American Horticultural Society Honors Bob Cantisano with Horticultural Innovation Award
Bob Cantisano of Nevada City, CA, has been posthumously awarded the 2022 American Horticultural Society’s Horticultural Innovation Award.
The accolade is one of the Great American Gardeners Awards that the AHS presents annually to individuals, organizations, and businesses that represent the best in American gardening. Each of the recipients has contributed significantly to fields such as scientific research, garden communication, landscape design, youth gardening, and conservation.
Long before organic and sustainable agriculture entered the mainstream lexicon, the late Bob Cantisano was a true innovator in the movement. Cantisano, a self-described hippie who went by Amigo Bob, was a ninth-generation Californian who embraced the organic lifestyle during his early days living in a commune. He started farming in the mid-1970s and went on to found or co-found many businesses, including Peaceful Valley Farm Supply; organizations such as the California Certified Organic Farmers; and initiatives such as Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and what is now the EcoFarm Conference. He also helped establish legislation such as the California Organic Foods Act of 1979. In 2003, Cantisano founded the nonprofit Felix Gillet Institute, a nursery specializing in preserving 19th-century California grape and fruit and nut tree varieties from the Gold Rush era.
Wearing tie-dyed shirts, shorts, and a floppy hat, Cantisano was a popular speaker who was passionate about sharing information with growers all over the world. He co-hosted a monthly radio program called Organic Matters from 1982 until his death in 2020. His wife, Jenifer Bliss, recalls, “Without any pre-written notes, he could stand up and talk organic farming and activism and get a huge crowd inspired to go out and change the world for the better.”
For more information on this year’s recipients, please visit our 2022 Award Winners. Photographs of the award winners and additional information about the awards program are available upon request by contacting Katherine Somerville at ksomerville@ahsgardening.org or calling (703) 768-5700, ext. 121.
Founded in 1922, the American Horticultural Society is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization committed to modeling, educating about, and advocating for earth-friendly and sustainable gardening practices.
Katherine Somerville
American Horticultural Society
+1 703-768-5700 ext. 121
email us here
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