As a pioneer in the cottage food industry, covering the national movement for publications as well as championing for the passage of a “Cookie Bill” in Wisconsin, Lisa Kivirist is on the cusp of the latest trends. Lisa and her husband and co-author-and-photographer, John Ivanko, are food-loving entrepreneurs. As authors of thirteen books, national speakers and recognized spokespeople for the national sustainable agriculture movement, Lisa and John are regular presenters at numerous national conferences and library, university and community events. They’re co-authors of Farmstead Chef, ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance. John is also the co-author of several award-winning children’s multicultural photobooks, including To Be a Kid, Be My Neighbor and To Be an Artist.
Lisa and John's work has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, MSNBC and on various radio programs across the country, including Martha Stewart Radio, the Sirius Satellite Network and Good Food on KCRW. As freelance journalists, they’re contributors to Mother Earth News, Urban Farm, Mother Earth Living, Hobby Farms and Natural Awakenings, and blog for Hobbyfarms.com and MotherEarthNews.com.
Lisa is a distinguished Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow and a national advocate and leader for women in sustainable agriculture. She initiated and directs the Rural Women’s Project of the Midwest Organic Sustainable Education Service, an award-winning initiative providing resources and networking for women farmers and food-based entrepreneurs. She writes a column for Women, Food and Agriculture (WFAN) entitled “Female Fare,” connecting women in agriculture to national policy issues.
Lisa and John are innkeepers of the award-winning Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast, completely powered by the wind and sun. Their B&B features local, seasonal vegetarian cuisine prepared with ingredients harvested from the Inn’s organic gardens. Lisa and John share their organic farm in Browntown, Wisconsin, with their son, a 10kW Bergey wind turbine, and millions of ladybugs.