EDIBLE ATLANTA

Robert Manning, Publisher and Amanda Dew Manning, Editor

AMANDA DEW MANNING, M.S., M.P.A, is a 10th generation Southerner who fell in love with Atlanta during the years she and her husband, Robert lived and worked there. Robert Manning, MBA had his first taste of real Southern hospitality when he and Amanda moved into their home in Atlanta and a neighbor brought over a loaf of her homemade bread along with the preacher. Returning now to publish Edible Atlanta in a supportive community of friends and colleagues is a joy for them.

Amanda grew up on her family's farm in South Carolina. Her lifelong career in food and nutrition has taken her from the back roads of South Carolina to the State of California, where she managed the Health, Nutrition and Physical Education Programs for the Department of Education; to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Presidential Appointee, where she served as the Associate Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service; and now back home as a consultant and entrepreneur.

Amanda is a nationally recognized speaker, a former Food and Society Policy Fellow, a member of the prestigious Les Dames d'Escoffier International - Atlanta Chapter, a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), and the Southern Foodways Alliance. She served two terms on the national board of directors of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF), founded by Robert Mondavi and Julia Child. She is immediate past President of the South Carolina Specialty Food Association.

ROBERT MANNING, M.B.A. is a former Californian and now a Southerner "by choice." He spent many years in construction management, and later joined the political world in Sacramento working in the press office of the majority leader of the California Senate and in congressional offices in Washington, D.C. engaging in political public relations, supervising various aspects of political campaigns and writing for publication.

In 1997, Robert and Amanda joined professional forces to form Amanda Dew Manning & Associates, Inc., a consulting business specializing in food, nutrition and health. They returned to Amanda's ancestral home in Charleston in 2001. Robert's strong business, management and journalism skills coupled with Amanda's passion for her native South and its foods, helped create a new business, Carolina FoodPros (www.carolinafoodpros.com), which promotes and supports South Carolina's community of local growers and producers, and helps preserve South Carolina's rich culinary heritage. Culinary tours provided by the company showcase local eateries and their role in Charleston's food renaissance.

"Establishing Edible Atlanta is a natural extension of our personal and professional mission to support, promote and celebrate local food production and consumption that contributes to the economic, social and public health of our communities," notes Amanda. "A goal with Edible Atlanta is to create a synergy among producers and consumers that will lead to systemic change in the food choices people make and in their health outcomes."

EDIBLE AUSTIN

Marla Camp

Edible Austin owner/publisher MARLA CAMP is a passionate cook, artist and food enthusiast who believes in the power of print to build community and effect change. She was born and raised in Texas, left to go to college "up north" where she worked for over 20 years in publishing. There she met her future husband who convinced her to relocate to Austin, which she considers one of her best decisions. Today Marla and husband Jeff Kessel cook together—and for friends and family, garden year-round, and enjoy their growing community of like-minded foodies. In addition to publishing Edible Austin, she is the owner and creative director of Impact Productions, an award-winning full-service graphic design firm specializing in print and interactive publication and package design. Through her business and her board memberships on local arts and community service groups, she has gotten to know and appreciate the Austin community's joie de vivre.

She is excited to bring this publication concept to Austin—to inform and entertain readers about sustainable living through locally grown food and locally-owned food businesses.

Associate publisher JENNA NOEL is a 2005 University of Texas graduate with a BS degree in Advertising, minor in Business and a Texas Creative Program graduate. She brings creative energy and an indefatigable pursuit of excellence to Edible Austin.

EDIBLE BOSTON

Ilene Bezahler, Publisher

ILENE BEZAHLER grew up in the greater New York City area, in a family that enjoyed good food, wine, and cooking. She has a B.A. in Psychology, and has traveled the world extensively. Ilene's travels lead to an increased interest in the foods and markets of other countries. Early on she developed a successful philosophy around different foods: "Try, then Ask." Upon leaving the corporate world, Ilene worked at Boston's last working farm. In the position of Marketing and Wholesale Manager, she learned to understand and respect the importance of sustainable agriculture, local foods, and local communities. While at the farm, Ilene organized the first Tomato Festival, coordinated farm tours with groups such as NOFA, and expanded farm tours for local school groups.

