Rebecca Gerendasy, co-founder, executive producer, and creator of Cooking Up a Story video content has enjoyed a distinguished 25-year career in television news, most of it in the San Francisco Bay Area at KTVU. News taught Rebecca what constitutes a good story, and how to succinctly capture all the necessary story elements. She also draws on her roots as an artist to craft these stories into interesting pieces that can be enjoyed by a wide viewing audience. It’s really an amalgamation: her formal art background, professional career in television, keen interest in personal stories, and her concern for the environment.
Rebecca’s background has also helped in her teaching, both (one on one) as a mentor to students throughout her news career, and at the university level. Rebecca has taught at Washington State University, and at the Northwest Film Center in Portland. Producing stories and helping educate people are the two endeavors she loves most in life besides being a mom. rebecca (at) cookingupastory.com
Dan, Tom, Rebecca and Fred
fred (at) cookingupastory.com
With family roots in the black gold of the fertile Red River Valley, Lynn Torrance Redlin has been inspired and challenged by the diversity of opinion and characters found on the Cooking Up A Story shows. As Associate Producer, Lynn is involved in the research and production process, conducting interviews on a wide-ranging variety of topics and issues. “I love being able to share meaningful conversations with farmers and ranchers, writers and scientists and more,” she says. “Helping to tell their stories is a real honor.”
Darren Hudson is the Larry Combest Endowed Chair of Agricultural Competitiveness and the Director of the Cotton Economics Research Institute at Texas Tech University. In addition he is Farm Foundation Fellow for Globalization with the non-partisan Farm Foundation based in Chicago, IL. Hudson earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Texas Tech University in 1997. He then worked at Mississippi State University from 1998-2008, when he returned to Texas Tech. Hudson is author of one textbook on agricultural prices and markets, over 50 refereed publications, 6 other books or chapters in books, and over 200 other publications and presentations. His main research areas are in consumer behavior and demand, policy, and international trade.
Heather Jones is a wife, mother, freelance food writer and graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She has worked for Gourmet Magazine, TV Personality Katie Brown, and the New York based Indian-fusion restaurant Tabla. Heather resides in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters. She is a strong supporter of the Sustainable Food Movement and believes that education is the key to making a difference.
Mark Keating lectured at the University of Kentucky, having divided his time between the Horticultural Department and Cooperative Extension. His primary responsibility was to assist the Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum Committee to develop and launch an undergraduate major and minor in Sustainable Agriculture. Mark has worked in the natural, sustainable, organic and local food movements since 1982. His work experience includes stints in commercial food service, farm labor, retail sales and marketing, state and federal civil service, non-profit advocacy and academia. While at the USDA between 1999 and 2004, Mark helped draft the national organic standards for crop and livestock production and spent two years working to develop and promote farmers markets. An inveterate believer that naturally raised and locally distributed food offers the best opportunity for human health and planetary survival, Mark lives in the Kentucky Bluegrass with his wife and their daughter.
Ken Meter is one of the most accomplished food-system analysts in the U.S., integrating market analysis, business development, systems thinking, and social concerns. As president of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, Meter holds 38 years experience in inner-city and rural community capacity building. His Finding Food in Farm Country studies have promoted local food networks in 45 regions in 20 states, and one Canadian province. He heads the proposal review process for USDA Community Food Projects. Meter taught economics at the University of Minnesota, and the Harvard Kennedy School. He also directed the public input and indicators selection process for the city of Minneapolis Sustainability Initiative, which won a national award.
Joe Miller Joe Miller has worked in U.S. patent law since 1994, and has been a law professor since 2001. He teaches at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, OR, where he has lived since 2002. He loves enjoying delicious food and great wine with friends, so Portland is a wonderful place to live!
TwoJunes are two women with diverse backgrounds in the food industry, and have figured out how to balance their professional lives, with their home life, preparing, fresh wholesome meals, much of it from their own food garden. Lisa Bell has been a pastry chef, recipe developer, food stylist, and a food scientist, and now works as a freelance producer, writer and editor. Nicole Rees is a food writer, and cookbook author (Baking UnPlugged), and currently works as a baking scientist.
Ashley Terry and Rachel (wife)
Jan Weber’s career in television and film production spans some 35 years. Over that time she has produced, directed, and written commercials, corporate programs, network pilots, and co-produced two feature films. Her 2005 documentary, As We Sow documents the vanishing family farms in Iowa, and paints a personal picture of the devastation large (mega) corporate farming inflicts upon the small farmer, and their local communities.
