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.

Freelance writer, Rosie DeQuattro, became obsessed with food as a child when her mother sent her off to school with bread and chocolate sandwiches for lunch. The envy of her bologna-and-mayo-eating school mates, she still eats, cooks and blogs about the kind of peasant Italian food considered by many today as gourmet (http://breadchocolate.blogspot.com). Rosie originated the monthly culinary column at the former "Middlesex Beat" magazine.

Drew Spangler Faulkner is a chef, cooking teacher, and journalist. She began her culinary career in Newton Centre, MA with Madeleine Kamman studying French and Italian cuisines. Since then she has traveled the world studying various cuisines. Today her energy is focused on writing and teaching. She has most recently taught at Sur la Table in Canton, CT.

Cynthia Graber is an award-winning print and radio reporter based in Cambridge. She can be reached at cynthiagraber@mac.com.

Dan Imhoff is the author and publisher of numerous books, including Farming with the Wild, Paper or Plastic, and Building with Vision. His most recent book, Food Fight: The Citizen's Guide to a Food and Farm Bill was released in February 2007 by Watershed Media.

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.

When he is not organizing beer tastings, Alex Loud collects wine, writes food articles and helps lead the Slow Food Convivium in Boston. He also has a real-life job and assorted adult responsibilities but those aren't as much fun to talk about.

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.

Colleen Matts recently received an M.S. in the Agriculture, Food, and Environment Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, where she also worked for the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. Colleen now works as a Farm to School Outreach Specialist with the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University.

Alison O'Leary Murray is a freelance writer who may be reached at Alison.murray@verizon.net.

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.

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" 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

Though not a "foodie," Matt Robinson knows a good meal when he finds one. Amongst the over 3,200 pieces he has published as a freelance writer are scores of restaurant reviews and food-related features. If you would care to dine with Matt, he can be reached at matthewsrobinson@mac.com.

Jill Rose, writer, has worked in magazines for 15 years and has lived in the Boston area most of her life. She is known for making elaborate, sometimes experimental, desserts in her small kitchen on the North Shore, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Genevieve Rajewski frequently writes about food and wine-or better yet, all manners of snacking and sipping. Her publication credits include Washington Post Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, Cooking Light, Imbibe and The Boston Phoenix, among many others. Read more at www.ticktockwordshop.com.

Andra Stanton is the author of a book about an indigenous weaving community in Oaxaca, Mexico, as well as several articles on Mexican cuisine and crafts. She is also the author of Pilates for Fragile Backs. Currently she writes from her home in Concord, Massachusetts.

Carole Topalian, Edible Communities co-founder, 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.

Carlha Vickers is a writer for the Belmont Farmers' Market newsletter Roots and Sprouts and lives in Belmont, MA. Her writing can be found at www.belmontfarmersmarket.org/newsletters/2007/newsletter-2007-05.pdf. She can be reached at carlha@verizon.net.