While visiting eastern Long Island, Ilene read an issue of Edible East End and decided on the spot that she wanted to publish an Edible newsletter in her hometown of Boston. "Boston is a rather unique city, in that within a very near proximity to 'downtown' you will find small, family run farms and a surviving fishing/seafood industry. Despite the short produce season in Boston, restaurants and food stores are strong supporters of 'locally grown,' in part due to their longtime respect for local seafood. My goals for Edible Boston are to expose and educate people in the Greater Boston Area to the positive health, environmental and social benefits and rewards in supporting local agriculture and local food production."

Today, Ilene's interests and community involvement are extensive. She is a member of the Mass Horticulture Society, and is a Master Gardener Graduate. She also participates in community gardening, and is a Brookline, MA Town Meeting Member. Ilene is a member of Slow Foods Boston and Chefs Collaborative.

EDIBLE BROOKLYN and EDIBLE EAST END

Stephen Munshin, Publisher

Brian Halweil, Editor

STEPHEN MUNSHIN has been involved with food from many levels, "from the lowliest cook pulling up mats in the kitchen at three am, to the head bartender pulling up mats behind the bar at four am", he says. He has worked in restaurants from San Diego to the East End of Long Island and points in between. Looking for a way to keep traveling, he began importing Nepalese outerwear, which turned into a full-fledged clothing line designed by his wife and produced in India, China and New York. Ten years later, Stephen is still traveling but not in the same way. He now has two sons, which has increased his desire to live and work locally. And realizing that the clothing business will not be experiencing a move to local production, he felt he should contribute to the "buy local" movement on a personal level instead, as the publisher of Edible East End. "Living where there is a bounty of local harvest, running a local honey business, and working with my knowledgeable and persuasive friend, Brian, to produce a publication that promotes buying local seemed like an opportunity not to be missed. This is also giving me the chance to combine my skills in computer graphics, sales, and scheduling, acquired during a decade in the fashion business with a decade in the restaurant world, and that doesn't come along too often," he said.

The seed for Edible East End was planted when Brian Halweil met Edible Communities founders Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, and Larry Yee at a seminar Brian gave at University of California at Santa Barbara in 2004. Over lunch, they all agreed that the East End of Long Island was experiencing a culinary renaissance and represented a perfect region for an Edible publication. Doing Edible East End would also complement Brian's existing work with the local Slow Food convivium, farmers' market, and regular food column for the local newspaper. Feeling somewhat overextended, Brian was elated to find that his friend and neighbor, Steve Munshin was looking to start a new business venture, seeking a more satisfying and value-driven work and lifestyle for himself and his family. Brian and Steve aired the idea among local chefs, winemakers, farmers and others, who endorsed the idea. "With some short-term nostalgia", says Brian, "we now remember that the decision to go ahead was clinched while Steve and I were together raking oysters on New Year's Eve day for a party that night. We realized then our own personal interest in preserving such local flavors, and the rest will soon become history."

EDIBLE CAPE COD

Doug Langeland, Publisher Dianne Langeland, Editor

After spending more years than she'd like to acknowledge as a marketing professional in corporate America, and having flown enough miles to garner 100,000-mile frequent flyer status, DIANNE LANGELAND is thrilled to be grounded on Cape Cod. Since launching Edible Cape Cod with her husband Doug in May 2004, Dianne has enjoyed getting to know the local farmers, fishermen, gardeners, food artisans, and chefs. She's become an inspired green thumb, expanding the kitchen garden each season and someday hopes to yield enough produce to put up some preserved foods to enjoy in winter. While Dianne is happy to relinquish the stove to Doug for the preparation of the main course, she enjoys baking special desserts for a crowd.

Edible Cape Cod came into being when Doug and Dianne read about Edible Ojai in Saveur's 2004 Top 100 Issue and were inspired by the impact that Tracey and Carole's publication had had on the Ojai community. After leaving the corporate world behind, they considered what to do next, knowing it would have to be something philanthropic and community-oriented. By starting an Edible in Cape Cod, "we felt we could help sustain our community by promoting local farmers, fishermen, shellfishers, and the chefs and restaurants that featured their produce. We also knew we could have fun while doing it", says Dianne.

