Experiencing the loss of both parents to cancer at a young age led me to a personal and professional interest in organic foods. A little struggle of my own with this disease drove me to a deeper understanding of how essential food is to wellness. Having children with food allergies made me go beyond organic to question how a healthy organic diet could still be a source of illness. These life lessons were experienced in the company of my Italian-born husband Rodolfo, after we met in Bologna when I turned twenty. He had experienced similar lessons in life and we had the same interests. His personal passion for farming led us to realize that the most vital starting part of the food chain was in distress.