What's new with team member: Craig!

This week we have Craig, who is EarlyForest on Etsy. He keeps a blog about tree species identification. His shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some recent happenings in his world are below.

What's new with Craig?
I am working like crazy and trying to find time to spend with my family (wife, baby, puppy and kitten) while I take on the world.

How did you get started in gardening?
I was gifted with adventerous parents that felt that vaccations should be taken often and outdoors. Our travels took us to some of the planet's most amazing natural wonders. On those trips, and over long weekends camping with my dad and brother, I gained an appreciation for the wilder parts of the world and especially the forests. It was not until college that I discovered bonsai and I became obsessed with trying to grow trees. Most of my bonsai trees are collected wild seedlings or grown from seed, I refuse to purchase grocery store exotic bonsai. Growing bonsai soon led to growing edible plants as well. I now have a good mix of veggies and berries in addition to my trees.

Why did you join the EtsyPHAT Team?
I joined EtsyPHAT to learn from like-minded-individuals and offer my support and encouragement.

Where do you get your ideas?
I am inspired by literature, art, architecture and gnomes.

What are you currently working on?
Right now it is mid summer, a particularly slow season for tree seed collecting. As always, I have an ongoing tree photography series on my blog. I have been photographing trees like they are going extinct. My favorite locations are the arboreta and botanical gardens in my area. I am getting excited to photograph the trees when they change this autumn. I am also working on assembling some simple woodland survival tools/guides that you can expect to see in the shop soon.

Is your Etsy your full time job?
No, I have a degree in Landscape Architecture and work full time as a professional Landscape Designer. My Etsy shop is a project that I undertook to make tree seeds and information more avaliable to people. Ultimately it is an excuse to persue the hobbies that I am already interested in and hopefully along the way I can help others by offering what they are looking for.

What do you do when you are not gardening?
This year has been a little a-typical with the arrival of my newborn son, so right now I don't do a whole lot more than spend time with my baby boy and work. In past years I spent time with my wife traveling to new places, camping/hiking/kayaking, and reading fiction. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get back to doing all of those things with our son.

Recommend a book?
Plant Propagation: The American Horticultural Society, a book that every gardener should have on their shelf.

Favorite from the garden recipe?
Initially I balked at this question thinking, "Why would anyone want to do anything with garden fresh produce other than eat it straight from the plant?" But then I started thinking about all of the delicious recipies that I could be feasting upon and now there are too many options to just choose one...I suppose anything with fresh raspberries would have my vote.