After receiving a Ph.D. in plant and soil sciences from UMass (specializing in mineral nutrition of crops), I worked for Cooperative Extension in Kentucky and taught horticulture at Smith College--then moved to Maine. I have edited The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener and written a column called Growing Points (http://web.mac.com/jeanenglish) for more than two decades; and have written for various national publications, including Mother Earth News, The Christian Science Monitor, Horticulture and Organic Gardening. I raise organic Christmas trees, grow nursery stock for Fedco Trees and grow fruits and vegetables for family consumption. I am an adjunct instructor at Unity College, where I have taught organic gardening, soil fertility, sustainable landscape horticulture and environmental journalism.