Welcome!

As the newly minted (and founding) Executive Director of the Grow Alabama Foundation, I'm pleased to have the opportunity to start up this blog. I look forward to sharing not only news about our non-profit organization and the educational programs and events that will be occurring throughout the year, but also my own recipes and experiences with local food.

I first became involved with Grow Alabama through a friend who rarely cooks. Since I'm the type of person who will joyfully spend hours on end in the kitchen preparing a single meal, one day she brought me a giant box full of fresh vegetables. Everything looked amazing - carrots, parsnips, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli - and I was in love.

As a graduate student in the field of public administration, I've long focused my research and applied efforts on topics like community leadership and rural economic development. I've always been a tremendous supporter of local business as well. Combine this with my complete love of food, becoming involved with Grow Alabama in a non-profit role was a natural next step.

In the coming weeks and months, I'll be sharing a lot of things: our plans for the Grow Alabama Foundation's educational and farmer assistance programs, our efforts to connect local businesses to work toward a healthier Alabama, and perhaps more importantly, why supporting local farmers helps our local and regional economy, the environment, and your health.

Oh yeah, and there will be plenty of recipes, too.