Classes and Speaker Bios

Class Schedules

Friday September 7
6:30- 7:30am Yoga Class- Pulsation Yoga (Class fee of $5)

8:30- 10:00am Keynote Address
Nothing is Impossible: The Future of Organics - Eliot Coleman

10:30am-12:00pm
Growing Grapes in Illinois - Bill Shoemaker
Tropical Punch - Greg Stack
The Right Shrub for the Right Location - Kelsay Shaw
Eat the Weeds - Deborah Lee
Composting 201 - Zach Grant
Creating a PowerPoint - Rick Sanders

1:30pm- 3:00pm
Four Season Harvest - Eliot Coleman
Building a Fairy Garden with Miniatures - Jo Malin
Designing Custom lawn Care Programs - Bruce Spangenberg
Ornamental Invasives - Cathy McGlynn
The Thorny Side of Roses: What About Those Pest and Diseases - Tom Soulsby
Bee Keeping 101 - Larry Krengel

3:30pm-5:00pm
Quality Lawns with Minimal Chemical Use - Bruce Spangenberg
Organic Gardening: Crop Rotation and Companion Planting - Rich Tobiasz
Medicinal Herbs - Deborah Lee
There’s Lots to Know About Hostas - Tom Michiletti
Wine Making 101 - Steve Deberg and Don Schellhaass
Mushroom Culture - Joseph Krawczyk and Mary Ellen Kowack

Saturday September 8
6:30- 7:30am Yoga Class - Pulsation Yoga (Class fee of $5)

8:30- 10:00am General Session
Isn’t Horticulture Already Green? - Rory Klick

10:30am-12:00pm
From the Ground Up - Starting a Community Garden- Rory Klick, Melonnie Hartl and Wendy Warden
Heirlooms in the Garden - Diane Ott Whealy
Culinary Herbs: More Than Annuals - Chuck Voigt
Using Native Trees to Provide Diversity in the Landscape - Sharon Yiesla
Insect Pest ID and Control: A Baker’s Dozen - Rick Weinzierl
Hands-on Workshop - Bonsai - Cat Nelson (Class fee of $20)

1:30pm- 3:00pm
Insect Pest ID and Control: A Baker’s Dozen - Rick Weinzierl
Restoring Large and Small Plots with Native Plants - Jacob Blue
A Seed Saving Primer - Shannon Carmody
The Best New Plants of 2012 - Kim Hartmann
The Backyard Fruit Tree - Rich Tobiasz
Hands-on Workshop - Vermicomposting- Chris Scheiff (Class fee of $20)

 

Class Descriptions

Friday September 7, 2012

6:30am to 7:30am Yoga Class - Pulsation Yoga
$5 per person
Come stretch out, center yourself and set your intentions for the exciting day of horticulture ahead at a one hour yoga class. Classes will be led by instructors from Pulsation Yoga Studio in Arlington Heights. The owners of this studio have been featured in Prevention Magazine, The Fox Morning Show and numerous other industry publications, for their passionate commitment to yoga therapeutics. The classes will be designed to appeal to those new to yoga, but will offer plenty of opportunity for long-term students to deepen their practice. Please bring your own mat and whatever props you prefer, such as blocks and straps. Bottled water will be furnished.

8:30am to 10:00am Keynote Address
Nothing is Impossible:The Future of Organics - Eliot Coleman
Plants have been grown organically for more than 4,000 years. Now, science is validating these techniques, giving credence to the notion that you can feed the world organically. Join Eliot Coleman, author, educator, and organic farmer, as he lays out the future of the organic movement. Explore a world where Rodale’s “healthy soil=healthy plants=healthy people”; where crops are grown sustainably, nutrients recycled, pests and disease suppressed, fossil fuel demands reduced, and truly where nothing is impossible.


10:30am to 12:00pm
Growing Grapes in Illinois - Bill Shoemaker
Many varieties of grapes are well suited to the Illinois climate. Bill will discuss which varieties are the best choices for fruit, juice, jam and wine. He will then discuss arbor systems, pruning and which pests provide the most concern to the home grower.

