Arline is a Japanese to English translator and interpreter based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Her work increasingly focuses on helping sake brewers - who use koji as an essential part of the brewing process - and koji starter makers communicate the complexity and value of their work.

Arline also gives workshops for beginners and drinks experts, develops sake pairings and focuses on unearthing and curating information about koji and sake brewing only available in Japanese and bringing it to English-speaking brewers, fermenters and supporters of Japanese food culture.

Discover Arline through her Instagram and websites below:

@tastetranslation

taste-translation.com

discover-sake.com

Daniel Nguyen is the founder, head distiller, and brewer at Sông Cái Distillery based in Hanoi, Vietnam. He specializes in solid-state fermentation and distillation practices that are traditional and historic to Vietnam.

Daniel has been researching and utilizing native yeast, fungi, and bacteria in numerous fermentation applications that encompass ethanol, acid, sugar, and amino-acid production for both beverage and food applications. His work includes field collection and isolation of Vietnam’s native microbes, study of bánh men fermentation (wild yeast balls similar to nuruk), and application of traditional fermentation in the production of rice wine and distillate, whisky, brandy, rum, đậu xị (Vietnamese miso), tương bần (Vietnamese shoyu), butter, and vinegars.

Find Daniel on Instagram:

@rhizome7 and @songcaidistillery (Sông Cái Distillery)

Eleni Michael is a food anthropologist and nomadic fermenter, with an international career in hospitality operations, fermentation practice and education.

She holds an MA in Anthropology of Food from SOAS University of London - with a dissertation on the globalization of koji (A.oryzae) entitled ‘Cultures and Cultures of Koji, Japan’s National Mold: Navigating through Transnational Communities and Ecologies of Flavor’. Eleni has traveled the world ‘through and with ferments’, designing interactive art installations and multisensory dining experiences, educational events and festivals, focusing on fermentation as a catalyst for the future of food.

Eleni is currently based out of Mumbai, pursuing independent research on decolonizing Indigenous foodways, with a focus on wild, mold-based fermentation.

Find Eleni on Instagram at @nomadicfermentista

Elliott is the founder and CEO of Symbio Bioculinary, a food biotech startup using precision fermentation and fungal bioengineering to transform food waste into novel ingredients. While working in restaurant kitchens, he became fascinated with fermentation and the power of microbes to transform what we eat.

Symbio works with agricultural and food manufacturers throughout the US to help solve difficult waste challenges and create circular food systems.

Elliott is a 2023 Future Founders Fellow and an Amgen Scholar, with research interests in microbial metabolomics.

Learn more about Symbio Bioculinary at symbiobc.com

Born on the sunny island of Curaçao and educated in Wageningen, the dutch city of life sciences, Emile Samson has cultivated a deep passion for miso, which inspired him to co-found the European Miso Institute. This non-profit organization is dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap and enhancing the understanding of miso within a European context.

For his master’s thesis, Emile explored the effects of salt on lupin miso fermentation and aroma formation, a study that sparked his ongoing fascination with the art and science of fermentation. Since then, he has applied his expertise in fungal fermentation across diverse settings, including pop-ups, restaurants, research labs, and industry.

In line with the theme "Tradition Meets Transformation," Emile is thrilled to share his unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the conceptualization of innovations in traditional fermented foods.

@emilesfoodadventures

@misoinstitute.eu (European Miso Institute)

Emile’s LinkedIn

Chef Ernie was born in New Orleans and grew up around the food industry. As a child, he tinkered in restaurants owned by his grandparents in Boston, and learned cooking techniques from Chef Paul Prudhomme.

Ernie began working in kitchens as soon as he could, starting with dishes and prep, before moving to the line with a focus on sauces. After moving to Boston in 1986 to attend Boston University, he continued working in restaurants, gaining experience at places like Jasper’s, Mama Maria, and Legal Seafood. He became passionate about minimizing waste and changing menus, and after seeing restaurants fail due to poor business planning, he attended law school in the 1990s and later earned a master's in tax law.

Despite his legal career, Ernie kept his culinary skills sharp by working as a catering chef. In the late '90s, he and his partner Adrienne Bell moved to New York and New Orleans, where they built Suis Generis, only to lose it in a fire after Hurricane Katrina. They rebuilt and reopened the restaurant in 2012, with Ernie as Executive Chef, offering weekly changing menus. In 2018, they started SG Tiki Farm, growing ingredients for the restaurant.

