William “Tama” Dickerson
Director of What's Happening
William “Tama” Dickerson was born and raised in Nashville, TN, but fell in love with the mountains of North Carolina in 1979. He put down roots in Cherokee, spending three years off the grid as a caretaker in a log cabin, living in harmony with the land around him. This early experience has influenced his career ever since; he’s always been a caretaker and shaper of the earth, living with nature in a respectful, interactive way.
Tama is a founding partner of Olivette Riverside Community and Farm, a national award winning agrihood community. Any project he oversees is designed to ensure that the development honors the land long term, including designating natural spaces that encourage people to interact with the water, forest, and land, as well as with the other inhabitants that live there. His vision at Olivette can be seen in such projects as the labyrinth, a private river island, several miles of hiking trails, and the 7-acre riverfront park.
Paint Rock Farm has allowed Tama to take his extreme love of nature to the next level beginning with placing the majority of the property into permanent conservation with the creation of a conservation forest with miles of trails and other features for the enjoyment of guests. The thoughtful design, layout, and “light touch” approach of the remaining property has maintained the farm’s extraordinary beauty, with guests often mentioning that it seems like everything “sprouted” out of the ground there. Tama has strong interest in organic gardening, spirituality, natural healing, and community building. Paint Rock Farm is the perfect place to express all these passions.
Tama’s desire is for Paint Rock Farm to be a welcoming place that touches peoples souls and allows people of every type a place to come safely together and learn and grow together in a loving and beautiful environment. Tama is a trained Breathworker and Ordained Ministerial Counselor, and his spirituality is expressed in part through both the creation of sacred spaces on the property.
