Vanessa Ehrlich was born in Venice, CA, where she was raised by architect Steven Ehrlich of EYRC and Artist Marlo Ehrlich.

Vanessa’s practice is informed by her lifelong exposure to art and design, extensive travel, and deep experience in permaculture, organic farming, and alternative living.  

As a teenager she moved to Sedona AZ, where she slept beneath the open sky and rode horses deep into national forest, her “back yard.” With her connection to the natural world awakened, she continued to Maui, HI, where she was a permaculture farmer, then on to Northern California where she homesteaded and managed an organic farm.

Along her journey Vanessa has gained expertise in a variety of living arts, from knowledge of wild foraging seaweed, herbs, and mushrooms, to a deep appreciation and skillful approach to community living. She takes great joy in cultivating abundance from the earth and sharing it in creative ways.

When she returned to Los Angeles after living rurally for more than a decade, Vanessa wanted to share what she had learned with her community. At the Accelerated School (ACES) in South LA, and Westwood Charter Elementary she created and taught a seed to table curriculum, inspiring children to explore and connect with nature through sustainable agriculture and culinary arts. Currently focusing on child-led nature connection education she mentors at Everwild LA.

As principle of Cultivated Wild, Vanessa designs sustainable drought tolerant and edible landscapes with a focus on California Natives. As a private chef, expert forager and ceramicist she continues to help people connect to the earth through edible landscapes and seasonal cuisine.