Tropical Punch-Greg Stack
Tropical plants always lend an air of the South Seas to any garden, but if you live in Illinois that feeling may seem unreachable. This class will look at all of the unique plant material that is available to give your garden that tropical look, how to grow it and to overwinter it for seasons to come.

The Right Shrub for the Right Location-Kelsay Shaw
Using the right native shrub in our landscape has many environmental benefits. Botanist and native plant expert, Kelsay Shaw, will discuss the hardiness, sustainability and positive ecological impact of his favorite native shrubs for Illinois. Learn about the many possibilities that meet any planting scenario while creating an aesthetic habitat and possibly reducing cost and long term maintenance.

Eat the Weeds- Deborah Lee
Catch Deborah’s passion as she takes you on a journey to explore wild-edible plants in your area. Learn to identify the best edibles and how to use them. Discover patterns in nature which help you know what and when to harvest. Take home a list of 100 wild edibles, a nutrient chart and collecting tips.

Compost 201- Zach Grant
Composting recycles plant materials and is beneficial to all types of gardens. Join Zack Grant, U. of I. Student Farm Manager, as he takes you beyond the equal mix of green and brown material. Among the topics will be bacterial vs. fungal based composts, C:N ratios, compost tea and the holistic use of compost to suppress disease and promote plant health.

Creating A PowerPoint- Rick Sanders
Public speaking is hard enough, but designing, creating, and delivering an effective PowerPoint presentation shouldn’t be. This session will provide you with presentation guidelines, specific design techniques, information structuring methods, need-to-know technical tips, and audience delivery suggestions so you can easily and effectively convey your message. Presentations will be based on PowerPoint 2012. Feel free to bring your laptop and try out techniques during the presentation. Note: There will be no tech support during this session.

1:30pm- 3:00pm
Four Season Harvest- Eliot Coleman
Imagine fresh local produce throughout the year without the cost of fossil fuel heated greenhouses. Eliot Coleman, author of Four-Season Harvest will guide you through the steps to extending your season through the winter and into the next spring. Then improve your summer and fall harvest with some of the techniques he will present.
Building a Fairy Garden with Miniatures- Jo Malin
Watch a live demonstration, as Jo puts together miniature plants, buildings, fences and other decorations to create a fairy garden. Several garden styles will be presented along with locations where gardeners may obtain necessary supplies.

Designing Custom Lawn Care Programs- Bruce Spangenberg
Not all lawns need the same care, yet often all are managed the same. Learn more on how to put together a custom management program to meet lawn needs for the season, including chemical and non-chemical care options.

Ornamental Invasives- Cathy McGlynn
A number of invasive plants that dominate many habitats in the Illinois landscape were once garden plants. These plants “escaped” and spread into natural areas where they have reduced native plant and animal biodiversity and altered ecosystem function. Today’s class will talk about some ornamental plants that have the potential to become very invasive if they “escape” from gardens. We will talk about some of the evidence for this potential and what options there may be for the green industry and its consumers to work together to prevent future invasions.

The Thorny Side of Roses: What about those Pests and Diseases?-Tom Soulsby
Roses are universally-loved, but pests and diseases can temper the excitement of even the most passionate rose enthusiast. Based on the Chicago Botanic Garden’s experience, Tom will review common rose pests and diseases and share with you the latest on diagnosis and control. He will also dig deeper into how prevention, proper garden maintenance, and plant selection are the best first steps towards a healthy rose garden—a garden that resists pests and diseases before they take control.

Beekeeping 101- Larry Krengle
Bees are excellent pollinators and provide local honey for your table. Learn the basics of beekeeping from starting the hive through removing some honey. Larry will discuss the equipment needed as well as ways to deal with routine hive problems.

3:30pm-5:00pm
Quality Lawns with Minimal Chemical Use-Bruce Spangenberg
There are a number of lawn care practices that can effectively reduce the use of chemicals. Learn more about sound lawn care with less chemicals including grass selection factors, soil management, fertilizer use, and alternative pest management products.

Organic Gardening: Crop Rotation and Companion Planting-Rich Tobiasz
Crop rotation and companion planting are two of the tactics that an organic gardener may use to improve soil fertility and to reduce pest and disease pressure. Learn about these valuable tools that will benefit both organic and conventional gardeners.

