Ralph Hansen was born just outside Fairbanks, Alaska back when the population was just over 700 inhabitants. Ralph spent the greater part of his childhood in Alaska and had a curiosity for the outdoors from an early age. Ralph’s father owned and operated a roofing company and alongside the company building was a plot of land and it was there that Ralph had the desire and curiosity to try his hand at growing. He planted his first batch of peas and carrots. He tended to his garden until a major flood happened, and his family lost everything, and the garden was devastated.

When Ralph was 16, he and his family moved to Oscoda, Michigan to rebuild and start a new life. After finishing his high school years in Michigan, Ralph moved to Illinois to attend DeVry Institute to receive a degree in Computer Information Systems.

After getting married in 1987, he and his wife lived in a condo and Ralph returned to his love and passion for gardening by renting a plot of land 15 minutes away at Mar Duke Farm in Downers Grove, Il. He grew tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, beans and lettuce. He had so much in fact that he would put extras in paper bags and leave them at neighbor’s doors.

Shortly after they bought a home in Westmont, Il. While his yard is and was not conducive to extensive gardening due to abundance of shady areas, Ralph maintained his land at Mar Duke Farms. Over the years he has grown a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini, acorn squash, radishes, and corn. This year brought 75 ears of sweet corn.

Ralph’s favorites are Sun Gold cherry tomatoes for their delicious taste, corn, pumpkins and sunflowers. Ralph says: “seeing a little seed grow until it’s 8-12 feet tall is really satisfying to me”.

For anyone wishing to take on gardening, Ralph tells us “Patience is key. Not everything you plant is going to grow well. You are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Every year I learn something new. I always make a point of chatting with my fellow gardeners, they may know something I don’t know, and it may just help me.” So, being open to learning is key.

So, like all things in life, gardening teaches us to remain teachable and open to learning and adapting so the seeds we may plant today will grow in ways we may not yet see.

Thank you for sharing your passion and wisdom with us, Ralph!