I am Rhonda - pleased to meet ewe! I grew up in the city of Edmonton. Both of my parents came from farms of Ukrainian immigrant families. I loved the farm for the great outdoors, the animals and of course the food.

Our grandmothers are often given the titles of best cooks and my babas were no different. Growing up on young garden potatoes smothered in dill and cream sauce is pretty engrained in my brain. I was amazed watching baba return from the garden with endless pails of fresh picked peas (which I had to shell while watching soap operas) . The food from the farm was endless. And I loved it.

To stay in the realm of agriculture, I graduated from Olds College with a diploma as a Crop Advisor. This allowed me to work outdoors as an agronomist, checking farmers crops for chemical and fertilizer recommendations.

I did agronomy for 6 years north of Edmonton in Legal but realised maybe it wasn’t aligning with my soul. I wasn’t a fan of big chemical - but I understand it’s place in our food production.

3 years before my 30th birthday, I thought I should do something fun with my life if I am not tied down by the time I turn 30.

In January of my 30th year, I realized I had to start planning my ‘something fun’. I had freshly watched Under the Tuscan Sun, Lorenzo’s Oil was just on t.v. and National Geographic had a cover story on Tuscany. I felt someone was trying to tell me something.

I turned 30 in August and September 6 I flew into Rome.

To Be continued…