Medicinal Herbs- Deborah Lee
Explore many health-supportive herbs that you can easily grow and safely use. See and smell numerous herbal preparations. And, learn ways to easily prepare or preserve them including dried, capsules, teas (decoctions and infusions), salves and tinctures. Take home reference material that will help you create your personal herbal first-aid kit.

There’s Lots to Know About Hostas-Tom Michiletti
This presentation will cover almost anything you need to know about Hostas. Tom will cover general maintenance as well as that specific to flowers and scapes. He will also discuss dividing, cutting back, diseases and insects.

Wine Making 101- Steve Deberg and Don Schellhaass
You can make wonderful wine using home grown grapes; or you can use purchased fruit, juice or frozen must. Learn about the equipment you will need as well as the basic procedures for making your own wine.

Mushroom Culture- Joe Krawczyk and Mary Ellen Kozak
Grow your own mushrooms? It will seem a less formidable task by the end of this class. Join Joe and Mary Ellen from Field & Forest Products, as they guide you through the culture of several varieties of mushrooms. Explore the possibilities of growing your own portabella, shitake and oyster mushrooms.

 

Saturday September 8

6:30am to 7:30am Yoga Class Pulsation Yoga
$5 per person
Come stretch out, center yourself and set your intentions for the exciting day of horticulture ahead at a one hour yoga class. Classes will be led by instructors from Pulsation Yoga Studio in Arlington Heights. The owners of this studio have been featured in Prevention Magazine, The Fox Morning Show and numerous other industry publications, for their passionate commitment to yoga therapeutics. The classes will be designed to appeal to those new to yoga, but will offer plenty of opportunity for long-term students to deepen their practice. Please bring your own mat and whatever props you prefer, such as blocks and straps. Bottled water will be furnished.

8:30am to 10:00am General Session
Isn’t Horticulture Already Green? - Rory Klick
Many of us think of the horticulture and landscape industry as the original “green career,” but we haven’t always been very sustainable in our practices. This presentation will explore how horticulture is seeking to embrace sustainability as daily practice, and how these trends are influencing the landscape industry. The message will focus on simple changes every gardener can make to embrace more sustainable methods and truly “green” practices in their landscape.

10:30am-12:00pm
From the Ground Up- Starting a Community Garden- Rory Klick, Melonnie Hartl, Wendy Warden
Community gardening has been around for many years, from Victorian “kinder gartens” to the victory gardens of WWII, to the urban agriculture efforts of today. Now community gardens are growing around the world. Three community garden coordinators will share their experiences in starting new gardens. Each will present the challenges and successes of their respective gardens and address questions from those interested in supporting the community gardening movement.

Heirlooms in the Garden- Diane Ott Whealy
Heirlooms provide diversity among vegetables and flowers. Their flavor is often exceptional, and they can provide seed for the next garden. Learn about their value and use in the garden from Diane, author and co-founder of Seed Saver’s Exchange-the nation’s premier nonprofit seed-saving organization. Diane will share her experience designing and planting the perfect combination of heirloom flowers, vegetable, and herbs. Her lessons can be applied to gardens large or small and will emphasize self-seeding annuals, seed saving and creating a sustainable as well as edible landscape. The presentation will be illustrated by photographs from her cottage-style garden at Seed Saver Exchange Heritage Farm.

Culinary Herbs: More Than Annuals- Chuck Voigt
There are many perennials that have their place in both the garden and kitchen. Learn which ones grow best in Illinois, their selection, cultivation, pest and disease control and a bit about overwintering them, either in the ground or in containers.

Using Native trees to Provide Diversity in the Landscape- Sharon Yiesla
Choosing a tree for a landscape should take some time and consideration. We need to get past “I want it to grow fast” and “I like what my neighbor has”. Let’s look at a clear process for making good choices when we buy trees. We’ll focus on native trees, but the concepts presented will work with introduced species as well.

Insect Pest ID and Control: A Baker’s Dozen- Rick Weinzierl
Join Dr. Weinzierl, professor of entomology at the U. of I. as he reviews a “Baker’s Dozen” of the pests most likely encountered in the garden. He will follow-up identification with both conventional and organic methods of reducing the populations without contributing to resistance.

