About us

John© Janet Allen

Although it's OUR edible garden, John has been primarily involved in its design, planting, and maintenance (though Janet participates in the harvesting and cooking—no small tasks…)

John learned a lot about gardening from his grandparents when he was growing up and hopes to share his knowledge with his three grandsons when they're old enough.

Janet© Janet Allen

Janet works more on our habitat garden, described in more detail in Our Habitat Garden website.

We're both involved in working to invent a sustainable, yet very satisfying lifestyle described in Our Green "Good Life".

Other activities

John is the founder of Edible Gardening CNY, a group that has monthly informational programs about edible gardening from local experts. Just as important, it provides an opportunity for homeowners to learn from and inspire each other.

John is also active in Habitat Gardening in Central New York and has worked with some local community gardens.

He's also involved with bicycling organizations, working with local government to extend and improve bicycling options in Central New York, especially for bicycle commuting, not just recreation. Before retirement, he bicycled to work most days—even in our Central New York winters.

Speaking

John is a Toastmaster and has achieved his Advanced Communicator Gold certification.

Contact him at eg.cny /at/ verizon.net if your CNY group would like him to speak about edible gardening topics. (Substitute "@" for "/at/" and eliminate spaces.)

Other information about John

Williams College B.A. in Biology
Syracuse University: M.S. in Science Education
Syracuse University Law School: J.D.

Resources

For more information, visit our other websites.

Our Habitat Garden describes our wildlife habitat garden in the suburbs. It provides the habitat basics for wildlife, uses earth-friendly gardening practices, and is a very enjoyable for humans, too.

Reflections

By growing more and more of our own food, we are not only building our sufficiency, we are binding ourselves to place. By binding ourselves to place, we increase our commitment to filling the gaps in our sufficiency through local markets and producers, and in so doing we are doing our best to build the capacity of our community to sustain itself.

~ Kate Williams,
Eating in Place

But there is another basic requirement (for happiness)... the feeling that you are, in some way, useful. Usefulness, whatever form it may take, is the price we should pay for the air we breathe and the food we eat and the privilege of being alive. And it is its own reward, as well, for it is the beginning of happiness, just as self-pity and withdrawal from the battle are the beginning of misery.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt