I come from a farming tradition in the northeast corner of Kansas. My generation is the second in my family that no longer makes a living by tilling the soil, but I still have that passion for, and sense of kinship with, it. My affinity for the soil began from began as a child and all of my fondest memories of childhood all occur in the garden.

The focus of my work is teaching and writing about gardens, plants and our connection to them. I devote a considerable amount of energy to the promulgation of my belief that many ills of our society can be reversed by a closer connection to the soil through the way we eat food and the medicinal qualities of plants. Currently, my primary project is a nonprofit foundation, The Learning Garden, dedicated to a higher awareness of gardening and its integration to the daily life of the community as a whole. The intention that the production of safe, wholesome and inexpensive food is within the reach of everyone, and that gardens most certainly do provide us with food and health, physically, mentally and spiritually, continues to be the focus of all my current work. It was most satisfying to work on a project to build a sustainable food producing garden for an orphanage in San Dueñas, Guatemala that could provide the entire orphanage with a complete, wholesome diet every day of the year and will teach every child in the orphanage how to produce their own clean, wholesome and nutritious food for their lifetime.

In December of 2010 I helped found Seed Library of Los Angeles(SLOLA) which has brought seed saving to Southern California. I have written for The Gardeners Companion, an award-winning publication for the gardeners of Southern California and other gardening newsletters and publications. I'll lecture to about anyone who will have me; to community groups as well as the gardening community. An urban beekeeper I remain an avid organic gardener and proponent of small farm-to-consumer direct relationships.

I am the author of The Beautiful Food Garden Blog and Garden Blog.