There are so many businesses out there, both online and in person, that are breaking the boundaries of what defines how to make a living. We at GFJ feel honored to be a part of that change, especially when we are given the opportunity to learn more about someone like Elizabeth, whose work at Haymakers is something that only existed in our wildest dreams, until now.

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

As soon as I could pull a chair up to the kitchen counter to stir something, I realized that there was no better way to connect to people and make them happy than to cook for them.  I've done a whole lot of things since, but food has always been the central focus of my life.

How did you get your current good food job?

I dreamed it up! After almost four years of running Farmhouse Delivery (a local produce and grocery delivery company in Austin, TX), I knew I wanted to find a way to help other people who were interested in starting companies in their own communities that would connect more folks to high-quality food raised or produced with care. Haymakers is an online source for knowledge and community for good food entrepreneurs, with consulting packages, a discussion forum, a directory of good food companies, a resource library, & free online workshops, as well as ShopTalk which profiles food artisans, growers, & entrepreneurs.

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

There are so many moving parts to any job in the food world, that I'm not sure anything can actually prepare you for it. I think mostly it's all about being flexible, adaptable, and so passionate about what you're doing that all the challenges involved are just part of the deal.  I never get tired of talking about food and/or business!  It's also an industry with an incredible sense of collaboration and camaraderie-we are all "in the trenches" together. I feel like I could pull up a stool at the bar of any restaurant in the world and talk to a kindred soul: we all share the same difficulties and joys, and at the end of the day, we all want to talk about our favorite things to eat.

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

Well, it's work that's just physically difficult, and you don't really have the option of phoning it in. People want to be fed, and when the doors open, you have to be ready, or be ready to wing it. Also, running a restaurant in Southeast Texas: it's not easy to source local produce. That actually became a fun challenge, though, and I often headed out between lunch and dinner shifts to search out retired guys growing tomatoes in their back yards, folks in the trailer parks with chickens, and grew my own herbs. We came to expect the unexpected, like the hobby mycologist showing up with a box of foraged chanterelles from the East Texas woods, or a traveling carny coming by with a box of oranges from someone's tree. Working hard to get good food helped me develop some very handy skills in my next incarnation as local food buyer/forager.

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

There are some fantastic opportunities in food + technology. Innovative minds are creating ways to connect people to great food outside of the traditional distribution channels. If you already have or can develop some technical skills (programming, graphic design) and you love food, I think your opportunities would be almost limitless!

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

Air miles and Airbnb vouchers.