So what is the title about...

How does a writer, editor and public relations pro find her way to digging in the dirt and then back into an office again?  Writing is what I've done since I was a kid--first journals and bad poetry, then news stories for the high school paper, a college degree in English and my first assignment as a cub reporter for the Maquoketa Sentinel. 

I loved working for a series of nonprofits and governmental agencies that gave me the chance to make a difference in the arts, education and sustainable agriculture. I love working for causes I believe in.

When I landed up at Iowa State University, working for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, I took the leap to begin horticulture classes, one at a time and later going to half time to finish my degree. Learning the names of plants, how they are used, and putting my design sensibilities to work on the land was a whole new "page" of sorts and like my experience in public relations, I discovered that if you're not learning something new every day, you are dead...

So my years of creativity put on the written page or computer screen have put to work fine tuning garden during maintenance, learning from experienced gardeners who followed their instincts and learned from trial and error. As the Iowa Garden Coach, I've worked from the philosophy that anyone can learn to garden and that most folks would rather learn how to fish than be given a fish.


While the work with people who love the land is incredibly fulfilling, I've been searching for employment that will put my skill at teaching and mentoring together with my writing and administrative abilities. I'm content to develop my gardening business on evenings and weekends and put myself to work that will offer a year-round opportunity to be of service and put my skills to work in the office environment.