Wow! So many interesting answers!
I'm a water law & public agency attorney, and I do informal PitBull rescue on the side. When I'm not "tomato-nerding," that is. :)

PBL

One of my sons and his wife take in unwanted pitbulls, and at one time had five of them, one of them three-legged. They love the breed, declare they've gotten terrible press, and I must admit that those dogs are real sweeties.

I do Mergers and Acquisition work for a Semiconductor Company and am located in Silicon Valley. Travel all over the world (when not tending to my EarthTainer "Farm").

I met (a little known) Bill Gates in 1979 and handed him a check for $1000 as an "honorarium" for speaking at a Conference I organized. Wish I had taken $1000 of my own money and bought Microsoft stock on that same day.....

Raybo

Just saw this great thread!

Professor of theoretical physics at a major university located in Palo Alto, CA. I get paid to think about how the universe works and can't imagine having a better job!

JoAnne

JoAnne,

Can you PLEASE explain "Dark Matter" in terms that a non-technical person like me could understand??

Thanks,

Raybo

Well, after hearing all the jobs people hold, I think I am unique on this forum. I am a degreed Food Scientist, graduated from the University of Illinois. If anyone has any processing questions, preservation questions, food micro questions, etc, I am the guy to email :)

Raybo,

Dark Matter is a particle (or set of particles) that only interacts through the gravitational force. It has no electromagnetic interactions and thus doesn't radiate any photons and that's why we can't "see" it. However, we know that it exists from numerous astrophysical measurements and that it comprises 23% of the universe. It exists in clumps in the universe. In fact the Earth (and our tomato gardens) sweep through the MilkyWay DM clump as we rotate about the sun. We don't know what it is, but have many possible theories. We have yet to detect it directly in the lab, but hope to soon at the Large Hadron Collider. There are some recent satellite measurements which have either indirectly detected dark matter or have a systematic electronics error - time will tell.

In case I haven't bored you enough, here's an "explain it in 60 seconds" intro:
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/cms/?pid=1000451

and here's a great (but long) blogpost that explains one of the observations which indicates DM exists:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/08/21/dark-matter-exists/

JoAnne

I have been retired since 1986. I just try to keep breathing now. Even that has slowed down (started with Bush) Obama's programs have not helped. Guess I fit in with the slowing times.

I'm another IT geek gardener. I'm an IT manager for a Fortune 500 company with an unused 4-year degree in geology. I was raised on a now extinct produce farm on eastern Long Island that provided fresh vegetables to markets in New York City for a couple generations.

I tried to use a multi-core processor as a metaphor to explain my diverse variety, tight spaced tomato growing operation along a cattle panel trellis last year. I think I just confused the people I was talking to. lol

Well I am way out of my league here.
I am or was a chef. I can no longer cook in a high end restaurant I have always wanted my own restaurant but I had an accident 4 years back and no longer can work. I do cook for my family and ill never stop cooking its my passion and I need healthy good veggies to do that, So keep coming with all the new ideas on how I can better my gardening. : )
If I had a career and it wasn't cooking I'd definitely be an astronomer or archeologist.

I don't do a lot...I'm a government employee;-)

I have been a Goldsmith for 39 years My store is in Lincoln, Ne. When I'm not in the garden most likely I would be chasing tornadoes if the weather conditions are right.

I am the 'Brownie' Mom (The edible kind, not the group) At least that has been how I am described by my Son and Daughter's teams...Born to bake for kids...The first yr we move to the west side (of the mountains) and I started making brownies, pecan bars, lemon bars, variety of cookies (you get the picture) my son (Freshman @ the time) came to me and told me that 3 of his FB team mates told him that if something happened to my DH they would be happy to marry me, LOL. I fit their criteria: Drive a 6 pack 4x4 Dodge Cummins.....Listen to loud music (even some of 'theirs') and bake good brownies...Too funny......

On the serious side I volunteer a ton,
School board, Mentor at the grade, Jr Hi, and High schools (different days), HS Booster club, 4-H (3 different clubs), site council, ESD budget committee.....I think there may be more, but I'm wore out just typing them ;o) (plus the world stops and we all fall off when it comes to something my kids are doing).............Tomatoes are my 'quiet' place, my 'Zen' moments that I need..................T

Very interesting thread. The diversity is fascinating!

I'm the manager for my husband's construction company that installs residential and small commercial sewage disposal systems. Yes, the aroma from a septic tank smells like money to me! LOL And I'm a Master Gardener Volunteer with our local extension office in my "spare" time.

Sandy

Wow! This is quite interesting. How do so many people from so many different walks of life become addicted to tomatoes...hmmm?

Gardener_Sandy's note made me think of something I've been meaning to ask for a long time. How does one become a master gardener? I see many comments on gardenweb profiles that indicate "gardener for 20 years...master gardener for 8"...that sort of thing.