EDIBLE CHESAPEAKE

Renee Brooks Catacalos, Publisher

RENEE BROOKS CATACALOS has been writing about food, restaurants, and other topics since 2001 for a variety of local and national publications. In 2006, she launched a bi-weekly e-newsletter about local food, called Local Mix, with a friend and fellow local food enthusiast. That grew into a web site, www.realpeopleeatlocal.com. She is excited to take her commitment to the wonderful local foods of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia to another level as publisher and editor of Edible Chesapeake.

Renee is a local product herself, born in Washington, DC, a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She spent more than five years as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, serving in Mexico City, Mexico, and Istanbul, Turkey, before moving to Houston, Texas in 1990, where a decade-long career in public relations and international protocol unfolded.

Houston is also where she met her husband, Damon, and gave birth to her two little Texans, Catherine and Louis. They all now live in University Park, Maryland.

EDIBLE EAST BAY

Cheryl Koehler, Publisher

CHERYL KOEHLER was born a foodie, emerging as a food writer after a 30-year career in dance and design. Her writing has been published in the East Bay Express, the San Francisco Chronicle, Lonely Plant Publications, and on KQED radio. Her travel guide, Touring the Sierra Nevada, will be published by the University of Nevada Press in March 2007.

EDIBLE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Gloria Cohen, Publisher

Formerly, owner of Islander on the Beach Hotel in Kauai, 200 rooms on the ocean, GLORIA COHEN and her husband Steven have been a part of the Hawaiian Islands for over 25 years. Originally from New York City and the film business, their love of these islands, the people and the many traditions are what inspire them.

Gloria is also currently an award winning Fine Jewelry Designer; she and her husband as well are the owners of the Southern California Wholesale Cut Flower Market in San Diego.

Her past accomplishments include: being one of the owners of Campagna Restaurant on East 21ST in NYC, where the who's who dined. Author of The Pregnant Woman's Beauty Book, published by William Morrow; world renowned makeup artist working on covers of Vogue and Bazaar plus endless other magazines with photographers like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. Being around publishing is not new to her.

Gloria and her husband, both great cooks, have traveled around the world. The first thing they do when they arrive at a new location is to go and check the local food markets, meet the people eat at local little restaurants, taste whatever is fresh. It is from this love and excitement that edible HAWAIIAN ISLANDS is born.

EDIBLE IOWA RIVER VALLEY

Wendy Wasserman, Publisher

Kurt Michael Friese, Editor

A recent arrival to Iowa City, WENDY WASSERMAN brings her culinary curiosity, her background in food marketing and public policy, and her enthusiasm for all things tasty with her. She most immediately moved to Iowa from Tokyo, Japan, where she was a senior consultant for www.myfood.jp, a new website venture showcasing American food culture to Japanese consumers and media. Before living in Japan, Wendy was on the marketing team for Whole Foods Market in Washington, DC, and was the Marketing Associate for one of the company's top ten stores. However, Wendy's career has been as varied as the day is long - she was a Capitol Hill staffer, federal lobbyist, and a program manager for the Smithsonian Institution. She also had a stint as a Bed and Breakfast Manager for a historic inn in Hawaii, a ranger for the National Park Service, and had been a published travel book writer, having authored Fodor's first book specifically devoted to Belgium and Luxembourg. She has also been published in Time Out, The Tokyo Weekender and American Studies Quarterly. She holds a Masters in American Studies, with a specific focus on cultural tourism and marketing.

Although she has lived in Tokyo, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, New York and Hawaii, and her passport now requires extra pages from all her international travel, she finds Iowa in some respects one of the most mysterious places she has have ever resided. She knows the territory is full of culinary surprises and delicious stories and is excited to discover them for the readers of Edible Iowa River Valley.

Born and raised in the Heartland, Chef KURT MICHAEL FRIESE got his BA in photography at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa before graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, where he later was a Chef-Instructor. With more than 25 years of professional foodservice experience, he has been Chef and owner, with his wife Kim McWane Friese, of the Iowa City restaurant Devotay for 10 years. Devotay is a community leader in sustainable cuisine and supporting local farmers and food artisans. Recently Kim promoted him to "Chef Emeritus," and he now devotes most of his time to writing about and advocating for sustainable cuisine.

