Since its inception in 1997, Esther Cook has been Chef Teacher in the Edible Schoolyard kitchen. Ms. Cook developed Market Cooking for Kids – a collaboration between local farmers, chefs, and public schools that taught children from immigrant families to garden and cook fresh, seasonal meals.

Over the past thirteen years, Ms. Cook has developed a portfolio of innovative kitchen lessons linked to classroom curriculum and life skills. She is a professional chef, artist, storyteller, and educator of the first order. Her youth spent on a farm in rural New England is an important point of reference in defining the quality of the learning experience for her students.