Lee Reich, PhD, dove into gardening decades ago, initially with one foot in academia as an agricultural scientist with the USDA and then Cornell University, and one foot in the field, the organic field. He eventually expanded his field to a "farmden" (more than a garden, less than a farm) and left academia to lecture, consult, and write. He is author of many books including Weedless Gardening, The Pruning Book, and Landscaping with Fruit, as well as a syndicated column for Associated Press. In addition to providing a year-round supply of fruits and vegetables, the farmden has an educational mission and is a test site for innovative growing techniques. Science and an appreciation of natural systems underpin his work, and Lee's goal is to get more people to grow more food sustainably and organically. He has a PhD in Horticulture from the University of Maryland, an MS in Soil Science, and a BA in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He blogs at leereich.com/blog from his farmden in New Paltz, NY