Rob has been vegetable gardening for over 50 years, starting with his parents and grandparents.  Along the way he has taken courses in horticulture, soils, plant propagation, and tropical agriculture at Rutgers, and picked up an interest in growing grains and other staples. Rob's most recent interest has been learning about native trees and shrubs.  For Rob a garden is more than a place to grow food, but also a place for storytelling, connection with ancestors, and cultivating physical and mental health.

 

After earning a degree in Applied Physics from Stockton State College and interning at an astronomical observatory, Rob felt called back to something more rooted in the land and studied agricultural engineering and horticulture, and worked on farms, before finding his way to Howell Living History Farm where he has been a farmer for over 30 years.

 

Rob brings an interest in the intersection of growing things, the environment, history, and social justice.  He is a member of the Outdoor Equity Alliance, and serves on the board of the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space.