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 Robert Andreucci Leslie Barlow First and foremost, Tom loves the outdoors. His lifelong interest in gardening and passion for environmental stewardship led to the founding of the Gardener News, where Tom is a featured columnist, executive editor and publisher. As a landscape professional by trade for over 20 years, Tom found local information on gardening and landscaping difficult to locate. After successfully completing a Master Gardener course, Tom recognized the need to assemble, publish and disseminate information of interest to the gardening public in a print-friendly format. Gardener News germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. Gardener News is the leading gardening newspaper in the New Jersey metropolitan area, delivering in-depth, comprehensive coverage of local gardening, agricultural and landscaping news and events. Tom has been an active member of his community for many years and is involved in a number of organizations. He is currently a member of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association; a member of the Garden Writers Association; a founding member of the Garden State Gardens Consortium; a member of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Pesticide Task Force and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Healthy Lawns Healthy Water Work Group; a member of the Eastern Produce Council, the Garden Club of New Jersey, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, and a founding trustee for the Wagner Farm Arboretum Foundation. Tom also serves on the advisory committee for the Somerset County Vocational - Technical High School's Horticulture and Landscape Technology program. Tom’s experience and unique ability to take complicated subjects and present them in a fresh, entertaining and easily understood style was noticed, and his first recurring television opportunity sprouted. From June 2001 to October 2008, Tom was featured as the “Backyard Gardener” on News 12 New Jersey every Sunday night and Monday. His two-minute segments featured eco-friendly gardening; landscape do’s-and-don’ts; lawn mower and equipment safety; tree, shrub and turf tips; picking and choosing fruits, vegetables and flowers; organic gardening; public gardens; pavers and hardscaping; and other gardening-related topics. News 12 New Jersey is the exclusive 24-hour local news cable channel dedicated to serving 14 counties in Northern and Central New Jersey. In January 2008, Tom was a featured guest on Daily Connections, an informative and entertaining one-hour talk show that airs on Ebru Television. Daily Connections covers topics on health, family and relationships, as well as home, gardening, beauty and fashion. Ebru Television airs on satellite networks. Tom has received many accolades for his contributions to the field. In June 2007, he was recognized for his “sincere appreciation and outstanding contributions and dedication” to the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. At the Rutgers Gardens annual dinner in December 2006, Tom was recognized with a “Media Specialist Award” in sincere appreciation for the time and talents so freely contributed for the benefits of the Rutgers Gardens. In September 2006, at the 30th Anniversary of the Rutgers Home Gardener’s School, Tom received the Rutgers-Cook College Continuing Professional Education’s “Community Outreach Award.” In 2006, Tom helped draft a bill (Senate No. 1503), sponsored in the New Jersey Legislature by Senator Nicholas P. Scutari, which requires every commercial pesticide applicator in the state to use a silver flag to mark areas where pesticides have been applied. In addition, the bill would prohibit the use of silver flags to mark anything likely to be confused with a pesticide application. The exclusive color requirement is intended to distinguish pesticide flags from, among other things, those used for invisible dog fences, underground utility lines and mark outs, septic tanks, and underground piping. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate's environment committee, and is awaiting a full Senate vote. In the Assembly, it has been sponsored by Assemblyman John F. McKeon and Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula. (Assembly No.4158) has been referred to the Assembly's environment and solid waste committee. In 2008, Tom helped draft another bill that will provide licensure of landscape professionals and the registration of professional landscape businesses. On October 20, 2008, Senator Nicholas P. Scutari introduced it. The bill is now Senate No.192. In the Assembly, it has been sponsored by Assemblyman John F. Amodeo. Assembly No.2206 has been referred to the Assembly's regulated professions committee. Tom made a guest appearance on “GardenSMART” in October 2008. He provided the introduction for show 1305, filmed at Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, N.J. In October 2006, he provided the gardening tips on shows 412, 413 and 501, also filmed in New Jersey. “GardenSMART” is a unique, exciting, informative television gardening program broadcast on local Public Broadcasting Stations (PBS) throughout the United States. Tom was a featured speaker at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Springfest Flower and Garden Shows, fondly known as "The Garden Lover's Flower Show" in Augusta, N.J. He was also a featured speaker at the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 MAC Events "New Jersey Flower and Garden Show" in Edison, N.J. Tom has presented to many garden clubs and community organizations as well. Tom has also been honored as the “Volunteer of the Year” by the Professional Landscape Alliance of New Jersey in 2005 and as the “Volunteer of the Year” at the New Jersey Museum of Agriculture in 2004. He also has been featured and/or mentioned in the following publications: The New York Times, The Star Ledger, Courier News, Italian Tribune, Elegant Lifestyles Magazine, New Jersey Countryside Magazine, Out & About Magazine, Seasons by Rebecca, The Record of Bergen