
ABOUT
Lexy Baird
Exploring facets of food deeply and personally has changed my life.
My memories of food are from various contexts: going to the grocery stores of suburban Chicago (Meijer, anyone?), watching the corn and soy fields for endless hours on my way to see family in Central Illinois, being staunchly vegetarian throughout high school and most of college, having home cooking with my best friend's families. The underlying theme in all of these moments, in one way or another, was the human connection to -or distance from- food. And ever since, that has been the needle thread through my experiences.
MY APPROACH
Education, Empowerment, Engagement
Learning through hands-on work helps someone like me with a neurodivergent brain. Becoming an immersed learner requires something different for all individuals, but I believe that through bridging practical, tactile experiences with research is where the magic of learning comes from.
This is called experiential learning.
By focusing on this as a practice throughout nearly everything I do, my goal is to make all people feel encouraged to become a part of their food world. From growing things and connecting with agroecological systems, to crafting something yummy in the kitchen with family and friends, it is clear there is commensality and connection within learning this way.

ACCREDITATION AND MEDIA
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B.A. in Anthropology (2018) from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
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Food Sustainability Working Group @ SIUC (2019)
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Master’s in Food Studies (M.A.F.S., 2022) from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Farm Intern (2022)
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Milk Bottler and Pasteurizer, TwinBrook Dairy (2022-2025)
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Sustainable Gardener for a private farm in Pittsburgh, PA (2022-now)
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ServSafe Food Handler Certified (2023)
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Produce Food Safety Alliance Certification through Cornell University, (2024)
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Food Preservation Certification through Michigan State University (2025)
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