Hands- on Workshop- Bonsai- Cat Nelson from the Midwest Bonsai Society
Learn about the various styles of bonsai. Then plant and begin the process of creating your own bonsai that you will take with you. $20 fee, maximum 20 participants

1:30pm- 3:00pm
Insect Pest ID and Control: A Baker’s Dozen- Rick Weinzierl
Join Dr. Weinzierl, professor of entomology at the U. of I. as he reviews a “Baker’s Dozen” of the pests most likely encountered in the garden. He will follow-up identification with both conventional and organic methods of reducing the populations without contributing to resistance.

Restoring Large and Small Plots with Native Plants- Jacob Blue
Join Jacob Blue, the senior landscape architect and director of design for Applied Ecological Services as he discusses the basics of restoration, including clearing the land and preparing the soil, soil fertility as well as the plants that work best in the senative landscapes.

A Seed Saving Primer- Shannon Carmody
Seed saving is not new. Many plants grown in the home garden lend themselves to seed saving. Learn about the basic techniques for saving open pollinated varieties including the use of plants with self-fertile flowers, time and distance spacing, seed drying and storage.

The Best New Plants of 2012- Kim Hartmann
Kim Hartmann, a landscape designer with Countryside Nursery will highlight the best new plants for 2012. Only those plants with unique new features that are successful in our region make the list. She will also preview some exciting new introductions for 2013.

The Backyard Fruit Tree- Rich Tobiasz
Can the home gardener produce quality tree fruit? Can it be done organically? Learn about techniques that will result in the fruit you desire, including pruning, caring for the orchard understory, as well as pest and disease control. This program is mostly organic, but Rich will also present information related to a conventional spray program.

Hands-On Workshop- Vermicomposting- Chris Scheiff
Many gardeners compost yard waste and garden scraps. Learn how you can put worms to work throughout the year, turning those scraps into great compost. Then build a bin, house the worms and take it home for your own supply of vermicompost. Fee $20, Maximum 20 participants

Speaker Bios

Keynote Speaker Eliot Coleman
Eliot Coleman is the author of The New Organic Grower, Four Season Harvest and The Winter Harvest Handbook. He has written extensively on the subject of organic agriculture since 1975, including chapters in scientific books and the foreword to Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes by the gardeners and farmers of Terre Vivant.
Eliot has more than 40 years' experience in all aspects of organic farming, including field vegetables, greenhouse vegetables, rotational grazing of cattle and sheep, and range poultry. During his careers as a commercial market gardener, the director of agricultural research projects, and as a teacher and lecturer on organic gardening, he studied, practiced and perfected his craft. He served for two years as the Executive Director of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and was an advisor to the US Department of Agriculture during their landmark 1979-80 study, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming."
He has conducted study tours of organic farms, market gardens, orchards and vineyards in Europe and has successfully combined European ideas with his own to develop and popularize a complete system of tools and equipment for organic vegetable growers. He shares that expertise through his lectures and writings, and has served as a tool consultant to a number of companies. He presently consults and designs tools for Johnny's Selected Seeds.
With Barbara, he was the host of the TV series, Gardening Naturally, on The Learning Channel. He and Barbara presently operate a commercial year-round market garden, in addition to horticultural research projects, at Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine.


Jacob Blue
Senior Landscape Architect for Applied Ecological Services, Jacob Blue, provides design direction and oversight for large and small scale conservation design and restoration projects. He is a national leader in defining and practicing ecological landscape architectural design, or 'Ecotecture'. Because of his unique design strengths and his understanding of native plants, Blue is keenly interested in the use of native species in landscape design and habitat restoration as well as the aesthetic implications of their use. Blue was a member of the Vegetation Technical Subcommittee for the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) report in 2009, a landscape assessment tool that will become part of the USGBC LEED program, and currently serves on the Technical Core Committee of SITES. He has provided design leadership for corporate campus restoration plans, urban stream stabilization projects, conservation development projects and residential landscapes. In addition he has led professional design charettes, incorporating both scientific and design/ aesthetic needs of a site. Blue is a registered Landscape Architect in three states and has conducted graduate ecology research.

