Tom and Madeline Wajda (pronounced Vy'da) have been growing herbs for fun for 30 years and commercially for seven years. They are both Master Gardeners. The Wajdas entered the herb business after 32 years in the U.S. diplomatic corps, a career that took them to Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Senegal, New Zealand, France, and Canada with a number of tours in Washington, D.C.

Tom grew up on a small farm in northeastern Ohio where gardening was an important activity. With a 40-year-old crank-started tractor similar to the one he used in the 1950s, he has returned to his roots and left behind the receptions, dinners, demarches, and conferences that make up the diplomatic life.

Madeline was reared in Akron, Ohio; she raised her three children around the world. She loves to cook and during the Wajdas' four years in Paris she studied cuisine under John Desmond of the Hotel Ritz and Taillevent, and received her coveted Certificate. Although she had been long interested in herbs, the Paris experience gave her an added appreciation of their importance in creating gourmet dishes.