In 2023, they opened the Tiki Food Lab for umami research, food experiences and as a center of learning and flavor research. Also in 2023, Ernie formed Suis Generis Music, which is a record label focused on unique local acts and the synergies of sounds and food. In implementing a zero-waste cooking model, Chef Ernie has become an expert in unique cooking styles, the Japanese concept of kansha, fermentation, composting, food preservation, and farming.

He has written and published numerous recipes and food and fermentation blogs. He is also writing a cookbook called Suis Generis - Food Evolution, featuring stories and recipes from his experiences in kitchens, farms, travels, and fermentation labs.

@sgtikifarm (Tiki Farm & Food Lab)

@suisgenerisnola (Suis Generis)

@suisgenerismusic (Suis Generis Music)

Hi, I'm Evert, a former pastry chef who worked for several years in a 3-star restaurant. In the past few years, I’ve been blending various lambics and gueuze (traditional spontaneously fermented beers from Belgium), aged for 1 to 4 years in oak barrels, with grapes, fruit, and/or koji fermentations.

In recent years, I’ve focused on crafting koji for applications in the beverage world. After completing an internship at a traditional sake brewery in fujida-shi, JP, where I learned the craft of making koji for Ki-moto and Bodai-moto sake, I now use these specific techniques to brew lambic and gueuze with koji. During this presentation, I will showcase various applications of koji.

Find me on Instagram at @donck__!

Born in Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, Hiroshi Sakakibara is dedicated to community development that leverages local resources. In recent years, he has been actively working under the mission of "creating cultural industries." In particular, he collaborates with various brewing companies rooted in the Handa region to promote the development of lifestyle culture and tourism under the theme of "HAKKO" (fermentation).

Hiroshi is committed to fostering regional branding through fermentation culture and exploring new forms of tourism. Additionally, he serves as a committee member for the “HAKKO Tourism Tokai: A Pilgrimage to the Land of Umami," which will be held from May 17 to July 13, 2025, overseeing planning and operations. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Handa City Tourism Association.

Find Hiroshi on Facebook!

Fermentation Specialist & Advocate for Sustainable Eating as a former bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Isabelle became an expert in cacao fermentation, translating this knowledge into my own vegetarian kitchen.

With the arrival of motherhood, her jungle travels became less feasible, leading Isabelle to reorient herself within the food world. Now, as the founder of her own fermentation studio, she inspires individuals to reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods and embrace plant-based meals enriched by the deep, umami flavors of fermentation.

Collaborating with farmers, Isabelle crafts innovative products from agricultural by-products, using techniques like koji to make sustainable, flavorful eating accessible and exciting.

Isabelle can be found all over social media at:

Instagram: @bella_and_the_yeast

Facebook: isabelle.quirinen

Website: bellaandtheyeast.com/

Jess Eng is a Brooklyn-based food and culture writer whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, TASTE, and Eater. Originally from San Francisco, California, Jess swapped coasts to study Statistics and Folklore and Mythology at Harvard.

After graduating, she traveled to Taiwan’s eastern coast to document local food traditions, which will soon be published in a booklet titled Taitung Eats: Personal Explorations in Southeastern Taiwan.

Last year, she launched Ferments Live (@ferments.live), a podcast, workshop, and storytelling project exploring the vast world of fermented foods. In her spare time, she enjoys curling up with a great novel, dancing, and discovering live music.

Learn more about Jess through her handles:

@goudatalks

@ferments.live (podcast/workshop project)

Johannes Schartner is a Vienna-based chef with three Gault&Millau toques, renowned for his expertise in fermentation and innovative cuisine.

As the former head chef of Das Kraus, he introduced a casual fine dining concept centered on seasonal, regional, and fermentation-driven dishes. Currently, Johannes co-runs Zum Goldenen Hermann, his microbakery in Vienna, specializing in artisanal sourdough bread and innovative baked goods.

Johannes also co-curates Popchop, Vienna's Future Food Festival, where he moderates and hosts the Symposium Day, a platform that highlights fermentation, biodynamics, and forward-thinking food innovation. Notable speakers at the festival include David Zilber, Dr. Johnny Drain, and Eleni Michel.

Follow Johannes’ journey:

@semfmaster3000 (cooking)

@zumgondenenhermann (baking/yeast)

LinkedIn: johannes-schartner

John is a chef and food theorist working at the intersection of history, culture, and technology. He was the chef at The Museum of Food and Drink and lectured at Parsons School of Design on Food Design, technology, and theory.

