Meagan Luhrs

About me: I moved to Champaign last August with my husband Ryan, who is working towards an MFA in Painting and Sculpture at UIUC. We met in college, in an art history class, and have been married just over two years. Our most recent home was Grand Rapids, MI, where I worked for a large literary conference and, later, an independent publishing company. When I'm not busy at Common Ground, you might find me in my studio, a.k.a. my dining room, painting, screen-printing, cutting up old sweaters, or writing letters. I also enjoy hosting large dinner parties (read: making a huge mess of my tiny kitchen), watching The Wire, learning about sustainable architecture, and reading the NY Times online, especially while drinking an Americano.

What I love about the co-op: In The Omnivore's Dilemma (an essential read!), Michael Pollan writes, "how and what we eat determines to a great extent the use we make of the world—and what is to become of it." I believe that working for, advocating, and financially supporting Common Ground is a substantial way to affect how we use the world's resources, and I know that many Co-op members believe this as well. And this is what I love about the Co-op, being surrounded not only by great food, but also by people who always are thinking more, learning more, and challenging one another to do right by the world.

Favorite co-op foods: Anything local, but especially the Swiss chard, basil, and tomatoes from Blue Moon.