Jessy Ruddell

The only vegetables I liked as a child were carrots, potatoes, and corn. In early adolescence, I tasted my first fresh asparagus, and I've never looked back. The same degree of revelation came ten years later, when I tried my first local, organic asparagus; I felt as though I'd been let in on the best secret ever. My favorite parts of my job are getting to know new fruits and vegetables and the farmers who grow them, and sharing my enthusiasm with whomever will listen. I've been a co-op member since 2000, and I think it's one of the most important resources in Champaign-Urbana -- not only because of the food that's available here -- but because of the community connections that happen while we shop for groceries. When I'm not at work, I love to cook, knit, make collages on the walls of my house, and pretend I'm a rock star. I live in east Urbana with my fab family: my supercool daughters Charlotte & Kate, my multitalented partner Paul, two lucky rabbits, and two unflappable geckos.