not tending to the mushrooms he can be found tending to his land, hunting, seeing live music, or enjoying time with cats and dog.
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To learn more about Kyle and his farm visit:
Instructor
Matt Kramer
Matt Kramer is a builder, woodworker, and community facilitator focused on hands-on, place-based learning. His path into building began in the Smoky Mountains, where he built his own yurt to residential code with no prior experience—learning woodworking, natural building, and basic trades along the way.
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Matt brings a steady, collaborative presence to shared projects. As a homeschooling father, he values intergenerational learning and believes resilience grows through curiosity, shared problem-solving, and working with your hands. He is grateful to contribute his skills and care to Tierra Sagrada’s living classrooms.
Board Member
Phyillis Varra
Phyillis is an herbalist, gardener, and community organizer. She is a yoga instructor and proud mama to a beautiful baby boy. She can usually be found playing music, making travel plans, and taking in all of the beauty this life has to offer.
Board Secretary
Penny Harte
Penny Harte is a builder and designer whose path into hands-on learning began with designing and building livable campervans. She later served as a Shipping Container and Semester Design/Build Teaching Assistant at Yestermorrow and continues to deepen her skills through ongoing study and practice.
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Penny holds a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation from Virginia Tech and currently works at Flywheel Industrial Arts in Montpelier, VT, doing metal work and 3D modeling. Having lived in group housing, a campervan, and a tiny house, she brings a lived understanding of alternative and affordable housing and a strong belief in learning together through practical skill-building.
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