Karoline Boehm-Goodnick is currently pursuing her MLA in gastronomy at Boston University. She lives in Brighton with her husband, Ben - with whom anything is possible. She can be reached at kgboehm@bu.edu.

Kindra Clineff travels extensively throughout the United States and abroad specializing in editorial, lifestyle, and travel photography. She regularly produces assignments for This Old House, Country Living, Coastal Living, La Vie Claire and Yankee Magazine, and images from her extensive library of New England have been published in many books and calendars. Kindra is an avid gardener, and when not chasing light, she can be found cultivating heirloom vegetables and attempting to tame the perennial garden of their 17th century home.

Irene Costello - After 20 years in the corporate world, Irene broke out to develop her passion for cooking. She earned her masters degree in gastronomy and a certificate in culinary arts from Boston University. She also has a certificate in wine studies from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Irene joined Ruby Chard as a managing partner in 2002 bringing a unique combination of culinary and business experience. Irene earned her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

Rosie DeQuattro is a freelance writer who began her love affair with food as a child when her mother sent her off to school with bread and chocolate sandwiches for lunch. The envy of all her bologna-and-mayo-eating school mates, Rosie still eats and cooks the kind of peasant Italian food considered by many today as gourmet. Rosie contributes a monthly food column to "The Culinary Beat", and to "The Middlesex Beat", an arts and entertainment guide.

David Gilson is the founder and owner of The Herb Lyceum at Gilson's in Groton, MA. The Lyceum hosts education programs and herbal dinners. Surrounded by herb gardens, fruit trees, and several greenhouses, they grow 300 varieties of herb plants. David and his plants can be found at several of the area's farmers' markets. The Herb Lyceum at Gilson's, 368 Main St, Box 74, Groton, MA 01450 978-448-6499, www.GilsonsLyceum.com.

Amy Hannes is a member of Lindentree CSA and is founder of The Inspired Palate (www.inspiredpalate.com), a personal chef service offering personalized gourmet dishes made from local, seasonal whole foods. Before donning her apron full time, Amy worked as a lawyer and mediator. Now she blends her first-hand knowledge of what it means to be too busy to cook with her lifelong passion for cooking, healing and helping the world be a better place. Amy can be reached at amy@inspiredpalate.com.

Steve Johnson is the Chef-Owner of Rendezvous restaurant in Cambridge, MA which opened in late 2005. Every Monday afternoon he shops at the Central Square Farmers' Market, and takes farmer deliveries at his restaurant every other day of the week.

Michael Kirkpatrick is a Boston based freelance writer. He can be reached at mskinboston@comcast.net.

John Lee is the manager of Allandale Farm (Boston's Last Working Farm), which specializes in naturally-grown local produce. He occasionally writes for local news outlets and is deeply involved with farming and locally-grown issues in Massachusetts.

Clare Leschin-Hoar is a freelance food-writer who can be found hoarding fennel-laced finocchiona in her refrigerator in Mansfield. Her writing covers the entire food chain - from field to dish, and her stories have appeared in dozens of national and regional publications. Visit her at: www.leschin-hoar.com.

Joan MacIsaac - As a restaurant chef, catering business owner and cooking class instructor, Joan brings more than 20 years professional culinary experience to Ruby Chard as chef/managing partner. After rising to executive chef at the James Beard award-winning Dahlia Lounge in Seattle, Joan returned to her hometown, Boston, and founded Ruby Chard in 1996. Currently, Joan is consulting for the Food Project, working within their catering services and teaching youth a curriculum in culinary arts.

Kim Motylewski is a print and radio journalist based in Cambridge. She has written about intersections of food, health and the environment for NPR's Living on Earth, and The Boston Globe. She can be reached at kmotyl@yahoo.com.

Andrew Murray is a wine educator and freelance writer covering the beverage industry. He is a cellar manager ­for Martignetti Fine Wine and Spirits in Brighton.

Beatrice Peltre grew up in France, traveled around the world and now lives in Boston where she runs the popular food blog "La Tartine Gourmande" (www.beaskitchen.com/blog) which features anecdotal stories, photography and bilingual recipes.

Michael Piazza was born, raised and schooled in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2000 his photography career moved him to New York City. While working for such clients as Saveur, Food Arts, and The Australian Financial Review, Michael also contributed work to Slow Food USA and Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard. He has recently completed 2 cookbooks - Simple Italian Sandwiches and A Ligurian Kitchen. He currently lives in Watertown with his wife and two tail-less cats. www.michaelpiazzaphotography.com

Elizabeth Gawthrop Riely edits the Radcliffe Culinary Times, newsletter of the Schlesinger Library at Harvard, on the history of food. Her dictionary, The Chef's Companion (John Wiley & Sons), in print for 20 years, is now in its 3rd edition, marking changes in the edible landscape. You may find her at the Brookline or Newton farmers' market.

Paul Sussman a chef with more than 30 years behind the stove, lives in Cambridge with his wife, Jane and his kids, Isaac and Abby. The one-time owner of the popular ­­Daddy-O's, Paul is a charter member of Chefs Collaborative, an organization formed to promote sustainable cuisine by celebrating the joys of local, seasonal and artisanal cooking.

Edible Communities co-founder, Carole Topalian, travels the world with a finely tuned photographer's eye. Her ability to communicate through photographs brings the Edible Communities mission to life as visual feast, and the pages of our newsletters and websites testify to this. In addition to her work as photographer for Edible Communities, Carole also serves as creative director for the company, ensuring the highest possible level of quality and consistency in each of our printed newsletters and websites. During the 1980s, Carole owned a Los Angeles-based multimedia company where she produced several award-winning advertising and promotional campaigns for corporate America. In the 1990s, she did graduate work in depth psychology at Pacific Graduate Institute and left the corporate world behind. Today, she enjoys life in the very rural Ojai Valley, where she is able to ride her bike daily and garden at will. Her fine art photographs have been exhibited in over 70 shows throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Visit www.topalianphoto.com for more information.

Rachel Travers is a freelance food, lifestyle, and travel writer who contributes regularly to several sections of The Boston Globe, as well as a smattering of national magazines. She is on the Board of the Boston Public Market Association, and is committed to "locally produced". She lives in Lincoln with her daughter and can be reached at alphasoup2@aol.com.

Kathleen White is a recent MBA graduate from Babson College. She has spent the last 10 years working to preserve and build sustainable agriculture systems, land conservation efforts and healthy nutrition for kids and seniors. She enjoys seeking out our region's hidden gems of farms and restaurants for good, fresh, locally produced foods. Kathleen can be reached at kwhite1@babson.edu.