Born in Ottawa, Kansas in 1937, Larry’s talents in agriculture were cultivated at a young age. When he was only 5 years old, he planted his own “Victory Garden” during WW2 and has been an avid gardener ever since.

When he was 9, Larry’s family made the move west to California and settled in the Napa Valley when prunes, walnuts, and pears were the primary crop there (little did he know wine would sweep both the Napa Valley and his life years later!).  Throughout high school, Larry was a serious pianist but decided to hone his focus on school when he became a pre-med student at Berkley.

In 1961, Larry graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of California, San Francisco. He then began an extensive career in psychiatry that ranged from the National Institute of Mental Health, where he spent time working on  American Indian Reservations, to the Chesapeake School for Emotionally Disturbed Children in Annapolis, MA.  While living on the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970’s, Larry sailed to work daily and became a passionate sailor.