He is currently teaching Critical Food Theory at university based in Barcelona, and running an R&D lab.

Learn more about John and his research &work at foodtheory.eu

José de la Rosa is a biologist deeply captivated by gastronomy and its intersections with disciplines such as microbiology,food and social sciences. Founder of Fermented Freelance®, he operates from his 19m² lab in Huelva, El Taller de los Bichos, where he explores cross-disciplinary innovation to reimagine food systems through fermentation and knowledge transfer.

His work focuses on elevating the hidden value of Andalusian gastronomy, reducing food waste, and transforming local ingredients into products that honor tradition while embracing modern techniques. José collaborates with renowned restaurants, universities like the Basque Culinary Center, Universidad de Cádiz, Universidad Católica de Cuenca (Ecuador), Escuela Hosteleria de Madrid… He has led workshops and lectures at prestigious venues, including El Celler de Can Roca***, Grupo Peralada… as well as engaging in R&D with the agri-food industry.

Passionate about connecting science, culture, and innovation, José is inspired by the potential of fermentation to revolutionize gastronomy. His work celebrates the role of microorganisms—like Aspergillus and koji—as tools to enhance culinary traditions and explore sustainable solutions for the future.

Social Media:

Instagram & TikTok: @fermentedfreelance

LinkedIn: José de la Rosa Morón

Youtube: @FERMENTEDFREELANCE

Dr. Julia Skinner is a food writer whose work includes the award-winning book Our Fermented Lives. She also runs Root, a food-focused community and consulting organization offering classes, consulting on creative projects, a weekly newsletter, and more. She's also the founder of Roots and Branches, where she coaches other writers to help them find their voice and share their most important work with the world. 

She is a fermentation enthusiast, who leads engaging community classes and events to help bring the art of fermentation to home cooks and chefs around the world. She has a PhD in Library & Information Science, and uses her background in that space to help others find and document their very own food stories. 

She is also a nature lover, a teacher, and a traveler who firmly believes in finding, and sharing, the magic of everyday life. She has a PhD in Library & Information Science, and lives between Atlanta, GA and Cork, Ireland. 

You can follow her work in her newsletter or find her on social:

@bookishjulia (writing)

@rootkitchens (food)

@yourrootsandbranches (coaching)

Karmah Tabbaa is a dedicated chef and restaurateur in Jordan, passionate about creating meaningful dining experiences. Karmah researches how colonization, globalization, orientalism in food writing, urbanization, and war have influenced the nationalistic approach Arab countries have taken to assert their culinary heritage.

As she contemplates the future, she sees how important it is to preserve culture and traditions. In her extensive research and dot connecting she was able to find evidence for the use of a mold based grain seasoning in Medieval Arab Cookery and hence began to prepare her own.

She could not allow herself to introduce or rather appropriate a seasoning that was not from the region because it went against her values. Once the connection was found she then began her journey with koji and making native amino paste seasonings.

Karmah can be found on Instagram at:

@karmah.food

@karmahskitchen

Toronto native Kevin Jeung began his culinary career at sixteen years old, when he took a job washing dishes at a local restaurant. He would go on to earn a degree from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and train at a range of noted restaurants around the world, including Gramercy Tavern, Per Se, and Mugaritz. Kevin's longstanding relationship with noma dates back to the earliest days of the restaurant’s fermentation department.

In 2019, following a period cooking in his hometown, he joined noma full-time and rose to the role of Chef of Research and Production for the fermentation lab, a position that sees him collaborating closely with René, the members of the test kitchen, and the team at noma Projects.

Kevin shares the creative process behind the Fermentation Lab at noma, and how koji is being used to generate new ingredients to feature on the menu.

Find him on social media:

@jeungkev

@nomacph (noma)

@nomaprojects (noma Fermentation Lab)

Kohei Yamamoto began his career at a trading company in Kobe. Fifteen years ago, he returned to Kanazawa to join the family business, Yamato Soy Sauce & Miso Co., Ltd. He started his brewing journey with the production of koji amazake and gained extensive experience in manufacturing miso, soy sauce, and processed seasonings.

As a corporate sales representative, he focused on selling amazake and collaborated with clients to develop various original seasonings, including soy sauce, miso, noodle soup base, and dressings. Currently, he is responsible for managing the company's direct-operated stores and online store. His mission is to contribute to the realization of a healthy and joyful food culture for customers through fermented foods. In 2023, he developed and sold gluten-free soy sauce to create allergy-free dining experiences in Europe and the United States.

