Julia Shanks is a chef, serial entrepreneur and certified pilot whose passion for food preparation began when she was 12 years old and determined to bake, grill and steam her way through the complete set of Time-Life Cookbooks. In her later years, she honed her culinary talents working in restaurants around the country, developing a taste for fresh, local and seasonal foods. Today, Julia consults with restaurants, farms and food producers, helping them maximize profits and streamline revenues. In her tiny, urban garden in Cambridge, MA, she harvests vegetables seven months out of the year.

Brett Grohsgal has dedicated himself to delighting tastebuds from New England to California, working as everything from line cook to executive chef, while developing and sharing his appreciation for artisanal, seasonal foods. As his passion for cooking evolved he began growing his own produce, and in 1996 he and his wife established Even' Star Organic Farm. Even’ Star focuses on harvesting crops year-round for restaurants, grocery stores, universities, farmers markets, and the Grohsgals’ own successful CSA, while adhering to the highest standards of responsible environmental stewardship. “Life is too short, and farm life too arduous, to ever grow or eat boring foods.”