Tracey Medeiros

I decided to enroll in a Culinary Arts program at Johnson and Wales University. I have always loved to cook, even as a child I enjoyed making something special for my family to “Ooh and Aah” about. In fact, it still gives me great joy to see folks enjoying a dish that I have prepared especially for them. For me, the kitchen is a warm, welcoming place where I feel right at home.
After graduation, I quickly took an interest in the Sustainability Movement and the changing face of American agriculture. I loved shopping at Farmers’ Markets and exploring roadside produce stands. Talking to the hardworking farmers, food producers, and chefs who labor long and hard to grow, produce, and serve our food gave me a new awareness of the extraordinary happenings in Vermont’s food community.
Visits to both small and large bookstores soon showed me that cookbooks dedicated to Vermont and its farms, farmers, food producers, products, and chefs were a rare commodity – and soon an idea was born. I asked myself, “Why not write a cookbook that would showcase the state of Vermont and all of the wonders of its food community?” Nothing happens overnight. I began to research the premise of sustainable agriculture with its deep continuous respect for nature. I went to farms and talked to farmers about their desire to use the land in the most productive way possible, not by mass production, but through preservation for the generations to come. I traveled all over the state talking to people in the food industry and brought home their stories, dreams and favorite recipes, some of which had been in their families for generations.