Arguably one of the most influential figures shaping American food culture since the 1970s, Ruth Reichl served as restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and New York Times, editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine, and has written five bestselling memoirs: Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires, For You, Mom, Finally and Save Me the Plums. Her novel, Delicious! was published in 2014, and her cookbook, My Kitchen Year, 136 Recipes that Saved My Life in 2015. She edited Best American Food Writing 2018, and The Modern Library Food Series, which currently includes ten books. She was Executive Producer and host of the public television series, Adventures with Ruth and a judge on Top Chef Masters. She is the recipient of six James Beard Awards.

Her newest novel is forthcoming and a documentary film she produced, Food and Country, is premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Grant Achatz, Co-Owner/Chef and Nick Kokonas, Co-Owner, own the three star Michelin restaurant Alinea in Chicago, Illinois. It has been named the best restaurant in the world by Gourmet Magazine and Elite Traveler.

Two decades ago, way ahead of the curve, Georgia rancher Will Harris turned his family’s industrial operation into a regenerative farm. Through his vision and concern for animal welfare and the land, White Oak Pastures has become the highest paying, largest employer in the county.

Brandon Jew is a third generation Chinese American chef. For his Michelin star restaurant, Mr. Jiu’s, he revitalized a San Francisco building once occupied by the legendary Four Seas restaurant as a way of celebrating Chinatown’s heritage.

Vegetable purveyors to the best chefs in America, Bob and Lee Jones have been farming their family’s land in Huron, Ohio for decades. With thousands of restaurant closures in the early days of the pandemic, they are forced to lay off workers, and they work to diversify their customer base.

Nebraska farmer Angela Knuth is transitioning her family corn and bean farm to “no-till, organic” despite resistance from her husband and sons. She believes the independence and soil health this brings, while financially risky now, will ultimately pay off.

Vietnamese-American chef-owner of an award-winning Los Angeles restaurant, Porridge + Puffs, Minh Phan is experimenting to keep her staff employed and paid fairly during the pandemic — finally taking the huge leap of faith to open Phenakite, a fine dining restaurant.

Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian-born Swedish American chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He is the acclaimed chef behind many restaurants worldwide, including Red Rooster in Harlem, New York.

Former commercial fisherman, Bren Smith, was looking for “ecological redemption” when he decided to become a restorative ocean farmer. His kelp farm in Long Island Sound sells plant-based food, compostable bioplastics, and fertilizer for regenerative land based farms.

Kansas cattleman Steve Stratford has been fighting consolidation in the beef industry for years. Now, with processing plants pinching producers even more, he rallies local ranchers to lobby the United States Congressional Agriculture committee to fight the unfair practices of the meat packing industry.

Farmer/activist and 2023 James Beard Humanitarian Award recipient Karen Washington farms land in the South Bronx and upstate New York in order to provide fresh produce and educate her community about the value of healthy, sustainable food.

Chef, restaurateur, and author, Alice Waters, opened Chez Panisse in 1971 in Berkeley, California becoming widely celebrated for her role in pioneering the farm-to-table movement and California cuisine, which centers local, sustainable agriculture.