Taylor Pelella grew up in Connecticut eating her father’s Italian cooking, and got involved in environmental activism as a student at James Madison University, and just about everything she’s done since then has combined those two interests — from studying abroad in Costa Rica and the Galápagos Islands, where she completed a program in sustainable agriculture and conservation, to working on a small farm in California, volunteering at the local food bank, and working with a company called Homefront Farmers, helping people learn to grow vegetables for themselves.

After moving to Seattle in 2017, Taylor spent time at Seattle Urban Farm Company, Swanson’s Nursery, and Lowlands Farm in Snohomish before moving indoors and joining us at the Pantry. Here she stays connected with the local farm community, helping us to source our ingredients for our classes and events, and in her free time she can be found making art, making music, and preparing elaborate snacks with friends.