Ben was born and raised in Maryland and spent over 10-years as a speech professional working with government, business, and philanthropic leaders from around the world. Through this work, he had opportunities to travel extensively, opening his eyes to the many systemic failures of the agricultural practices that humans have come to rely on. Over time, he became deeply interested in alternative food system development that would support future generations, reduce food insecurity, and help prevent ecosystem collapse. In 2010 Ben began designing, and later patented, vertical growing structures to help those living in densely populated food-insecure regions of the world. It became quickly apparent that these vertical food production systems were extremely valuable to many groups, including the elderly, people with differing ability levels, urban dwellers and people living with limited contact to the natural world. To expand upon this work, he co-founded the non-profit Can YA Love. In 2014, Ben joined Forested, a 15-acre research-based food forest located in Bowie, Maryland, growing hundreds of species of edible, medicinal and otherwise useful plants in an intentionally integrated way. This food forest has increased its productivity year over year without the need for synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Within a few short years, the practices employed at Forested began to restore the land that had been badly degraded by 300 years of conventional farming practices. For more than a decade, Ben has been consulting, teaching, and speaking to audiences of all ages on four continents about the past, present and future of humanity and agriculture. Beginning in 2018, he was given a unique opportunity to put into practice his vision of how to heal wounded lands while providing for the well-being of human and wildlife communities connected to that land. The REED Center for Ecosystem Reintegration is now the vehicle for carrying this vision forward. Ben currently resides with his family on the 150+ acre land called Morning View Food Forest that serves as the headquarters for The REED Center. The land is actively being transformed from what was once a conventional farming site to a beautifully diverse, increasingly densified and productive forested ecosystem. It is a hub for innovation, research, education, community-building and networking for all who wish to live in harmony with each other and with natural ecosystems, while building a future of abundance. The REED Center is a Maryland-based nonprofit that seeks to repair the holistic connection of humans and their environment through research, engaging communities in farm programming, developing self-perpetuating ecosystems, and designing natural landscapes on residential and commercial scales.
Ben was born and raised in Maryland and spent over 10-years as a speech professional working with government, business, and philanthropic leaders from around the world. Through this work, he had opportunities to travel extensively, opening his eyes to the many systemic failures of the agricultural practices that humans have come to rely on. Over time, he became deeply interested in alternative food system development that would support future generations, reduce food insecurity, and help prevent ecosystem collapse.
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