How I got into Horticulture and what I’m doing now
I’ve been obsessively gardening since I was 6 years old. I avidly read my grandfather’s Organic Gardening magazines, and, in many ways, I taught my dad how to garden. My aunts, uncles, and my dad (with my help) were very competitive about growing tomatoes and cucumbers, always bragging about who got the first, who had the biggest, who canned the most. As a 4H club member, I think I had more entries in the county fair than anyone else. One year I got about 20 ribbons and $126 (which was a lot in the late 1960’s). The next year they cancelled giving money to kids who won ribbons, and I suspect I was the reason that happened. My undergraduate degree is in Horticulture from the University of Maryland with a specialty in Pomology (Fruit Science). I had jobs working for a nematologist (during high school) and plant pathologist developing disease resistant peaches (during undergrad days). After my B.Sc. I worked for a raspberry breeder, a fruit tree physiologist and a pathologist working on biological controls for post-harvest fruit rots. Of all those jobs I like raspberry breeding the best. I couldn’t believe that in mid-summer I got paid to walk around the field evaluating and eating raspberries all day! Cross pollinating plants in the greenhouse in winter was also fun. The post- harvest rot research job was hard on the nose, and the fruit rots caused penicillin spores to fly everywhere making me itch. I had to wear a mask all day back then, so covid 19 masks weren’t so bad for me. In fact, when putting on my mask this last year, I kept thinking at least there isn’t rotting fruit everywhere! That post-harvest job inspired me to go to grad school and do a thesis involving fruit breeding. I did my PhD at University of Guelph where I was breeding with 7 species of strawberry, some of which were extremely yummy!
I have been a professor in the Plant Sci. Dept. at the University of Saskatchewan since 1999. I’m facilitating the Urban Agriculture course for the first time in 2021, but for many years I’ve been lecturing and giving hands on labs on Fruit Science and Plant Propagation. I also teach parts of Greenhouse Management, Plant Biotechnology and Introduction to Horticulture courses. I run the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program which is breeding 10 hardy fruits. The program is famous for new varieties of Haskap, Sour Cherries and ‘Under the Sea’ coleus. The haskap breeding program is considered to be among the best worldwide and has released 10 varieties. In 2018 I co-authored with Sara William the book “Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens”. In 2019 Rick Sawatzky and I jointly won the prestigious Stevenson Award for the development of sour cherries and haskap. This award honours individuals who have "made a conspicuous achievement in the field of practical horticulture” It has been given only 21 times in 83 years. I regularly write articles for my program website www.fruit.usask.ca. I continue to obsessively garden. I got a different house last year that had no garden and have already dug up half the yard. Last year I canned 120 jars (salsa, spaghetti sauce, pickles, soup stock). Too bad my aunts and uncles aren’t around anymore to hear me brag!