County, The Journal, Echoes-Sentinel, Bernardsville News, Hillsborough Beacon, Ocean County Observer, Landscape Contractor National, and the New Jersey Herald. Tom has also been featured on NJN News, UPN 9 News, Fox 5 News and CNN. And, in 1994, Tom was an extra on the hit NBC television comedy series “Frasier.” Tom proudly lives and gardens in New Jersey, the Garden State. Bruce, foremost a lover of plants since birth, is director of the Rutgers Gardens, an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, an instructor for Rutgers - NJAES Office of Continuing and Professional Education and chairperson of the Garden State Gardens group. He is a member of the Garden Writers Association, New York Hortus Club and an honorary member of Professional Landscape Alliance of New Jersey. Laura is a horticultural specialist, and president and owner of Final Touch Plantscaping, LLC, NJ Certified WBE/SBE; member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association and the Mid-Atlantic Horticultural Therapy Network. She is the recipient of the 2010 MAHTN Linda M. Ciccantelli Memorial Scholarship Award. A Certified Rutgers NJAES Master Gardener of Somerset & Hunterdon Counties, she holds a B.S. in Journalism, is an HT student at Rutgers University, SEBS; member of Professional Women in Construction; NJ Home Improvement Contractor, and a licensed Plant Distributor, New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Evan is the Senior Director for the North/Central chapter of New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association. He has operated Dickerson Landscape Contractors and Nature’s Pro lawn application service in New Jersey for 35 years. He has been a pioneer in using natural and organic products to minimize pesticide use. He held the position of president of the North Jersey Landscape Association for 6 years and president of the Professional Landscape Alliance of New Jersey for 8 years, as well as holding many board of directors positions. Evan is certified by The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and has attended, and been involved in, many courses investigating natural and organic alternatives in plant health care as well as exterior low voltage lighting and pond and wall construction. Jeannie is an elected Officer, Horticulture Chair and Student Judge for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. Tim has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. Paul Kneeland, also known as "The King of Produce" is vice president of Produce and Floral for Kings Super Markets. He has a degree in Business Management from Boston College, is certified in food safety with ServSafe, and serves as a board member for the Eastern Produce Council. Craig is executive chef at The Crab's Claw Inn, Lavallette, NJ. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Whales University. Bob is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the Professional Landscape Alliance of New Jersey, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, the American Boxwood Society, the European Boxwood Society, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society and serves on the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He is also a member of the Garden Writers Association. Passionate about all things green since childhood, Joe Lamp’l has gardened both personally and professionally for more than 30 years. Joe’s infatuation for gardening began in Miami, Florida when he stuck a broken branch from his parent’s favorite plant into the ground. A few weeks later, it had taken root and Joe was not only relieved, he was hooked for life. His vocation in gardening and horticulture also began at a young age, working in nurseries and running his own lawn care and landscaping business. After college, Joe established ScapeWise™, a design and horticultural consulting firm which is still active today. Joe’s seasoned experience and unique ability to take complicated subjects and present them in a fresh, entertaining and easily understood style, was quickly getting noticed and his first national television opportunity soon came knocking. For three years Joe hosted Fresh from the Garden on the DIY Network. There, he was responsible for maintaining a picture-perfect garden with the premise of taking vegetables from seed to harvest in a single episode. Eventually, with no other vegetables left to profile, the show retired production 52 successful episodes later! However, Joe didn’t miss a beat as his next opportunity for national television was waiting. He immediately stepped into his current role as host of GardenSMART on PBS television where he features spectacular gardens around the country and profiles the dedicated gardeners who nurture them. In addition, he is a frequent guest expert on shows such as The Today Show, Good Morning America and The Victory Garden. Peter is co-owner of Melick's Town Farm in Oldwick, and continues the family tradition as a tenth generation farmer who's committed to agriculture. He's chair of the Hunterdon County Agriculture Development Board, a director of the NJ Farm Bureau, and past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Richard is an avid horticulturalist, a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance and the Seacoast Writers Association. Todd is vice-president of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. Jody is the owner of Jody Shilan Designs in Wyckoff, where he provides landscape design and consulting services for homeowners and landscape contractors. He earned his bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from Cook College, Rutgers University and his Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Currently, he is President of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). David is a fourth generation partner at Williams Nursery in Westfield. He is Union County Board of Agriculture past president and serves as a board member on the Friends of Mindowaskin Park and the Garden Centers of America. He has recently concluded a four-year term on the Rutgers Board of Managers. |
