A Note From Our First Ever Chef-Garden Fellow

My intention is to bring the story and voice of regenerative agriculture to the table and to support conversations around the positive impact of healthy soil and food systems to inspire actionable change.

I have always been connected to my food source. Growing up, my mother and father cooked our meals, we ate at the table, had a garden, and spent a ton of time outdoors. Anybody who knows me well can confirm that I am infinitely curious and there is no shortage of me asking the question “why?”

When I began working in food service, I had no intention of cooking professionally. I had unknowingly joined an industry that would play a big role in healing my relationship to food. Over the course of my journey, I have been fortunate to see a number of different environments and foodservice models—mom & pop, Michelin, high volume corporate, catering, luxury hotels, wellness retreats, and so much more.

The experience of nourishing people via their food, regardless of the setting, is incredibly gratifying. Honoring traditions, people, and ingredients grown with intention and care has come to be the most rewarding piece of my work. I began re-addressing my “why” in culinary when I noticed a distinct difference between quality ingredients and nutrient-deficient foods, how the quality of food and the soil it was grown in can either harm or heal our bodies, and the planet.

Cultivating connections between healthy humans and healthy soil is a passion of mine. In the garden at the ranch, I get to grow ingredients that support our gatherings and the Pescadero public schools. My curiosity takes me to wonder about planting cycles, seasonality, and a deeper understanding of what is happening underground. My hope is to bring eaters closer to the land by bringing them closer to their food. As the amazing Alice Waters says “The way we eat can change the world.”