Zachary D. Lyons, a.k.a. Zach, scours the country for fascinating food stories, great local food system innovators and innovations, and just plain great food. He then writes, organizes and speaks about and with them.

Zach writes about food, is a food tourist, organizes food events and speaks about food. He is Vice President of Seattle Chefs Collaborative, served seven years as Executive Director of the Washington State Farmers Market Association, and he organizes events promoting and celebrating local food for organizations such as Washington State University and Farm Aid.

Zach spent his formative years in Upstate New York. He was born in Kingston, lived in New Paltz until he was 10, and finished out his high school years in Niskayuna, a suburb of Schenectady. While his love for food began at an early age, under the influences of his grandparents and numerous trips to Down East Maine, the five years he spent in the great food town of Philadelphia while earning a BA from Swarthmore College very much expanded his gastronomic experience. Zach moved to Seattle in 1985 to help his brother, Dana, a singer/songwriter, promote his first record, "Our State Is A Dumpsite."