Erin Matas

Hi, I'm Erin! I got hooked on growing food because of Mrs. Brenkman, my third grade teacher in the 80s. That corn seed that I started in our classroom window turned into an enormous stalk wayyyy taller than me after transplanting it at home. It first produced several incredible ears of corn and then what my parents called a "bumper crop" of a few more ears. I only found out in my 30s that my parents had created this second crop by attaching store-bought corn to the stalk, making me believe that I was an amazing little Wisconsin farmer. You know what? I've been chasing that magical feeling ever since, growing veggies wherever I could - in the middle of a San Francisco backyard, in a community garden in Ann Arbor, in pots on a patio in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, and most recently in the northernmost reaches of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I am a Michigan State University Extension Advanced Master Gardener. I am also a librarian at a STEM-focused university with twin toddlers and a mathematician spouse. Growing food for my family and experimenting with unique vegetable varieties started as a hobby but has become an energizing part of my life that I love sharing with others.