Friese is also the founding leader of Slow Food Iowa City, which created and maintains the 12,000 square-foot garden and orchard at Elizabeth Tate High School. He serves on the Slow Food USA National Board of Governors representing the Midwest Region. His columns and photos on food, wine and travel have appeared regularly in local, regional and national newspapers and magazines. His forthcoming book, Slow Food in the Heartland: A Cook's Tour is will be published by UI Press in the spring of 2007.

EDIBLE LOWCOUNTRY

Robert Manning, Publisher Amanda Dew Manning, Editor

AMANDA DEW MANNING, M.S., M.P.A, is a 10th generation South Carolinian, who grew up on her family's farm. Her lifelong career in food and nutrition has taken her from the back roads of South Carolina to the State of California, where she managed the Health, Nutrition and Physical Education Programs for the Department of Education; to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Presidential Appointee, where she served as the Associate Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service; and now back home to South Carolina as a consultant and entrepreneur.

Amanda is a nationally recognized speaker, a former Food and Society Policy Fellow, a member of the prestigious Les Dames d'Escoffier International, a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), and the Southern Foodways Alliance. She served two terms on the national board of directors of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF), founded by Robert Mondavi and Julia Child. She currently serves as President of the South Carolina Specialty Food Association.

ROBERT MANNING, M.B.A. is a former Californian and now a South Carolinian "by choice." He spent many years in construction management, then later joined the political world in Sacramento, California working in the press office of the majority leader of the California Senate and in Washington, D.C. Robert worked in political public relations, supervising various aspects of political campaigns and writing for publication.

In 1997, Robert and Amanda joined professional forces to form Amanda Dew Manning & Associates, Inc., a consulting business specializing in food, nutrition and health. They returned to Amanda's ancestral home in Charleston in 2001, fulfilling a ten-year goal. Robert's strong business, management and journalism skills coupled with Amanda's passion for her native State and its food, helped create a new business, Carolina FoodPros (www.carolinafoodpros.com), which promotes and supports South Carolina's community of local growers and producers, and helps preserve South Carolina's rich culinary heritage.

"Establishing Edible Lowcountry is a natural extension of our personal and professional mission to support, promote and celebrate local food production and consumption that contributes to the economic, social and public health of our communities," notes Amanda. "Our goal with Edible Lowcountry is to create a synergy among producers and consumers that will lead to systemic change in the food choices people make and in their health outcomes."

EDIBLE MEMPHIS

Melissa Petersen

Kjeld Petersen

Motivated by the house rule that whoever cooked dinner did not have to wash the dishes, MELISSA PETERSEN became interested in food and cooking at an early age. Melissa grew up with a family that encouraged trying new foods, and even as a young tot she never ordered from the children's menu. After college and 12 years of running marketing departments for software companies, Melissa left the corporate world for culinary school. She has cooked at several top southern California restaurants and the award-winning Waters Catering in San Diego. She and her husband Kjeld then moved to Portland, Oregon where they started and run a successful catering company. Their company focuses on local and sustainable menus, as well as supporting the efforts of local farms by teaching kids' cooking classes, giving demonstrations, and developing fundraising events.

KJELD PETERSEN brings the experiences of almost 30 years as a chef, cookbook author, culinary instructor and lecturer to the pages of Edible Memphis. He is a tireless campaigner for authentic regional foods and farm-to-chef programs. He has developed and runs educational programs about the importance of local foods for our own health and for the health of our communities. Kjeld has been widely recognized for his cuisine based on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients prepared in ways that accentuate natural flavors. Kjeld keeps a busy schedule of events, appearances, lectures and presentations across the country, but always seems to find the time to walk around a field ready for harvest, take pleasure in a farmers' market, or to savor a bite or twenty of barbecue.

EDIBLE NUTMEG

Robert Lockhart , Editor & Co-Publisher Mary Adams, Co-Publisher

MARY ADAMS is Co-Publisher of Edible Nutmeg. She is a painter and sculptor who enjoys writing, cooking and gathering friends around her dining room table. Her work in various media, including bronze sculpture, is in many private collections. She has divided her time between Savannah and Washington Depot since 1989.