Shannon Carmody
Shannon Carmody has been at Seed Savers Exchange since 2009. As the Public Programs Manager she runs outreach and educational programming, events, tours and SSE's Annual Conference and Campout. She is also the editor of SSE's membership publication, The Heritage Farm Companion. After graduating from Beloit College, Shannon worked as a naturalist and environmental educator.

Steve deBerg
Steven is a University of Illinois Master Gardener. His interests include grape growing, wine making, community gardening and raising chickens. Steve has been a wine collector for over 30 years with wine making training received at UC Davis and Missouri State University.

Zach Grant
Zack Grant coordinates the Sustainable Student Farm at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has an M.S. in Horticulture from University of Illinois and a B.S. from Illinois State University in Horticulture. Zach has been working with small scale farming systems, year-round high tunnel production systems, and back-yard intensive urban production systems for over 10 years. He currently manages, directs, and coordinates the Sustainable Student Farm; which provides year-round produce to the dining halls on campus and a small 25 week farm stand on the quad. The farm has educational, outreach, and multi-disciplinary cross departmental collaboration opportunities, in addition to the farms production efforts.

Melonnie Hartl
Melonnie Hartl is a lifelong Lake County resident with a biology and science teaching background.  She completed the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program last year which led her to numerous volunteer opportunities with the Chicago Botanic Garden, Volo Bog SNA, the Lake County Forest Preserve and the Antioch Garden Club.  As a member of the Antioch Environmental Commission, she became focused on creating a community garden for the village of Antioch in 2011.   

Kim Hartmann
Kim Hartmann is a landscape designer for the Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery and Garden Center in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Kim, an Illinois Certified Nursery Professional, is a frequent speaker on a full range of horticulture and landscape design topics. She has a B.S. in Agriculture and Communications from the University of Illinois and has continued her education at the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden and the College of Lake County.

Rory Klick
Rory has worked in nursery production, design-build, natural areas restoration and community greening for 30 years, including positions with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Garden. She holds degrees in horticulture, landscape architecture and plant ecology, and is deeply committed to sustainable landscape approaches. Rory has served on the national Board of Directors for the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA), written articles for ACGA and the National Gardening Association, and presented at numerous gardening conferences and symposia around the U.S and Canada. Locally she serves on the Lake County Planning Commission. Now in her fourth year as faculty at CLC, Rory also serves as chair for the Horticulture Department and coordinates the college’s community garden.

Joe Kowarcz and Mary Ellen Kozak
Joe and Mary Ellen have been producing mushrooms and spawn for 29 years. Working with home gardeners and commercial operations, they have been successful in producing high quality mushrooms. Their attention to detail has resulted in a high quality organic product. They also instruct classes on the farm and at various locations throughout the Midwest.

Larry Krengel
Larry’s fascination with honeybees goes back many years, but the final nudge toward becoming a beekeeper came in the form of a swarm that came to him one spring day.  He was suddenly a beekeeper.  Now 25 years later he continues to follow that fascination.  That first encounter has become Hawk Hill Bee Farm where he raises bees and produces honey.  Now retired from a life as a high school teacher, he spends more time with the bees. Larry is the Editor of the Bulletin of the Illinois State Beekeepers Association and teaches beekeeping classes in northeastern Illinois.

Deborah Lee
Working as an Environmental Educator in the mid 1970’s, Deborah realized that a clean, healthy global environment begins with personal health. Since then she has studied natural health extensively. She is author of numerous magazine articles, and the wild-edible book Exploring Nature’s Uncultivated Garden. As an Herbal Educator, Deborah guides students to a greater understanding of how to live in harmony with nature. She offers joy-filled programs on growing, preparing and using medicinal, wild edible and culinary herbs. Deborah has a Ph.D. in Nutrition, Masters in Environmental Education and a Bachelor’s in Psychology. She was 2010/2011 President of Illinois Herb Association, Past President of the Muddy River Herb Guild, member of the International Herb Association, Board Member of Illinois Specialty Growers Association, former Horticulture Coordinator at University of Illinois Extension (Adams/Brown) and a 10 year University of Illinois Master Gardener.

