David Buchanan planted his first gardens twenty years ago in central Washington State, after learning about the heritage food movement through the Seed Savers Exchange. In addition to working for ranches, farms, and nurseries, he experimented with small grains like millet and barley, saved seeds for hundreds of vegetable varieties, and grafted and planted fruit trees. In the mid nineties he spent a year working with the Austrian counterpart to the Seed Savers Exchange, where he produced seeds to maintain thousands of vegetables and grains in their collection.

David helped found and for three years led the Portland, Maine chapter of Slow Food. He now serves on its national Ark of Taste Biodiversity Committee, which evaluates and helps preserve endangered heritage foods from around the country. He managed Cape Elizabeth’s Turkey Hill Farm in 2008, and continues to maintain trial gardens there filled with over 100 varieties of fruit as well as herbs and vegetables. In addition to managing the vegetable production for Old Ocean House Farms, he consults on landscape design, runs a nursery, Origins Fruit LLC, and is working on a book about regional foods.

Education:

• Princeton University, AB Class of 1988
• Conway School of Landscape Design Masters Program, Class of 2000