Growing Greener Tom Christopher

Amanda Freund of the Freund Dairy Farm describes how her family’s ingenuity has transformed manure from an environmental liability into a source of renewable energy, a means of recycling waste paper and cardboard, and “Cowpots,” a horticulturally superior replacement for environmentally destructive peat pots.

Dr. Amara Dunn-Silver of Cornell University discusses the advantages and limitations of biopesticides, and how, if properly used, they can often provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical treatments

Megan Edge of Victoria, British Columbia shares how her lifelong interest in foraging for wild foods and herbs set the stage for her current practice as a natural healer while also informing her passion for gardening.

Tom Knezick of Pinelands Nursery, one of the largest producers of native plants in the U.S., tells how his family’s business has mastered growing natives from locally collected seed, producing plants that are genetically diverse and regionally adapted.  The nursery industry as a whole claims this is too difficult and labor intensive; Tom describes how Pinelands has succeeded.

Dr. Matthew Kleinhenz of Ohio State University describes the ancient history of “biostimulants,” and how contemporary researchers are identifying natural bacteria and fungi that help crops cope with the extreme weather events of climate change

When automotive engineer Shubhendu Sharma met Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, Sharma found the cause he had been looking for.  Today, Sharma’s company Afforestt is the global leader in creating Miyawaki’s transformational tiny forests