Jo Malin
Jo has been an employee at ''Pesche's Greenhouse floral design and gift gallery '' for 10 years and has been an avid gardener for as long as she can remember. Jo's new creative outlet is creating Fairy Gardens which she has been designing for the last couple of years. She creates miniature scenes that are so very inviting, with much attention given to detail incorporating plants, fairies, bridges, paths and every other garden accessory you can imagine. Even smurfs, gnomes and dragons have moved into her gardens.

Cathy McGlynn
Cathy McGlynn has been the Coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP), a cooperative weed management area including the 18 counties of northeast Illinois, since August 2010. Cathy received her Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook where her dissertation focused on the effects of common reed and purple loosestrife on native plants, small mammals, and birds in freshwater tidal wetlands of the Hudson river. She has worked for the New York Department of State’s Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat Program, New York State energy Research and Development Authority, Hudsonia, and the Hudson River Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Project.

Tom Micheletti
I am a retired Middle School Industrial Arts teacher. Having summers off enabled me to pursue my interest in gardening. I became involved with hostas when I was given the green hosta, the one with the white edge and the one with the white center. I had them all! When I received some mail order catalogs I realized I didn’t have them all, and set out to acquire as many as I could. In 1990 I saw an ad in Horticulture magazine advertising the American Hosta Society. I joined and attended my first convention in Minneapolis. Shortly after I found there was a Midwest Regional Hosta Society, which I joined. That not being enough hosta immersion in 1992 I founded the Northern Illinois Hosta Society and was its first President. Currently I have served in various capacities on the board of the AHS for 12 years and currently serve as immediate Past President. I previously served for 6 years as President of the MRHS, and I had organized its Winter Scientific Meeting for 16 years. I also serve on the board of the American Hosta Growers Association.

Cat Nelson
Cat Nelson is President of the Midwest Bonsai Society. Together with several other instructors, the Midwest Bonsai Society promotes interest and enjoyment in the culture of bonsai. Based at the Chicago Botanical Garden, they hold two annual shows, in May and August. Built around the courtyards, they hold workshops, demonstrations and feature various vendors. The Midwest Bonsai Society has been in existence since 1957.

Rick Sanders
Rick is an IT professional with over 40 years of experience in consulting, technology, and education. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies across America, run a multi-disciplined technology company for over 20 years, and taught in corporate, college, and high-school environments. He currently volunteers his webmaster, database, accounting, marketing, and communications skills to multiple not-for-profit organizations.

Don Schellhaass
Don Schellhaass, University of Illinois Master Gardener, has been growing grapes for 35 years and is owner, with his wife Chris, of RowSchell Ridge Vineyard in Marengo, IL.

Kelsey Shaw
Kelsay Shaw, Possibility Place Nursery, has a B.S. in botany from Eastern Illinois University and has actively worked in the nursery industry for 20 years. He works as the botanist and as a sales and site consultant for the nursery. He has worked on designs for projects as small as a planter and as large as a city park. Teaching people about the uses of native plants in the landscape and debunking myths about those uses has been his mission since he began working in the industry. He wants to show that integration of natives into conventional landscapes increase biodiversity and improves the health of urban environments. Working at a nursery that specializes in native plants may give people the idea that he is heavily biased toward their use, and he is. He believes that the use of as wide a range of plants as possible, as long as they are not damaging, are important to the long-term success of our urban plantings.

Bill Shoemaker
Bill will retire from the University of Illinois, Dept of Crop Sciences in June, 2012, after serving 30 years as a food crop research specialist. Bills research and outreach programs in fruit and vegetable production were based in northern Illinois for almost thirty years, primarily around the Chicago metropolitan area, where he served as Superintendent of the St Charles Horticulture Research Center. Bill still conducts work in grapes, breeding them, evaluating cultivars for winter hardiness and investigating IPM and training systems for optimizing wine grape productivity and quality, serving as a funded viticulturist in northern Illinois for the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association. During his career Bill also conducted practical research in fresh market vegetables, focusing primarily on summer crops such as sweet corn, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers and melons.

