It's not uncommon for people who haven't met us face to face to mistake us for a husband and wife team, since the name 'Taylor' can easily be unisex and we are a pair in how and what we often think and do. Even those who do meet us in person assume we're sisters, or can't keep track of which one is which. So we're excited to feature an actual husband-and-wife duo who also finish each other's sentences, and are equally committed to great food for the greater good. Savor their serendipitous stories, take their advice, and pay them a visit if you're lucky enough to be in the great state of North Carolina, where they headquarter This & That Jam.

When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

Ali: I was one of the first employees, a barista, at a small shop called Four & Twenty Blackbirds opening in Brooklyn. Working in the same open kitchen space I became fascinated watching the two sisters who owned the place making pies. I started staying late nights to watch and eventually convinced them to let me bake with them. There was a moment one day when it just suddenly clicked - I loved working with my hands, sharing good food with people and talking to them about what they're eating. I can't think of a more gratifying way to spend a workday.

Ben: I started loving food when I was very young, working with my Italian grandfather in the kitchen and garden. We made everything from scratch. When I got to college, I was alarmed by how little my peers were connected to their food, food heritage, etc. Many could not turn on a stove! After taking a seminar on Environment & Civilization, I re-engaged food, seriously. I went abroad to London, studying the Anthropology & History of Food at SOAS. While there, I took the lazy, err, customary month off during exams, and I WWOOF'ed in Sirsa, India. During my work there, living with an amazing Sikh family, and on other other U.S. farms, I learned about preserving. I became obsessed, having already been obsessed with grafting, botany, and varietals, preserving fruits and herbs, etc in a jar seemed idyllic. I loved, as Ali said, the work with my hands. Stirring, often for hours, was and is, cathartic.

How did you get your current good food job?

Ben: I began making preserves while back at Tufts with my friend Brian. I had a "tomato jam" at a certain NY brunch spot, and thought "this is not much of a tomato jam?" I went to the Davis Square farmers market in Somerville, MA and bought a case of 10lbs of heirloom tomatoes when I got home. Then, I went to work, Brian and I tested it out various ways, and the result was?unique. I still think it was my best-to-date. Nostalgia perhaps. Anyway, I kept at it, moved to Brooklyn, and soon found myself selling at the Brooklyn Flea. I loved meeting people one-on-one, and having them enjoy it right in front of me, but it lacked the educational and agricultural aspect I always wanted it to have. Soon enough, Ali & I found out we were going to have a daughter, and so we moved down to the Old North State, NC, to the Triangle, where we found a thriving culinary culture, supported by a tried and true agricultural landscape.

Ali: I was immediately enlisted to help as soon as I met Ben. I loved how passionate he was about what he was doing and I really wanted to help him create something that he could be proud of, I wanted to help him create something beyond making a product but also educating and giving back. Little did I know we'd end up starting a family together, and that his passion would become my own.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

Ali: I've done a lot of work with nonprofits, marketing, social media outreach and I even went to school (briefly) for graphic design. So between that and working in food this has really been a combination of a great number of skills I've culminated over the years. I do a lot of the behind the scenes stuff - I'm constantly online responding to emails, updating our website, twitter, facebook and whatever else. I take pictures at our workshops, I blog, I make all the handouts, flyers, logos? the list is never-ending.

Ben: Like Ali, I also did a bunch of work for nonprofits, but grew up with my gregarious grandfather, who implored me to shake hands and meet absolutely EVERYONE. This made me into the people-loving person I am today. Seeing people enjoy our preserves, or, even better, realize how easy it is to do themselves, is remarkable.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

Ali: A little while back Ben and I took a real look at the company, considered making it a nonprofit, making it a nationwide movement, and even changing the name? Because what we're doing isn't just about creating a product but also about educating our community and supporting local agriculture and the local economy it was really hard to figure out how to fit what we envisioned into a realistic business plan.

Ben: Like Ali mentioned, we really wanted to make it this big expansive movement, and we still do, but we decided to grow our roots, so to speak, down here in NC, before going full-force across the nation! We certainly don't regret it. The Old North State is full of amazing people, who love food as much as we do!

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?