A Florida native, Editor and Co-Publisher ROBERT LOCKHART believes if you have to take something seriously it might as well be the enjoyment of food. This philosophy was honed over 16 years as a road warrior selling business services to traditional retail florists, mostly small-to-mid-sized family businesses every bit as threatened as family farmers. Previous jobs included work as a photographer, ad agency AE & writer, oil patch boat captain and project director on Ossabaw Island, Georgia where he learned to throw a cast net, plough fields and trap wild hogs. Along the way he came to remember what he had really learned as a child-that our friends, families and communities are strengthened through sharing good food.

EDIBLE OJAI

Richard Houser, Publisher

Jane Hanel, Editor

RICHARD HOUSER was born into a family of Italian restaurateurs, and they are credited with bringing pizza to Los Angeles in the early 1940's. Growing up amid cornfields and orchards in the then verdant and beautiful San Fernando Valley, he came to appreciate the quality of life that was available in the innocent years that followed WW II. He absorbed entrepreneurial spirit from family businesses, witnessed the creation of recipes that survive in the original restaurant yet today, and is a fine artist in his own right as well.

Majoring in art and business through college, Richard worked in middle and upper management for manufacturing companies as early as his mid- twenties, and eventually struck out on his own as a fine art dealer and gallery owner in the exciting design district of L.A. And both business and personal acquaintances lead him into the heart of the embryonic environmental movement when the term recycling was yet unheard of by most. Richard was instrumental in the expansion of Eco Home, an environmental demonstration home, where he would conduct tours and introduce people into the ideas of composting, drought tolerant landscaping (get rid of the lawns), organic gardening and orchards, and other opportunities to live lightly on the earth. He also was part of the introduction of the first grey water irrigation systems in L.A. Richard was passionately active in bringing rain forest destruction to everyone's attention with such endeavors as full sized billboards on Sunset Blvd. in the heart of the film industry. Richard also assisted with the design and construction of electric vehicles in those years.

Richard moved to Ojai 15 years ago in order to consult with small creative businesses in need of coaching, and to assist startups in positioning themselves for success. He was fortunate to have met Tracey and Carole, and they have been fast friends ever since. Today, Richard is a staunch advocate of a healthy lifestyle, including feeding the mind, body and spirit. Embracing the concepts of alternative healthcare, meditation, exercise and proper nutrition, and wishing to continue to educate everyone in these concepts, acquiring and operating Edible Ojai seemed like only the most natural thing to do! Richard is absolutely thrilled to become part of this community.

When she’s not tending her garden or editing articles for Edible Ojai, JANE HANDEL works as a writer, artist, art dealer, photo editor, publisher and archivist. Her literary fiction, essays, poetry and art criticism have appeared in many publications including Persimmon: Asian Literature, Art & Culture Magazine, the Plume/Penguin Herotica anthologies, Showtime Network's online magazine, myredshoediaries.com, and Bark Magazine. Her artwork has been exhibited in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions. As an art dealer, her expertise is in rare and unusual works on paper, especially vintage photographs. For Handel's curriculum vitae, please visit her website: www.janehandel.com

EDIBLE PHOENIX

Pamela Hamilton, Publisher

PAMELA HAMILTON has enjoyed living, food shopping and dining around the world. Currently a resident of Arizona, she will publish the Phoenix Food Fanatic Handbook in the summer of 2006. The handbook uncovers local sources for Southwest and ethnic ingredients, and provides a comprehensive guide to food organizations and events. Pamela is a co-leader of Slow Food Phoenix, and a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs and Arizona Women in Food and Wine. She was formerly a management consultant and holds a Bachelor degree from Stanford University.

Since 2003, Pamela has attended over 200 cooking classes to pursue her culinary interests. She houses a library of 1000 cookbooks, the collection being one of her true passions. Her major culinary strength is her familiarity with a wide range of cuisines and cooking techniques. As she travels the globe, you are as likely to find her in a local market or a pub as you are to see her in a museum or cathedral.

Pamela is looking forward to using Edible Phoenix as a vehicle for bringing together the food community from the far corners of the Phoenix metro area (or the "Valley of the Sun" as it is called locally).