Christine Sieff
Chris Sieff has almost thirty years experience in the nursery business. She started in this industry as a cashier working summers in high school and college, and has since done everything from running a greenhouse, managing a garden center, and owning a landscaping firm. Chris is also an Illinois Certified Nursery Professional, certified in both woody ornamentals and perennials. When Chris has some free time, you might find her volunteering at her daughter's school, working in her garden, or traveling -especially to the Southwest. She also enjoys motor-scooting around town on her Vespa!

Tom Soulsby
Tom Soulsby is a Horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden and is responsible for its acclaimed Rose, Heritage and Lagoon Gardens. He is also an instructor at the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, and he regularly hosts tours, events, and media outreach for the Garden. Outside the Garden, Tom shares his passion for plants with clients around the Chicago area and through volunteer gardening projects at a neighborhood school.

Bruce Spangenburg
Bruce is currently a horticulture instructor at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake and is also Horticulture Department Chair. He teaches a number of courses in the curriculum and was named MCC Faculty of the Year in 2007. Bruce was with University of Illinois Extension in northern Illinois as an Extension Horticulture Educator for several years, including a county-based position in McHenry County and then regional positions at Grayslake and Rockford Centers. While with Extension he authored a number of newsletters and informational pieces for home gardeners and commercial audiences, including the popular Lawn Talk fact sheet series found in the Hort Corner of the Illinois Extension Urban Programs website. He also writes a popular weekly gardening column that has run in The Northwest Herald newspapersince 1983.

Greg Stack
Greg Stack provides leadership in horticulture programs in northern Illinois for both the home gardener and commercial horticulturist with emphasis in the area of herbaceous ornamentals. Stack graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelors degree in ornamental horticulture and floriculture and a masters degree in horticulture. He joined Extension as an adviser in horticulture in Will County, where he served for three years before joining the Cook County Extension staff as the special project leader for the Chicago Urban Gardening Program. He is presently a horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension in Cook County working from Lemont.

Rich Tobiasz
By day Rich is the Fire Chief in Spring Grove. By night, he lives on a small, sustainable, organic farm that includes a vineyard, orchard, and numerous gardens. He recently completed his M.S. in Crop Science from the University of Illinois where his project prepared a guide for growing organic gardens to be used by Master Gardeners.

Chuck Voigt
Charles Voigt has been an academic professional member of the faculty of the Departments of Horticulture, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, and Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, since November, 1988. In 2000, he completed his Master of Science degree in Horticulture, also at UIUC. Since Fall, 2002, each semester he has taught a home horticulture class on the U of I campus for non-horticulture majors. Chuck has worked with various variety trials and cultural studies of vegetables and herbs, including a long-term variety evaluation of garlic cultivars. He co-authored the book, Vegetable Gardening in the Midwest. Charles has been active in planning educational sessions for the Illinois Specialty Growers Convention and Trade Show, now called the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference, since 1989.

Wendy Warden
Wendy M. Warden is a founding member and current President of the Avon Township Community Foundation. Her Foundation fundraises for the Township Food Pantry and manages a 28 plot community garden as well as a 6,000 sq foot food pantry production garden which is in its third growing season. Wendy is a 2012 University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Intern.

Rick Weinzierl
Dr.Weinzierl received a B.A. in Biology from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1975, his M.S. in Entomology from North Dakota State University in 1979, and a PhD in Entomology from Oregon State University in 1984. He is currently a professor and extension entomologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1984. He teaches Introduction to Applied Entomology, conducts extension educational programs and applied research addressing integrated pest management in vegetable and fruit production, and is the University of Illinois Coordinator for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program.

Diane Ott Whealy
Diane Ott Whealy is the co-founder and Vice-President of Education at Seed Savers Exchange, the nation’s largest non-governmental seed bank with the goal of making varieties available to the public. She is an experienced gardener and still manages to escape to Heritage Farm for weeding and inspiration. When not traveling, she lives in Decorah, IA. “Gathering: Memoir of a Seed Saver” is her first book.

Sharon Yiesla
Sharon Yiesla is the Plant Clinic Assistant at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL.  Prior to that, she was employed as a horticulture educator for University of Illinois Extension for 17 years and with University Extension in Missouri for 3 years.  Sharon has a B.S. in horticulture from Purdue University and an M.S from University of Illinois.  She is the author of "Shade Trees for Central and Northern United States and Canada".