I have always loved food. I grew up on the eastern stretches of Long Island with goats in my front yard and a vegetable patch in back. I got up early to milk and earned first dibs at the cream, which I drank by the cupfuls. We raised and butchered a pig, Maggie, and later fried up her bacon.

As an adult, I worked with some of the best restaurants in the city, and I was surrounded by food every day. It is here where my love of food and an education in biology intersected. I became most interested in where the food I eat comes from. I started shopping at the farmers markets more than once a week. All of my food came from a local food source. I started cooking only with whole foods. And eventually, I needed some room to grow. It wasn't enough that I could get all my food from within a stones throw. I wanted to grow my own.

Growing your own food is a natural extension of eating healthy and eating well. With the knowledge of food miles, the prevalence of chemicals in industrial agriculture and the notion that shipping food halfway around the world is kooky, I launched go go green garden as a way to educate, inspire and enjoy the qualities of locally grown food. I aim to take the guess work out of backyard gardening so everyone can enjoy the fruits of their own labor. And I hope to instill a passion for food that extends well beyond the dirt of our own backyards and in to our kitchens.

I am also a food writer and cook. My first book, Urban Pantry-Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen, was published in spring of 2010. My second book, Apartment Gardening, will be published in spring of 2011.