I offer speaking services for community groups, schools, gardens clubs, or anyone interested in edible landscaping, permaculture design, and sustainability. Presentations vary in topic and duration and can be tailored to the specific needs of your group. Here’s a sampling of the organizations I’ve worked with:
- Clarkston Farm & Garden Club
- Davisburg Rotary Club
- Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit
- Springfield Elementary
- Think Farm
- Traverse City/NW Michigan Permaculture Design Project
- Troy Garden Club
- Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference
- Metro Detroit Master Gardeners
- University of Michigan
- Oakland University
Contact me to find out rates and read about a handful of topics from the following menu:
Beyond Supermarket Shelves: Uncommon Fruits for Lower Michigan
Discover a multitude of unusual and underutilized fruits adapted to the growing conditions of lower MI. This presentation will cover basic cultivation and use for: Asian pears, pawpaws, persimmons, alpine strawberries, gooseberries, and more. Gain insight and ideas for incorporating fruiting plants into your yard!
Against the Grain: Tree Crops and Perennial Agriculture
What are the implications of our current agricultural systems?Is there a more sustainable way to provide sustenance? Perennial agriculture and tree crops offer an alternative approach that sustains human health AND planetary health— reducing erosion, increasing air quality, and creating wildlife habitat. Explore the virtues of nut and mast-producing trees like chestnut, honey locust, and oak.
The Michigan Banana: Pawpaw Fruit
The pawpaw is the largest fruit indigenous to North America with individual fruits weighing up to a pound! With all 22 amino acids, outstanding medicinal qualities, and delectable, tropicalesque flavor- the pawpaw is regaining widespread attention. Learn the history of pawpaws and how to grow, propagate, and utilize them!
Fruit and Nut Tree Propagation
Wouldn’t it be fun to grow your own fruits, berries, and nuts? An array of techniques exist for propagating trees and shrubs which vary from extremely easy, to extremely difficult. Explore a variety of propagation techniques such as grafting, layering, and seed propagation.
The Fruit Nut 