"There are so many amazing people quietly carrying on food traditions in the Valley who are passionate about what they do, but you have to really look to find them. Often they don't have the support they need. One of my jobs will be to unearth these hidden gems‚ and to get their stories out to the general public."

EDIBLE PORTLAND

Deborah Kane

Ericka Carlson

A tireless advocate for sustainable agriculture and food-related industries, DEBORAH KANE currently serves as vice president of Food & Farms at Ecotrust. In 2003 Deborah was named one of '50 great leaders' in the state of Oregon by Oregon Business Magazine and appointed by Oregon Governor Kulongoski to serve on the Oregon Sustainability Board. Deborah is a board member of the Portland Public Market, a public-private partnership devoted to building a year-round public market in Portland, Ore. Deborah also serves as an advisory board member to the Project for Public Spaces/North American Farm Direct Marketing Association's Diversifying Farmers Markets project, and the Western Region Farm to School Network. She was a founding board member of Friends of Zenger Farm, a working urban farm located within Portland's city limits, and continues to provide strategic counsel to numerous for-profit and non-profit initiatives. But professional affiliations, boards, committees and appointments notwithstanding, perhaps Deborah's greatest accomplishment to date involves parenting two wonderful children along with her husband in Southeast Portland. Having been told that pineapples would never be in season in Portland, Deborah's young daughter recently asked when exactly lollipops would be in season. At this moment Deborah knew she was making progress in her efforts to help people both young and old develop a greater sense of where their food comes from. She's looking forward to tackling questions about the seasonality of lollipops and other weighty issues on the pages of Edible Portland.

ERICKA CARLSON is a private chef and cooking instructor, and a former advertising executive. This uncommon mix of skills and interests is a recipe for success, as she introduces the new bi-monthly publication to local food, farming and advertising communities. This native Oregonian and Portland resident started her culinary career catering and working with a chef in Los Angeles teaching private classes for corporations and individuals. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and later graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After several years in the catering business in New York, Ericka was ready to return home to Oregon. To help fund her culinary pursuits, Ericka also juggled a career in the fast-paced, creative world of advertising, racking up more than nine years at nationally recognized agencies including McCann-Erickson and Rubin Postaer in Los Angeles, and locally at R/West in Portland. In addition to her job as marketing and sales associate for Edible Portland, Ericka will continue to feed her culinary passions as an instructor at In Good Taste cooking school in Portland's Pearl District. Ericka loves working with the bounty of farm fresh, local ingredients available in the Pacific Northwest. Her teaching style is very hands-on, encouraging experimentation by using the best ingredients and simple techniques to let true flavors shine.

EDIBLE RHODY

Alex Corcoran, Publisher

When he first saw Edible Portland ALEX CORCORAN was just weeks away from moving to Rhode Island, and on learning that there was no Edible community yet in his soon-to-be home state, he knew that fate had thrown Edible in his path. His formal studies had been theater, music, architecture, sculpture, painting and photography, and yet he'd come to realize that good food, prepared well, and in good company, was perhaps the highest form of art. As a student, he put himself through school as a waiter where he discovered that food could be much more interesting than what he grew up with at home. His early career as an actor took him to Europe and the Mediterranean where his appreciation of fine food grew exponentially. As a self-taught cook, Alex has been practicing the philosophy of 'local, seasonal, fresh' for 25 years as he adopted the European habit of shopping for each day's meal on the day it was to be eaten. He's excited to be in a position to provide the food community in his new home state a vehicle to discover and express itself, and the initial reception and reaction has been overwhelming.

EDIBLE SACRAMENTO

Daren Cliff, Publisher

Jennifer Cliff, Editor

DAREN CLIFF also grew up in Camarillo and developed his appreciation from his winemaking uncle. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in agricultural business, he went into wine distribution, working for Estate's Group, an importer and distributor for wines around the world. With such similar interests and backgrounds, it was no wonder that Jennifer and Daren married soon after meeting in college.

Jennifer first learned about Edible Communities through her friendship with founders Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian. And after deciding to move to Sacramento with Daren's job relocation, Jennifer asked if an Edible was planned for the area. Upon learning that there was an opportunity, Jennifer and Daren took up the challenge and decided to start Edible Sacramento. "The Sacramento area is so ripe for this. There is so much going on and the philosophy and mindset of the people here are such a perfect fit for this. So here we go Edible Sacramento!" says Jennifer. In addition to nurturing Edible Sacramento, Jennifer and Daren's world includes two-month-old baby Parker.

