My father taught me about tree farming at an early age. The tree farm was my crucible to test my skills and knowledge of plants. My family farm was a great cornucopia of life to me. The ponds my father and his partner had built were a great joy to me and everyone else that came by for a dip. While planting and pruning Christmas trees I found a lot of interesting plants on our farms. After I finished my degree in biology I started my own tree farm in 1982. There I began planting many types of nuts, fruits and sometimes obscure food crops on a sandy hill in southwestern Michigan. The goal was to find flavors and experiment with fruits that reminded me of the wild blueberries and strawberries I use to collect at my family’s farm. I too taught my daughters about tree farming and the
patience that comes with it. Today Oikos Tree Crops is one of the few nurseries able to produce its own seed and plants direct from our farm. I do not consider myself a plant breeder but more of a plant herder. I do find joy in growing and then sharing my plant finds to the public at large. It is my hope to share with you a part of nature that is often over looked or even misinterpreted in some way. After 30 years, I see much progress in ‘my field’ but not always in ‘other’ fields. There is work to be done and knowledge to be shared. My nursery is my avenue for that at this time.