Born near Pittsburgh, attended Brandeis University-AB in 1982 after several years working on a community farm in Weston MA. Awarded a Watson Fellowship to study land use in the Celtic fringe of Wetern Ireland and the Scottish Highland and Islands. PhD in History
1995. Director of Education-The Land Institute, Salina KA 1994-1997. Faculty of Brandeis University since 1997 where he is director of Environmental Studies. Numerous publications in the histry of land use in New England and two books
Reclaiming The Commons-Community Farms and Forests in a New England Town- Yale University Press 1999
The Great Meadow-Famers and the Land in Colonial Concord-Yale University Press 2004
Founder of Land’s Sake, a community 25 acre
organic fruit,flower and vegetable farm in Weston MA which also manages the town forest and promotes participation by the town’s young people.