About Me

A few things to get to know me better:

I'm a lifelong resident of Oregon.
Cooking is my favorite activity (closely followed by eating).
I love history, and in particular, archaeology. Maya history is my number one.
My favorite places outside of Oregon are New Orleans and St. John USVI.
Music, especially Americana.
I enjoy reading Ray Bradbury, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Paul Theroux.

Causes That Move Me

I have served on the Oregon Century Farm and Ranch Program Committee officially since 2019. I have served as the program chair since 2020. Over 1,500 family-owned Century and Sesquicentennial farms make up the fabric of Oregon agriculture. Our organization aims to preserve, document and honor those legacies.

Oregon Black Pioneers has been researching and telling the stories of Oregon black history for 30 years. Please consider supporting their important work.

The Marion-Polk Food Share is working tirelessly to end hunger in my community. Supporting your local food share is a great way to make an immediate, meaningful impact in the lives of your neighbors.

I come from a line of hardy immigrants who first left Germany in the early 1800's seeking opportunity and settling in the Black Sea region of Crimea. They left for the United States nearly a century later. The Germans from Russia Heritage Society works to document and research those roots for thousands of descendants.

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is one of the premier foodways education centers in the country. I had the opportunity to collaborate with them during my work on the Kitchen Counter Podcast.