In 2024, he served as the director of the "Ferment & Art Festival Kanazawa," a project celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, where he connected international and local breweries. In 2025, he is actively seeking partners who share the common goal of creating a food culture centered around fermented foods.

Follow Kohei’s journey on Instagram at @kohei_yamato and @yamato_shoyumiso (Yamato Soy Sauce & Miso Co.)

Kohei’s LinkedIn

Mara King is the Director of Fermentation and Sustainability for Id Est, an award-winning Colorado-based restaurant group that includes Michelin-starred restaurants and the James Beard Award-winning team of Erika and Kelly Whitaker. She's passionate about good food, traditional arts, and building robust local food systems.

Mara works to establish circular economies to minimize waste within the restaurant group and the wider community. She shares her expertise through education, filmmaking, and public speaking, including a TEDx talk and the "People's Republic of Fermentation" film series.

Follow Mara on Instagram at: @marajaneking

Meijie (Mei) Liao is a California-based recipe developer and writer behind Day With Mei (daywithmei.com).

Her work explores Sichuanese fermentation traditions as a medium to preserve her heritage as a second-generation Chinese-American immigrant.

Through her social media videos, Mei blends science and oral storytelling to demystify Sichuanese ferments, taking viewers into doubanjiang factories or inside her 120-year-old paocai jar.

Mei’s social media handles:

Instagram: @daywithmei

TikTok: @daywithmei

Youtube: @daywithmei

Substack: @uglypantry

Melissa Hoffman is a farmer and cook with over 20 years of fermentation experience. She lives with her Meso-American-Indigenous wife on a 1300-acre forest farm and wildlife refuge in the mountains of Vermont, USA. Academically-trained in cultural anthropology, she is a grower/gatherer, a perennial plant-centered culinary experimenter, medicine-maker, and student of global Indigenous food traditions. She is formally trained in organic agriculture, biodynamics, and permaculture. She has devoted the last 15 years to wild-tending, fermentation, and gastronomy-- a deep process of de-colonizing land and envisioning the food systems of the future.

Melissa's passion is to establish creative regional foodways that are delicious and deepen mutualisms between resident wildlife, water, plants, fungi, fields, and forests, while navigating the complex intersections between modern-mechanistic and kinship-centered worldviews. She writes, teaches, and offers tastings at SHO Farm.

Find Melissa below!

@sho_farm (Instagram)

@tealfarm.vermont (Facebook)

www.livingfuture.org and www.shofarm.com

Muneaki Oka is the ninth-generation artisan of Oka Naosaburo-Shoten Co., Ltd, a traditional soy sauce brewery founded in 1787—two years before George Washington became the first President of the United States.

Celebrating its 238th anniversary this year, the company is headquartered in Tokyo, with its production facilities located in Gunma Prefecture. Oka Naosaburo-Shoten is committed to preserving time-honored traditions, such as using wooden barrels for fermentation, while integrating modern innovations to create soy sauce that bridges heritage and contemporary excellence.

For more information on their company, visit their website HERE or follow their Instagram at @nihonichi_shoyu

Mutsumi Komune is a Tokyo-based native Japanese speaker with over twenty years of experience as a professional Japanese-English interpreter for business meetings, seminars, trade shows, and more.

Bringing Japanese Fermentation to the world - after becoming deeply fascinated by the world of fermentation, her interests shifted dramatically. Mutsumi’s mission is to promote Japanese fermentation and brewing globally.

The more the learns about traditional Japanese fermented foods, the stronger her passion for supporting small breweries dedicated to crafting exceptional products grows. If someone is visiting Japan, please feel free to contact her!

Follow Mutsumi on Instagram at @mutsumik623!

Oliver founded YamaSake, Switzerland’s first sake brewery, which was established in 2020. Inspired by a passion for authentic Japanese sake and a commitment to innovation, he embarked on this journey to bring the art of sake brewing to Europe, combining traditional techniques with the unique potential of local resources.

Initially, he aimed to craft sake using ingredients sourced entirely within Europe.However, he quickly learned that creating true Japanese-style sake required specialized elements, particularly rice cultivated specifically for the sake industry. European rice, combined with the region’s hard water, presented challenges that demanded a more tailored approach. This realization shaped YamaSake’s dedication to authenticity while adapting to Swiss and European conditions.

