About
Hi, I'M
I’m a mom, author, gardener, and all-around family food enthusiast! I’m happily married to the man that I started adventuring with when I was 20 years old (you won’t see him in any photos because he’s always behind the camera). Together we have an inquisitive son with severe anaphylactic food allergies and a nature-loving daughter with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease impacting the lungs and pancreas.
I knew that a healthy diet would be an especially important piece of their integrative care but establishing healthy food expectations for my kids was a challenge. Cultural norms and food systems aren’t setup in a way that support and encourage healthy eating in kids, but I learned that this doesn’t mean that healthy habits aren’t possible.
My previous experience as an environmental educator taught me the value of inquisition and using this innate characteristic in children to establish joyful and health-promoting expectations around food. I learned that I didn’t need to tell my kids that sugar is bad. I could instead show them that growing and chopping fresh fruits and vegetables is fun! And the best part about this approach is that it’s enjoyable, engaging, and nurtures healthy habits in a compelling way.
My approach to healthy eating is the approach I’ve seen work again and again with dozens of groups of kids and in my own family. We’ve had and continue to have our fair share of challenges, which is why I teach with a heart of compassion and empathy, yet strength and resilience. No one ever said that parenting would be easy, but I’ve seen firsthand how it becomes easier when armed with the right support, knowledge and community.
Professional Bio
I worked in landscaping for over eight years and completed a B.S. in Environmental Ecology from Appalachian State University. I worked in a handful of soils labs across the U.S. studying the impacts of nutrient cycling on plant and fungal communities.
I completed my Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences from Georgia Southern University where I taught Environmental Science labs and discovered my passion for educating youth. I served as an assistant instructor for field courses in the Indian Himalayas over the summer and managed a children’s learning garden during the school year. My graduate research documented changes in traditional diet and associated shifts in health perspectives in a remote Indian Himalayan village. I served as the Education Intern at Appalachian State University’s sustainable farm in 2011.
In 2012, I became a mother and completed my health coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I spent the next several years working as a research assistant for Dartmouth College’s New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study, teaching wellness classes at the Community College of Vermont, and offering private coaching.
I published my cookbook in 2019, my gardening book in 2023, and now focus on events, education, and garden installations.