I've always been curious if there is a formal learning program..apprenticeship program?

Would love to hear more. Don't mean to take this off topic, but I suspect a few that have responded so far are master gardeners.

Thanks...Heather

Heather, there is a Master Gardener forum here that you can check for information. I don't know if Canada has anything similar or not.

The Cooperative Extension in the US is a program of the land grant universities in each state and the Master Gardener Volunteers are part of that program. We are trained by and assist the local extension agents. In exchange for the training, we have to volunteer a set number of hours back to our local community by teaching basic horticulture in some capacity, whether through a telephone help line or actual classes or some other activity.

Many of us say we're not "master gardeners" but rather we are masters at finding answers to gardening questions. The training is usually about 50 hours of classroom time and then 50 or so hours as an intern volunteer the first year with required continuing education every year thereafter to maintain the designation. That gives us a good overview of horticulture but simply cannot be an in depth education in the subject. Therefore, we have to know how to research and what information to "trust" and what to consider anecdotal.

Cassie, sorry to get so far off topic. Hope it's ok.

Sandy

Here is a link that might be useful: Master Gardener forum

I own 2 online retail stores (Google's #1 ranked for the search 'dog collar', and an equestrian equipment store.) My company launched a third website, for sewing notions, this winter.

I also breed hypoallergnic curly-haired horses. (yes. seriously) ;-) Here's a picture of a curly yearling enjoying the spoils of last year's garden. {{gwi:1303112}}

history prof. :)

In real life, I'm a plumbing contractor and have been my entire adult life. I started as a kid at 15 working with my dad and now I'm 60.

Where else can you make all the money you need by only knowing three basic things?

Oh, the three "things"? :

Liquids (*!@!) runs downhill.
If at first you don't succeed use brute force.
Keep your fingers out of your mouth!
:O)

Hi. I'm culinary director for a small specialty food company called American Spoon. Looks us up at www.spoon.com. One of the exciting products we have coming out this year is a variety of heirloom tomato jams. We are working with small farmers to produce a line of products, a jam using pink brandywines, one using green zebra, one using wapsipinicon peach, and an orange/yellow heirloom blend. We did extensive R&D on these products, and knowing all of the growers, have sourced directly from specific growers who over the years have grown the best product. I also grow Heirlooms specifically for certain restaurants, and will be the acting chef of Ameircan Spoons cafe this summer, allowing me to sell to myself and convey my love for these tomatoes through specials. We make gelato and sorbetto on sight, so I hope to use heirlooms in both applications as well as in salads, soups, sandwiches etc. If you make it to Petoskey, MI this summer, check us out.

DH and I own a video store. Its been open for 26 years this summer. Hope we can survive another few years. Also have a water garden business that I run from home. Raise and sell water plants koi and goldfish. The coming summer sales are not looking stellar............ At least anything that doesnt sell grows bigger for next year.

I'm a wind blown west Texas Dentist of 25 years, Still craving the taste of a Cherokee Purple. Wind gust today of over 50mph. Two nights ago we nearly broke a record low. It got to 28 and I lost 60% of my plants inspite of my best efforts to protect them. I've already replanted spares and looking forward to the severe thunderstorms of May. It a wonder we get tomatoes to grow at all but one bite and It's worth all the work and fret. thanks for the Question. It inspired me to register and post for the first time.

Love this thread!

I retired from tax accounting a few years ago and went back to school learn landscape design. I became a Master Gardener last year and just finished the Master Naturalist program this month. I write a weekly gardening column for the local paper. Love growing veges and came to this forum because I was asked to teach a class on selecting tomato plants at the botanical garden plant sale.

What an amazingly diverse group! I run my husband's chiropractic clinic on an island in the Mediterranean. I also train European chiropractors in hiring and training good staff.

I am a retired park administration and outdoor recreation manager, interpreter, and planner.

RB

I am a network administrator, but try to avoid computers and technology at all costs when I am off of the job.

That is why I love to garden!

I am trained as Accountant. Inherited a small farm and decided the stress of accounting was too much. Moved onto farm, starting market gardening. So 6 months/year, farmers market vendor and 6 months doing merchandising. You know those people that make you WANT to buy something you really don't need.

RN, Diabetic Educator 3 days/week. Own and operate 9 acre certified organic farm, 3 acres currently in production. Growing 72 varieties of toms this year, just crazy. Also have nearly 100 varieties of apples....really crazy.

Right now I run the front desk of a hotel at Sunday River Ski resort. It's my fall back job for when my horse training gigs are slow. My last horse job was as a assistant breeding manager so once I get back into it I think I'm going to continue in that direction.

Wow! What interesting people you all are!! I'm a lab assistant for substance abuse research. Evenings and weekends, I'm a real estate agent.

