Patti Garbeck reflects on her 27 years of teaching carpentry at Yestermorrow. By Tinder Kiely

After 27 years of teaching at Yestermorrow, Patti Garbeck is retiring. Well, sort of—Patti insists that she’ll be back to fill in and teach some classes, but she’s done being on the regular schedule. First on her retirement bucket list is a motorcycle trip around the Southwestern United States, followed by repairs and a couple of new projects—a shed and a deck—for her self-built three-story home in Woodbury, Vermont.

Patti is partially responsible for one of Yestermorrow's most beloved and successful courses, Women’s Basic Carpentry. Beginning in 1999, when women-specific trades courses were uncommon, Patti remembers being asked “why do women even need their own class?” Now, women’s carpentry courses are among Yestermorrow's most popular, oftentimes running five times a year on campus. Plus, “Nobody cut off any fingers,” Patti proudly—and cheekily—recalls. None of this would have been possible without the help of Yestermorrow instructor Lizabeth Moniz, who originally recommended Patti teach this course. A few years later Lizabeth joined as co-instructor, a position she still holds to this day.

That first class was held in the Chalet basement, which back then was little more than a garage. The campus was nothing like it is today, and major renovations were ongoing. “There was a basement full of—can I say shit?—and they told us to use whatever lumber we can find.” That recycled lumber from what is now the main office building was turned into the deck, stairs and door of the iconic composting toilet nestled in the backwoods of Yestermorrow. 

Over her more than three-decade long career in carpentry, Patti has noticed changes. “It seems like every carpenter I know has so much work that they’re booking next fall already,” she says, “when I moved up here in ‘84, there just weren’t as many houses.” The tech has changed so much too—house wraps, super insulation and CAD drawings, Patti lists among other things. “When I started, everything was hand hammered. Then everybody had an air nailer. Now everybody screws everything together, which I don’t think is very efficient.”

What hasn’t changed for Patti is the distinctive culture of Yestermorrow, “It still attracts super cool people. Even the interns and staff, and I’m always impressed when I get to talk to people from other classes. I'll miss that.” Patti represents the Yestermorrow community well herself: a self-described “border collie,” she’s a hard worker, always moving on to the next task. She’s kind, eclectic, well-traveled and learned, and patient with her students. 

Teaching carpentry for a nonprofit isn’t the only way Patti gives back to communities; she’s also a lifelong activist. In the 80’s she drove all the way from Vermont to Nicaragua to build Hacienda-style homes for the locals, during an especially volatile time for the region. “We could hear mortar fire at night,” she recounts, “it was pretty scary.” Patti also was involved with the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. “Standing outside the post office with a sign that said ‘Life Is Water’ didn't feel like it was doing much, so I drove out there.” Patti walked around camp with her tool belt, joining protests, volunteering on projects, and even building a temporary structure for a Chief. 

For anyone with a budding interest in carpentry, Patti shares some advice: “Be patient with yourself and learn from your mistakes. Find a neighbor who’s building a deck and even if they don’t want your help, just ask if you can watch.” Patti loves carpentry because it’s forgiving, “You can always fix it. If you mess up, and this is what I learned from Yestermorrow, everything’s a design opportunity.”