To master the craft, he immersed himself in fermentation techniques across Europe and honed his skills during a two-month apprenticeship at the esteemed Watanabe sake brewery in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

At YamaSake, they’re not just brewing sake; they’re also cultivating appreciation and understanding of this centuries-old tradition. Educating consumers about the joy, versatility, and cultural richness of sake is as integral to their mission as the brewing process itself. Through YamaSake, he aims to bridge cultures, innovate within tradition, and share the magic of sake with a growing community of enthusiasts in Switzerland and beyond.

Follow @swissyamasake to stay updated on their journey!

Yi-Cheng Hsieh (Ozzy) is the third-generation black soybean sauce brewer of “Yu-Ding-Shing”, Taiwan. He is also the founder and chef of “Future Dining Table”, a series of food events connecting local farmers and consumers with vegetarian/plant-based cuisine, using Yu-Ding-Shing’s artisanal black soybean sauce.

Besides promoting black soybean sauce brewing culture of Xiluo, Taiwan, Future Dining Table aims to introduce the terroir of Yunlin county (Midsouth Taiwan), inviting experts from different fields to lead discussions about agriculture, placemaking, and regional revitalization. The ultimate goal is to make Taiwanese black soybean sauce worldwide.

Follow Ozzy’s journey at:

@futurediningtable

Pao was born and raised in Taipei City, Taiwan and moved to the United Kingdom when she was 21. She is a self taught fermenter and started practising these ancient and traditional techniques when diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 37.

She ran Pao Pop N Pickles from 2017-2024 to produce good quality unpasteurised lacto fermented pickles and sauces in London. You can find her vegan kimchi recipe in BBC goodfood website. Pao has always been fascinated by koji in all its interactions and continues to experiment and learn traditional and modern ways of using it.

She loves experimenting with different flavours, textures and smells using the tradition of Asian fermentation. She is constantly thinking of new and exciting avenues for exploring the history and culture of this fascinating area of food chemistry. She has been running fermentation workshops and collaborating with other fermenters across the world.

Find her on Instagram at: @paopopnpickles

Payal Shah is the Shepherd of Microbes at Kōbo Fermentary. She is not a chef or a food scientist or even a microbiologist, but a trained psychologist who just likes to eat and dive deep into rabbit holes to explore the wonderful world of fermentation.

Inspired by her grandmother, Payal has been fermenting for over 20 years and has been curating, guiding and tending to the Indian fermentation community. She is neurodivergent and this equips her with the breadth and depth to demystify fermentation (among other things) to make it accessible, un-intimidating and relatable.

She has a special interest in the rich heritage of Indian ferments and especially rice and grain wines.

Learn more about what Payal is up to at kobofermentary.com or on her Instagram at @kobofermentary

Peter Barrett has been growing, foraging, fermenting, preserving, curing, and cooking as much of his own food as possible for nearly 20 years - and teaching others to do the same.

Peter runs Flavor Freaks alongside Rich Shih, which is a page for avid fermenters to share their passion and expertise to help everybody cook healthier, more delicious food. Visit their website at flavor-freaks.net

Follow Peter:

Substack: @thingsonbread

Instagram: @cookblog

Rich Shih, co-author of Koji Alchemy, is one of the key culinary explorers of mold-based fermentation in the United States. As a food preservation consultant, he helps chefs, cooks and artisans build their larders and leverage fermentation to decrease waste.

Rich welcomes makers of all experience levels to learn, share knowledge, and exchange ideas through educational workshops and social media. In his spare time, he is collaborating with friends to find ways to help people realize their passions and become fulfilled on the journey of life.

Find Rich on Instagram at @ourcookquest and on his website at ourcookquest.com

Robin Sherriff studied Chemistry & Biology before exploring diverse roles from park ranger to bar manager. With an MSc in Gastronomy, he delved into food systems, writing his thesis on Japanese whisky philosophy.

In 2020, he founded The Koji Kitchen, and in 2021 initiated The Fermenters Guild UK. Offering workshops and consultations, he shares expertise in fermentation techniques and alternative foodways.

Find him at:

@thekojikitchen

@robinsherriff

Sean Roy Parker is a visual artist, writer, and landworker originally from south east of England, now living in Derbyshire. An award-winning cultural producer with an eco-critical practice, he looks at material lifecycles, interspecies intimacy, and food justice activism, and has collaborated on creative projects with farmers, chefs, herbalists and cultural institutes across UK and Europe.

For three years, Roy was a core member of The Field, an experimental artist-run living project in an ex-National Coal Board and Steiner School building in Derbyshire. Here he helped organise free residencies for local and international artists, hosted community fermentation workshops, and made low-tech microbe-rich compost.

