Russ, AKA Rusty, Rusticus giganticus, or RussellDussellDoo was a Tennessee farm boy in his teens. It was a horse farm, so he was tossing hay (and manure) after school and on summer break. Did you know that farm boys can do anything? Farms are the ultimate DIY experience, birthplace of ingenuity and industry, and Russ applies that farm boy resourcefulness to everything he does.
Growing up on the farm led Russ to a degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences from Auburn University. He was self employed genotyping horses for a bit, but shifted to the green industry (landscaping) after coming to Atlanta. That put him in his comfort zone, a place where he can use his brain and remain active, while also appealing to his artistic side. And, he likes growing plants (TOMATOES, especially), as well as designing landscapes and grafting, so it was a good fit.
Russ has several certifications and licenses, both personal, like the FCC HAM (Amatuer Radio) license, and professional, like the GCLP (Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, they say “G-clip”), his ISA Arborist Certification and his FAA Commercial Drone License. Now we can offer drone footage! So cool.
Russ does so much of the heavy lifting in our joint projects, both literally and figuratively. I’ve never met a person more genuinely interested in helping, first for work and family, but second, anyone.
Outside work Russ loves playing with iron. He strips and restores cast iron cookware and recently took a blacksmithing class. He would like to take the knife making class next. We both like to make castings when a local state park fires their furnace to hold an iron pour. Russ also likes hiking and cycles often.
Looking forward, Russ is interested in forest bathing, mushrooms (growing, foraging and understanding the science) and woodworking among other things. One day, he plans to learn to knit like his grandfather.