EDIBLE SAN FRANCISCO

Bruce Cole, Publisher

BRUCE COLE's food writing career began when he launched Saute Wednesday, one of the first food blogs, in 2001. He was a regular contributor to 7x7 Magazine in San Francisco from 2003 to 2005, and also worked as a freelance copy writer for Williams-Sonoma. Bruce now publishes Edible San Francisco and edits Edible Nation, the official blog for Edible Communities.

EDIBLE SANTA FE

Kate Manchester, Publisher

Born and raised on the bays and beaches of southern Rhode Island, KATE MANCHESTER came from a commercial fishing family that fed itself from the land and sea. The link between the earth and its seasons and what foods were available and eaten was ingrained at an early age. Fall and winter meant codfish, smoked bluefish, oysters, Indian pudding, roasted duck, and maple syrup. Late summer and early fall meant surf-casting for stripers, the first bay scallops, and tender blowfish. Summers were a bounty of fresh string beans and tomatoes from the garden, blueberries, clam-cakes and RI chowder, pan-fried flounder and johnny cakes, blue-claws from Salt Pond, and lobsters and steamers on the back porch. Interested in food from an early age, Kate began cooking for her family while still in grammar school. In high school she went on to apprentice in a private kitchen under a French schooled chef in one of the famous houses on Newport's "Million Dollar Mile" where she received a solid grounding in the classics. Working in restaurants in Newport and NY, she eventually opened a successful catering business in Rhode Island before making Eastern Long Island her home. Settling in Eastern Long Island, Manchester decided she was done with the catering and the restaurant world and chose a career as a private chef. For 22 years she cultivated a devoted coterie of international clientele, among them the legendary director Steven Spielberg, award winning Broadway producer Stewart Lane, Martha Stewart, President and Mrs. Clinton, Vice President and Mrs. Gore, Courtney Sale Ross, Tom Hanks, Donna Karan, Ed Bradley, and director Bob Zemeckis. In addition to cooking, Kate has written for numerous contemporary magazines, authored two books, and taught a variety of seasonal cooking classes over the years. An avid and passionate traveler, Kate lived and cooked in Paris, France for 4 years in the historic and beautiful Montmartre neighborhood in the 18th arrondissement. A frequent guest on TV and radio, Kate has appeared on the Sara Moulton show, as well as the Today show and Fox News. Kate is an enthusiastic gardener, co-convivium leader of Slow Food Santa Fe, and an active IACP member.

A desire to live in a place with more sunshine, and for her career to evolve into something more meaningful lead to a major life move. Kate and her family had recently moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico from Sag Harbor, New York, when she began looking for a copy of Edible Santa Fe. A phone call to Tracey Ryder to inquire as to where she could find the magazine settled the question of what lay in store for the next chapter of the 'evolving' career. In September 2006, Kate published the first issue of Edible Santa Fe, covering beautiful and bountiful Northern New Mexico.

EDIBLE SHASTA BUTTE

Earl Bloor and Candace Byrne

EARL BLOOR and CANDACE BYRNE were introduced to Edible Communities when Candace googled "sustainability Cape Cod" and the search revealed Edible Cape Cod. After Candace wrote for both Edible Cape Cod and Edible Sacramento and the couple saw first hand how the publications encouraged sustainability in two very different locales, they embarked on their own publication, Edible Shasta - Butte. This new venture, grounded in Edible Communities' goal to "connect consumers with family farmers, growers, chefs, and food artisans of all kinds," complements the couple's long careers in education. It also takes them back to their roots, when Earl grew up next door to his parents' eatery, The Spot, in Kincardine, Ontario, and Candace's mom engaged all the kids in baking and wrapping goodies as gifts for every occasion.

EDIBLE TORONTO

Gail Gordon Oliver Publisher and Editor

GAIL GORDON OLIVER is a native of Montreal and a graduate of McGill University who feels that her lifelong passion for food and cooking was nourished by the gastronomic riches of her hometown. Following her move to Toronto with her family in 1996, the local foods and culinary heritage of her new home province were, and continue to be, hers to discover and savour.