He is a 2024 recipient of an Axis Fellowship and a Paul Hamlyn Visual Artist Award. stewarding is his first collection of poetry, is out now on Monitor Books (London).

Follow Sean at @fermental_health

Soirée-Leone is a teacher and writer focused on putting food on the table. She lives and works from her 57-acre homestead in Middle Tennessee. Her traveling workshops share how to creatively and strategically preserve the food that we grow, glean, barter, and forage.

She grew up on an off-grid homestead in rural Maine in the 1970s. After 23 years in San Diego, California, she and her husband left their urban homestead and moved to Tennessee.

Follow Soirée-Leone along her journey at @soireeleone and soireeleone.com

Taisuke Ninagawa is the fifth generation of Nitto Jozo, which has been dedicated to the production of white soy sauce since its establishment in Aichi Prefecture. Aichi Prefecture has a very active fermentation industry, with numerous breweries producing white soy sauce, tamari, miso, mirin, and sake.

Their signature product, Shirotamari, is the only soy sauce made from 100% wheat koji in Japan, and they are expanding our exports as a seasoning that goes well with not only Japanese food but also foreign cuisine. 

Find Taisuke on IG at @nittojozo_japan

Yoko is a tour guide of OSAKA KITCHEN TOURS. Japan is a foodie destination. However, it's not easy to find places and enjoy them like the locals. Yoko has come to learn this through her experience at Osaka Kitchen, the cooking school she runs for international guests.

OSAKA KITCHEN TOURS was started so she can take her guests out of the kitchen and into the city. Yoko wants to share her passion for food, not only in tiny beloved local eateries, but also at sake breweries, knife workshops, anywhere related to food! Let's enjoy some fun, insightful, and tasty local experiences together!

Find Yoko on Instagram at @osaka_kitchen

Yuko Ose is a Japanese culinary researcher and a leading expert in fermented foods and food education. For over 35 years, she has been dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Japanese food culture, with a particular focus on incorporating koji into daily life. She has authored over 42 books on cooking and fermentation, sharing her extensive knowledge with a wide audience. Additionally, she collaborates with local communities, universities, and businesses to advance the transmission, dissemination, and development of koji culture.

As the President of the Japan Koji Culture Association, she is committed to passing down a way of life enriched by koji to future generations. Furthermore, she actively promotes food education for children by organizing workshops in preschools, where they learn about miso-making and fermentation. Through these activities, she teaches the importance of food as a fundamental part of life. Her philosophy extends beyond cooking—it emphasizes the deep connection between food and the way we live.

Her mission is now being carried forward by her daughter, Kaede Ose, who is also engaged in efforts to preserve and promote koji culture through the Japan Koji Culture Association.

Follow Yuko at @oseyuko and Kaede at @eatingisliving_frmntdlife

Eric grew up in Arlington MA and graduated from Connecticut College in 2019 with a degree in Environmental Studies and International Relations. Eric became interested in regenerative agriculture when he was introduced to the school's campus Garden, SPROUT, his freshman year.

Eric has experience in farm based education and farm management from his prior work at SPROUT and Green City Growers, an urban agriculture company based in Somerville MA. Some of Eric’s favorite things to grow are carrots, lettuce, and eggplants. One of his favorite meals to cook is eggplant parmesan because it reminds him of community dinners at SPROUT.

Eric is looking forward to teaching more people about where their food comes from and creating some tasty recipes in the process. In his free time, Eric can be found gardening at home, snowboarding and longboarding, kayaking, or playing guitar.

Jennifer has over twenty years of experience building programs for museums, gardens and farms. Prior to relocating to Mystic, CT, Jennifer was the education director at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

She was also the Vice President of Children’s and Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden where she worked for nine years and was the education director and interim director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.

Jennifer has degrees in environmental biology and museum studies. She lives in Mystic with her husband and three young children. Her favorite thing to cook is caramel apple crumble.

Hayley grew up in coastal Southeastern Connecticut her whole life, and recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Environmental Studies.

Before joining the Yellow Farmhouse team, she worked as a college admissions counselor, kids camp director, and climate department manager for multiple years. She loves to write on mostly any topic with specialties in endangered species, marine conservation, and renewable energy.

In her free time, Hayley enjoys the beach with a good book and iced coffee in hand; she also volunteers her free time for local land trusts and environmental non-profits. Her favorite meal to make are homemade mini pizzas using Naan bread, fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce with her dad - followed by a few rounds of ping pong!