I'm a general Contractor and run my own hydroponics business online.

lol, I recognized your name! Same as your email. I think bought a growing light/ballast off you a few days ago from your hydroponic business. Small world.

Myself I make my living online by running my own business also. I'm in my twenties and really haven't worked a day in my life for anyone else.

Deputy Sheriff in Nashville, Tennessee

History professor...who just managed to create a class that "requires" us to grow a garden on campus---Never did think I would be able to find room for those dozen or so extra plants!

Fascinating thread!

I'm a 3D character animator in the computer/video game industry. Or at least I was until I took a leave of absence 6 years ago to be a mommy. Starting to think about getting back into paid work again.

I don't do anything for a living b'c I'm retired. ( smile)

When I did do something for a living I taught and did research as a Microbiology Professor teaching med students at two med schools infectious diseases of all kinds, immunology, etc., then at a private liberal arts college, where I taught Micro in several different areas such as Environmental Micro, Soil Micro, Biology of Handicapping Conditions, immunology and the like, after I moved back East from Denver to take care of aging parents.

I've been a dedicated grower of veggies and fruits and perennials ( mainly heirloom kinds) for many years ( most of this stuff is in the blurb at my page here) and retired in 1999 b'c I needed two hip replacements.

Have been in a walker since I fell in Dec of 2004 and severed all four quads in my right leg. But I get around OK, can drive but not in winter, and now have to rely on others to do my gardening for me which is very frustrating since I have my own way of doing things. LOL

Carolyn

What? No other crystallographers?

Chuck

Wow-- so impressed by/ jealous of those of you running your own businesses online.

Wow-- so impressed by/ jealous of those of you running your own businesses online.

The internet is amazing and unregulated. It really has "spreaded the wealth around".

I love this thread. So much energy!
I'm a retired property and casualty insurance agent.

Sunny

Tomato plants bring a diverse group together!
My DH and I own and operate Deer Trail Lodge in NW Ontario from mid-May through mid-October. We do fishing and hunting vacations. Gardening there is a challenge. Many of you know I got zero tomatoes last year.
The rest of the year I work for a large mail order gardening company. (I bet you can all guess which one, your jobs tell me how smart you are)

Ruth

This has been a really spectacular read.

I'm an environmental consultant in MA. Wetlands work, water quality studies, some rare species studies, various and sundry permitting issues, etc.

I have a house in Boston with a postage-stamp-sized back yard that I am forever trying to squeeze as much produce out of as possible. I do get enough to have a giant harvest party every year, with homemade sauce for 30-35 people plus plenty left over for us in the later months. Good times.

I discovered GardenWeb forums maybe two months ago and I feel like I've already doubled my knowledge. I'm so psyched to put some of these ideas into practice and see how things go. Thanks everyone for such great threads, ideas, and comments. Hope everyone is doing well.

- Chris

Love this thread.

I am quite new to GardenWeb. I am an almost-burnt-out computer programmer who is stepping into gardening as a cure for the midlife crisis.

I'm a pediatrician and mom to 2 yr old twins. I get into the garden during naptime and after bedtime if the no-see-um aren't too awful!!

i'm a pharmacist.

it saddens me to see more and more people taking multiple medications at younger ages than i have seen in 25 years of practice.
lately, my wife (also a pharmacist), and i have been learning more about nutrition and disease prevention. three drs. that have a good amount of knowledge in that area are john mcdougall, joel fuhrman, and caldwell esseltyn jr. their patients tend to get off meds, get better, and live longer.
thats where i want to be.
my interest in gardening goes back to childhood, and many visits to my great uncle steves house. still growing his beans and tomatoes.

keith

For 15 yrs I was a Teamster and owned a carwash, sold the carwash in 06 and am currently a journeyman Ironworker with local 25 out of Detroit and also own a business installing traffic control signage. The steel business has taken a dump as of late and the refineries are producing no steel so work is practically non existant at the moment.

Dale

I taught German in a high school for 33 years, now retired.
I do genealogy, am a volunteer librarian in a genealogy library, and line dance a lot (sometimes teach it). Vegetable gardening is my big hobby after dance.

This is my 20th year teaching Computer Applications at our Community College. Coached wrestling for ten years before that.

Up until this past Jan. I produced a television show here in L.A., CA. Also last Year some one offered me a rediculous amount of money for my house. The guy that handles my investments told me that he thought the "Housing Market" was getting ready to take a nose-dive. I took his advice and now I have plenty of money and am taking a couple of years off and deciding what I am going to do. I have property in the Texas Hill Country but don't like cold weather.( anything below 60*).

Zebra: Gatlinburg, TN. is beautiful & an awesome place for gardening. Some breathtaking high class laid back houses. Check it out.

Peace - Steve

wOW~ There is more than a few Massachusetts people here!!I live in the Lawrence area unfortunately right now LOL!!!