Education:

Ph.D., Horticultural Science, Michigan State University, 1985

M.S., Horticultural Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 1981

B.S., Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, 1979

Courses Taught:   

Average of two courses taught per semester; 10 different courses and over 50 independent studies over 18 years. Currently teaching Greenhouse Structures and Operation, and Vegetable Production and Management.  Faculty advisor to Horticulture Club (4 yrs) and Student Organic Farm (4 yrs), Ecological Food and Farming Stewardship (1 yr); Bailey Scholar and instructor for senior Transitions course.  Helped revise the undergraduate horticulture curriculum with conversion from a quarter to semester system. Mentored four doctoral and seven masters students and served on 10 additional thesis committees.

From 1998 to present, worked with undergraduate and graduate students to develop a vision, location, and funding for development and operation of a year-round, student operated, diversified, organic farm.  Current site has 10 total acres with 13,000 square feet under cover and 7 acres in cultivation.  Coordinating efforts to bring faculty and students from diverse academic departments together to build curriculum around the farm experience.  Emphasis is on both ecological farming and cultivating connections between the community and farmers.

Research Interests:

Effect of irrigation method and water quality on nutrient management in peat-based media; fertilization methods for peat-based media (1985-1995).  Greenhouse production of edible flowers and culinary herbs; organic transplant production, winter production and harvesting of baby salad greens, year-round organic vegetable production.  Production and use of compost for fertility, transplant media and water extracts (tea) for managing soil and plant health (1996-2005).
 

Extension/Outreach: Helped reduce water and fertilizer runoff by over 50% in the greenhouse industry from 1985-1995; invited talks in 19 states over a five-year period.  Providing educational programs for small-scale organic farmers through the Organic University and MSU Extension including organization of the Michigan Conference on Organic Agriculture (3yrs) and Organic sessions for the Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo (4 yrs).

Selected Recent Publications:

• Biernbaum, J.A., M. Timm-Cook, S.Houghton. 2004.  Hoophouses for Year-Round Local Food and Farming. A two-day educational program, 333 pgs.  Funded in part by North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

• Kelley, Kathleen M., Author Cameron, John A. Biernbaum, and Kenneth L. Poff. 2003. Effect of storage temperature on the quality of edible flowers.  Postharvest Biology and Technology 27:341-344. 

• Biernbaum, J.A., Andrew Fogiel, and Leslie Cooperband.  2003. Compost: At the Heart of Organics:  A day long educational program for the Organic University, a project of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (MOSES)

•  Kelley, Kathleen M., Bridget K. Behe, John A. Biernbaum, and Kenneth L. Poff. 2002. Combinations of Colors and Species of Containerized Edible Flowers: Effect on Consumer Preferences. HortScience 37(1):218-221. 

• Biernbaum, J.A. 2001. Organic Transplant Production:  A day long educational program for the Organic University, a project of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services.