After earning her Culinary Management Diploma from The George Brown Chef School in 1999, Gail joined the test kitchen staff at Canadian Living Magazine, where her recipe development and testing skills were honed under the expert tutelage of Food Editor Elizabeth Baird.

In 2004, she started her own consulting company, Flavours of Home, specializing in the fields of culinary education, food writing and editing, recipe development and testing, and menu development. The following year, Gail teamed up with Maran Graphics to produce Maran Illustrated Cooking Basics, an instructional cooking book that was published in 2006. She is a food columnist for Post City Magazines and has been considering another cookbook.

Gail is delighted to be launching edible TORONTO: Celebrating the Abundance of Local Foods in the Golden Horseshoe. Joining the incredible team at Edible Communities is a dream come true. As the publisher and editor of edible TORONTO, she has the opportunity to showcase and applaud Ontario's culinary history and diversity, its present-day gustatory pleasures, and its healthy, safe and sustainable future, all in a beautifully presented magazine that her readers can savour season after season.

She lives in Toronto and is blessed with a supportive and loving family, all foodies-by-osmosis: husband and soul mate Steven; daughter Amanda - a student at McGill, her parents' alma mater; and daughter Jillian, a high school student. Also very much a part of Gail's family is a menagerie of four cats and three dogs.
Gail is a proud member of Cuisine Canada, Slow Food Toronto, The David Suzuki Foundation, IACP, Les Dames d'Escoffier International, and the Women's Culinary Network.

EDIBLE TWIN CITIES

Michelle Hueser, Editor Ken Hueser, Contributor

KEN HUESER is a 44 year-old architectural technician who has lived in the Twin Cities his entire life. His interests are food, wine, music and a couple of aging Italian motorcycles. He aspires to living a small-scale, anti-consumerist lifestyle and is passionate about culinary regionalism and making eating the principle ritual of each day.

Michelle and Ken first learned about the Edible Communities from a friend who in turn heard about it from a neighbor, who just happened to grow up with ECI founderTracey Ryder. It's becoming a small community!

Carol Banks, Publisher Chuck Banks, Contributor

CAROL AND CHUCK BANKS are as native to the Twin Cities as can be. Both of them grew up in the area, and after short jaunts to other places, returned to roost in a place only two miles away from where both were born and raised.

Carol has a profound interest in the environment and arts. Carol's most recent jobs reflect this. She worked in the arts industry, and ran a small business and photo gallery for twelve years. During this time, she co-founded Women Photographers and Visual Artists (WPVA) a Twin Cities organization which serves to bridge the commercial and artistic photographic communities to provide greater opportunities for women artists. Carol also worked as a volunteer and then staff member at the Raptor Center. Here she gained a deep appreciation of the complexities surrounding wildlife and environmental issues. At the Raptor Center, she met and became fast friends with Michelle Heuser. Carol was introduced to Edible Ojai by Jacqy McKay, a friend and neighbor who is also a childhood friend of Tracey Ryder, co-founder of Edible Communities. "I'm looking forward to pulling together environmental awareness, support of local business, and love of food in our Edible Twin Cities publication", said Carol.

Chuck has always had an appreciation for good food that he attributes in great measure to his parents, who both grew up in small farming communities in the Midwest. Chuck was the beneficiary of his mother's education in home economics, which made her creative in the kitchen and adventurous in her explorations of the different international cuisines available in the Twin Cities. His father taught him the joys of harvesting seasonal crops from the backyard garden. Chuck's work history includes technical avionics, owning a small business, and a turn in the mortgage industry. His main hobby is motorcycle touring. Chuck considers himself to be a "foodie" and is eager to learn more about the advantages of buying local, seasonal produce with respect to taste and nutrition. He hopes to meld his interests in food, small business and motorcycle touring with his new role as an Edible Twin Cities publisher and writer. "The number one industry in Minnesota is agriculture. As a businessman touring around on my motorcycle, I wondered about the differences between family farms and corporate farms and the issues that separate them," says Chuck. He will certainly be delving into this in future Edible Twin Cities publications.