We've been noticing a trend when it comes to recommendations from our weekly gastrognomes on where they see the potential for opportunity within the food world. It very often has to do with the concept of 'local food' - how abundant it is and how inaccessible it can be. Jennifer has created a tool that shines in its simplicity. We ain't sayin it's easy, but Jennifer proves that it can be straightforward.

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

Right out of college, I began my career in finance, mainly because I didn't know what I wanted to do just yet. In my free time (not much of it, unfortunately!), I would pore over magazines like Fast Company and Inc., always curious about what other amazing enterprises other people were pursuing. There were quite a few articles about agriculture and local food that stuck with me. I've always had an interest in cooking and believed that food is one of the most important aspects of our society, yet the the industry as a whole seemed to be lacking the necessary combination of business and environmental sustainability. I just knew there had to be a better way of producing and buying sustainably-grown food that allowed the farmers to make a decent wage, while keeping prices affordable for customers who want to support them.

How did you get your current good food job?

Switching industries is never easy. Once I left my job, I began with a month-long stint as a WWOOFer in Italy to bring myself up to speed on the basics of how real food is grown and produced. After I returned to the States, I began volunteering with the NYC-based non-profit Just Food so I could learn about the urban side of local food and agriculture. At their annual fundraiser, Let Us Eat Local, I was fortunate to meet the people behind Basis Farm to Chef, which blossomed into my first real food job. I learned a great deal about food distribution at Basis and also about a few remaining issues of getting local farm products to market that weren't easily addressed by the traditional distributor model. After leaving Basis, I decided to start FarmersWeb as a new way of connecting local farms and wholesale buyers without the traditional distributor in the middle.

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

I was surprised at how relevant my generic "office" skills were-In my current position, I use Excel all the time to figure out price conversions and build out our expected user numbers for our development team; I rely on PowerPoint to create wireframes for the site and marketing materials for our farms; and of course being detail-oriented and organized is a must when you're building a business.

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

It was incredibly nerve-wracking to leave a stable job (and a reliable income!) to start my own business in the food industry. However, once I experienced how amazing it is to devote your full time to something you love, I didn't doubt the move for a second.

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

The logistical problems facing local farms in distributing their products to consumers is a huge opportunity for food entrepreneurs. All the various food hubs and distribution centers that have been popping up have the right idea, as long as they can make it work without obscuring the relationship between farm and buyer. Another big missing link is how to make it easier for individuals to buy local products-not all of us can make it to the farmers' market during the weekday, so how can we support local farms within our busy schedules?

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Cheese! The stinkier, the better.