Today’s guest on Grow! with Katie is Mark Highland of the Organic Mechanic Soil Company!
Mark began his green-thumb journey at a young age digging around his grandmother’s vegetable garden, pulling weeds, picking caterpillars off plants, and harvesting ripe fruit. He knew he was hooked the moment he turned over his first forkful of rick Illinois soil.
Mark earned his BS degree in Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida, where he received the nickname, “The Organic Mechanic”. He then transplanted to the west coast to work for a landscape construction company and a certified organic farm. He decided that he wasn’t done learning so he returned to graduate school and focused his MS degree on compost and potting soil.
His academic work helped Longwood Gardens in southeastern Pennsylvania develop composts to use in their own potting soil. After the Longwood Graduate Program, he worked as a Compost & Soil Specialist at Longwood Gardens. He then went on to start The Organic Mechanic Soil Company, LLC.
When Mark is not in the greenhouse or warehouse working, he spends his time traveling to garden centers and trade shows to promote, educate and inspire others to the many rewards of organic gardening. He has taught classes at many places including: Longwood Gardens, The Tyler Arboretum, Mt. Cuba Center, The Scott Arboretum, Callaway Gardens, and speaks regularly at public events like The Philadelphia Flower Show and to many garden clubs.
Watch this episode of Grow! with Katie LIVE with Mark Highland!
