My name is Alex Gross, and I'm the creator/curator behind Speak With Your Food, a place to explore the good and the complex elements of our food system and culture.

I began this site in 2008, as a wide-eyed college student. After a summer job on an organic farm, I was looking for a way to express a newfound interest in food production, food politics, and share a bounty of new recipes and skills.

Since my undergraduate days at Fairfield University, I've been extremely fortunate to explore all areas of the food system and do what I love: surround myself with good food & good people, deepen my understanding, and form a nuanced perspective of our ever-changing food system. I worked as a freelance writer and photographer and continued pursuing my love of growing food by working on and managing small farms in Connecticut. In 2014, I began working for Simply Smiles and have spent lots of time living and working on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, developing sustainable food and garden projects that provide healthful food and cultivate personal, communal, and cultural pride. I also hold my M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College, completing a capstone on Lakota foodways. (Want a closer look at my background? You can learn more here.)

While I’m not currently working on a farm (although actively dreaming, saving, and scheming!), I’m a proud CSA member, occasionally work at farmers’ markets or farms for my friends, grow plants and food whenever I live, and, of course, cook, eat, and am always prepared to give my opinion on something. You may see my byline in a publication or working on some marketing and communications consulting projects.

Thanks for stopping by Speak With Your Food!