I went to culinary school in upstate New York in the early 90's and having been raised fairly organically; with little or no meat and lots of fresh veggies was a little sickened by the incredibly rich, calorie, meat, fat and salt laden cuisine that passed as the norm up there. I worked for a while in the industry but felt a bit estranged and struggled to find meaning. In 1996 I moved to Austin, Texas and enrolled in massage school. After graduating and becoming a licensed MT I worked in a variety of environments for about 12 years. This path was extremely rewarding and educational and I continue to utilize the things I learned over the years.
After breaking my left arm I decided to try to return to the food world and began working as a prep cook at Casa de Luz; a vegan macrobiotic restaurant in downtown Austin. I worked my way up head chef and stayed on for 5 years learning a lot about the way food influences our bodies, thoughts and emotions. I had a garden at the time and brought home my shift's compost every day using my bicycle trailer. My interest in food production had been piqued and I began searching for a permaculture course to take in the area. I found the Austin Area Permaculture Group and enrolled.
I currently work at the Long Lane Farm here in Middletown, Ct. My dream is to have a fleet of trucks and tubs for compost that are dropped off and picked up bi weekly or weekly at the local vegetarian restaurants here.