PR ON THE GO • May 25, 2026

This ‘skating gardener’ is crossing Bulgaria on his skateboard to promote nature-based livelihoods.

Sharena Fabrika

Daniel Dimov is a 37-year-old Bulgarian-American agriculture instructor who created his first food forest at age 22. Since then, he has been fully dedicated to building and teaching nature-based living. Right now, Daniel is preparing to cross Bulgaria from end to end along the Danube River on his skateboard — a distance of about 336 miles (540 kilometers) — to promote nature-based livelihoods.

Co-creation in nature

Above all, Daniel is a steward of the land. He wants to inspire others to become stewards and co-creators of nature. Daniel says, “When we stand beside it, not against it, we discover not only the earth's abundance, but also the deep peace of belonging to something greater.”

Daniel is inviting people from all over the world to join him for this athletic challenge. Supporters can meet him at various locations along the route, starting May 29, 2026.

“I am the author of my own story and that is how I want to live. I'm going to cross the land of Bulgaria with a skateboard simply because it hasn’t been done yet. Today people often live like foreigners in their own home – nature. I believe this connection is not completely destroyed – only weakened, and it can be restored. I have dedicated myself to this.”

The teachings of permaculture design

Daniel teaches the foundation of permaculture: ‘The problem is the solution.’ These teachings do not ask, "How do I get rid of the problem?" but rather, "What is missing in the system?"

He says: “In systems created by people, you don’t always find your place, but in nature there is always a place for you. There are many steps to becoming autonomous and independent from a 9-to-5 office job and other things you may dislike. The first steps are food sovereignty and health. If you don't know what's in your food, then you don't know what's entering your body. Learn how to grow your own food. Adapt natural systems into your livelihood.”

Sharena Fabrika campus gardens

The certified permaculture designer and teacher traveled the world before discovering his calling at Sharena Fabrika, an international culinary school. In the village of Golyama Zhelyazna, nature serves as both a classroom and a source of produce grown in the extensive Sharena Fabrika campus gardens. These gardens are cultivated using regenerative practices and are designed to become future permaculture landscapes.

At Sharena Fabrika, Daniel teaches that good cuisine is founded not only on technique, but also on an understanding of where food comes from. “Nature is the first and most successful system on the planet. When you understand how it works, you can follow the same path and work in sync with it. In return for precise and intelligent care, you receive much more,” says Daniel, who is also known as the “Skating Gardener” in the Bulgarian mountains.

A global background in permaculture

After living in the United States and learning from the Kanaka Maoli people in Hawaii about their relationship with nature, Daniel returned to his homeland to teach Australian agricultural philosophy, based on the teachings of Bill Mollison — "the father of permaculture" — in the Balkans. After earning several professional certifications in Europe in permaculture ethics and principles from some of the world's top instructors, he committed himself to transforming 12 decares (approximately 3 acres) of arable land in Golyama Zhelyazna into living, open-air classrooms to meet the needs of the school and restaurant and to educate his students. In his gardens, students grow vegetables and herbs and learn to think sustainably, observe natural processes, and develop a relationship with clean, seasonal, real food.

Daniel says: “The whole concept of permaculture is an applied science for designing human habitats and agricultural systems, where people learn to live and produce food in cooperation with nature, instead of fighting it. It shifts the focus away from ourselves and reminds us that we are part of something bigger.”

Join Daniel Dimov

Daniel is joined by his skateboarding friend Gabriel Iskrev (Gabo), and invites people from around the world to join them on parts of the trip. The challenge is set to begin on 29 May 2026 and will take less than 14 days to complete. Starting in Bregovo, Bulgaria, it will finish in Varna — the 'sea capital' of Bulgaria — where participants will meet the local skateboarding community. The journey is supported by Sharena Fabrika.

Follow the journey or meet Daniel along the route:

@skateandpermaculturebulgaria
@sharena_fabrika

The route tracking will be live here

Learn from Daniel Dimov at Sharena Fabrika:

Daniel Dimov will guide the farm-to-table philosophy at Sharena Fabrika’s Young Chefs’ Week in July 2026. The program trains kids and teens from around the world in Balkan and French cuisine.

He will also be the agriculture instructor at Young Explorers' Week, a nature and adventure camp for kids and teens.

Additionally, he will co-lead the two-week Permaculture Design Certificate course at Sharena Fabrika for participants aged 18 and up.

#PRontheGO