BROOKE ALBRECHT is an illustrator and artist based in Columbus, Ohio. She writes: Nature inspires me, so it very common for me to take long walks in nearby urban parks or to grab my husband our dog George for a hike in any of the remote, but beautiful, parks and preserves in Ohio. I come back tired but artistically rejuvenated. Fabric and fiber also fascinate me, so knitting or sewing is another creative outlet for me. I find joy in color. Please visit my blog: brookealbrechtstudio.blogspot.com

BRYN BIRD is a farm girl hailing from a dirt road outside Granville, Ohio. She grew up raising livestock and produce on her family's farm, Bird's Haven. She gained a master's in public health from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and is now empowering the rural lifestyle while working with Rural Coalition. 

Having recently graduated from Oberlin College, LIV COMBE is working for a year as the editorial fellow in the office of communications. After spending this year learning more about the food scene in Ohio, Liv plans to make like Huck Finn and light out for the territories (San Francisco, hopefully). Check out more at about.me/liv_combe.

SHAWNIE KELLEY FOY is owner of Wanderlust Tours, specializing in cultural and culinary tourism, and author of the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go and It Happened on Cape Cod. She is a passionate home cook, food blogger and advocate of local foods and businesses. Shawnie is a regular contributor to several magazines and teaches travel and culinary courses at Lifelong Learning in Upper Arlington, where she lives with her husband, Kevin. 

JOHN GUTEKANST is owner of Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio. He has won numerous national and international awards for both culinary expertise and food writing, and was selected to appear in Best Food Writing 2012. He is a decorated Naval Airborne veteran and lives in Athens with his wife and children.

MOLLY HAYS graduated from the University of Washington with two degrees, one Mellon Fellowship, and no idea when to buy a melon.  Since moving to Ohio in early 2009, Molly and her family of five have been getting to know Columbus one ice cream scoop at a time.  Molly writes about food and life at www.remedialeating.com.

Raised in a nomadic and adventurous family, CLAIRE HOPPENS called five states home and attended three colleges before earning her degree in magazine journalism from the Scripps School at Ohio University in 2011.

Claire is currently in training as a Managing Partner for Northstar Cafe, one of the many Columbus mainstays to solidify her love of people, food and our vibrant city.

DEBRA KNAPKE is a teacher, lecturer, garden designer, photographer and gardener. Her gardens are eclectic combinations of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that she has stuffed into ⅔ of an acre. She is the co-author of five books and is a Heartland Gardener: heartland-gardening.com.

I am SRIHARSHA MASABATHULA  from India, pursuing my senior year of my undergraduate studies with a major in economics and minor in philosophy at Ohio Wesleyan University. I have interests in public policy and sustainable development. In this regard, I am the President of Veda Climate Change Solutions Ltd. (vccslindia.org), an enviro-social enterprise established in India to connect the rural poor to international carbon markets by generating "social credits," in addition to "carbon credits." Upon graduation, I am keen on working on contemporary issues by bridging the gap between theory and practice to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. I can be contacted by email at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NANCY MCKIBBEN has been writing and eating for years, and is happy to combine those loves with the opportunity to advocate for local food in the pages of Edible Columbus. Her novel The Chaos Protocol was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for Fiction in 2000, and she was the winner of the Thurber House Essay Contest in 2003. She is also a lyricist and journalist, the mother of six, and the wife of one. View her work at www.leader.com/nancymckibben; contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 JEAN MACKENZIE is the owner/head cheesemaker of Mackenzie Creamery. She heads the company's sales/marketing, recipe development and community outreach. She is working with a newly formed board of directors to launch the Ohio Cheese Guild. Jean sits on the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy board, the Hiram College Entrepreneurial Advisory Council and the Hiram College Food Advisory Council.

CATHERINE MURRAY, owner of Photo Kitchen, lover of food and photography—some might call her obsessed. Often spotted at the farmers market. Enjoys washing dishes. Spends her days creating photos good enough to eat. www.photokitchen.net

JESSICA OPREMCAK is a freelance photographer and owner of Opremcak Photography in Columbus, Ohio. Jessica graduated from Ohio University with honors and a Bachelors of Science in visual communications and double minor in biological sciences and business administration. When she doesn't have a camera in hand, she can be found gardening, cooking, eating, writing, dancing, traveling, enjoying a glass of wine, reading, riding her bike, visiting farmers markets, exploring, and laughing. To see her portfolio visit www.opremcakphotography.com.

TAMARA MANN TWEEL is a freelance writer and PhD candidate in American History at Columbia University. Born and raised in New York City, Tamara comes from a boisterous clan of exploratory eaters with two passions: family and food. She is excited to bring this spirit to Columbus and discover the many world traditions that are being recreated within our city. Her culinary writing has appeared in such publications as The Washington Post, Icons of American Cooking and Museum.  

HELENE YORK is Bon Appétit Management Company's director of strategic sourcing and research, responsible for identifying new products and managing supply chains, reporting and supplier relations for the company's Farm to Fork program (established in 1999), Fish to Fork program (2011) and other initiatives. She was a founding board member of the nonprofit FishChoice.com and was named a Seafood Champion by Seafood Choices Alliance in 2010.