Craig Schaaf (@Schaafcraig)

Why am I taking time to share the things I have learned ? I was talking with a friend the other day about the knowledge his father and grandfather had about mushroom hunting. He was commenting on how he wished he had an extensive record of what they had learned. Then I happened to see Governor Kristi Noem the other day sharing at CPAC. Wow! She shared how after here father died she found a cassette recorder with many tapes that her father had recorded detailed records of his knowledge of their farm and its operation. She said it was just what she needed in order to make decisions. So the Lord is telling me to start compiling as much as I can of what I have learned over the years. But instead of just keeping it somewhere until some future time. He is telling me to share it freely to everyone. There is no hook coming in all of this to try to sell you an online series or something. I believe there are difficult days ahead and the Lord wants me to help others that have much to learn. Over the years my experiences and training have been very eclectic. From the time I was 16 to 25 I was a professional fisherman. Age 17 fished on the United State’s Fishing Team. Age 23 taught fly casting & fly tying for Orvis. From 26 to 35 apprenticed as a finish carpenter and trimmed beautiful homes. From 36 to present which is 51. I have made my living growing vegetables for a restaurant in Traverse City along with doing consulting and seminars on gardening & farming. You can always find someone that is more experienced or knowledgeable. I don’t claim to have everything figured out. That’s not the point. The point is to pass on what I have been able to learn over the years. This picture is of my youngest son Noah and I in the garden in the evening. I thought it was fitting. It looks like I’m teaching him about something at that moment. If someone wants to contact me privately they can email me at: [email protected] This video is of me when I was 21 on the Michigan Outdoors Show. https://youtu.be/6dq3YxOF8eI