6SHANNON COURTNEY is the former editor-in-
chief and co-founder of Salty, Prince Edward Island’s
comprehensive food and farm digest. Shannon
completed her master of environmental studies at
Queen’s University, focusing her thesis research on how
local food systems both depend on and create social
capital. The holistic-nutritionist-in-training has milked
Jersey cows in Australia, almost overdosed on maple
syrup in Prince Edward County, Ontario, and explored
Vermont’s foodscape beyond Ben & Jerry’s.MARK AND BEN CULLEN Mark is an expert
gardener, author, broadcaster and tree advocate and
holds the Order of Canada. His son, Ben, is a fourth-
generation urban gardener and a graduate of the
University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in
Halifax. Follow them at markcullen.com, @MarkCullen
and facebook.com/markcullengardening and look for
their new book, Escape to Reality.CLAIRE DAM specializes in food and lifestyle
photography. Her work has been featured in a variety
of publications, most recently in the cookbook Debauch
for the Other Bird group of restaurants. Claire and
her husband live on a 17-acre, multi-generational,
permaculture farm in southern Ontario, where they
raise a variety of animals and also work to nurture
the connection between their land, their food and
their community.KEN DAM lives with his wife, Claire, and their
daughter in rural Hamilton on a small-scale
permaculture farm still in its infancy. Together
they explore developing skills that nourish their
relationship with the land, food, their community
and one another.CRAIG DANIELS is a “reformed scientist,” who
lives and works in Toronto. Having honed his skills in
microbiology and biochemistry, he is now a scientific
writer and project manager at SickKids Hospital. In
his spare time, he feeds his creative side by fermenting
beverages and producing handmade clothing and
accessories at Civic Trust.Contributors