Sustainable and Eco-friendly Gardening: A Holistic Approach

Join Master Gardener Jose German as he shows you how to create a well-balanced gardening approach that focuses on building soil, producing food (for humans and pollinators as well as wildlife), sustainability, environmental restoration, increasing garden productivity, and extending the growing season through synchronized sequential planting.  Jose will draw from his experience with his own garden and from his collaboration with 16 community gardens, including the 6 he manages. 

This presentation includes discussion of the benefits of building soil through composting and soil enhancement, increasing garden production by practicing sequential planting, crop rotation and the use of native plants to attract pollinators. As founder of the Northeast Earth Coalition, Jose has vast knowledge of how to garden in a sustainable manner by protecting the environment and  how to achieve a healthy harvest for the home gardener. 

Jose is co-founder of the Montclair Backyard Habitat Project, affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation, and is also a member of the Township of Montclair Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.  His community work has been covered by local media as well as the national magazines Bird Watch and Municipal Magazine. He blogs on environmental and urban farming issues and has a regular column “Gardening for Life” in Montclair’s local newspaper. Jose is a certified Essex County Master Gardener, a certified Rutgers Environmental Steward,  and a Duke Farm certified Master Ecologist. In 2021, Jose was selected by the New Jersey Latino Index as one the top ten most influential Latinos in New Jersey. In 2023 he received  the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award in recognition of his environmental and community work. In 2024, Jose received the New Jersey Peace Award from New Jersey Peace Action. 

Jose will field gardening questions and challenges at the end of his presentation.

This program is being presented in collaboration with the Master Gardeners of Essex County.