Matt McPherson grew up in rural upstate New York. The youngest of four children, his childhood centered around family and food. From an early age, he learned about eating locally and seasonally, cooking from scratch, composting and recycling from his parents. As a youngster, he enjoyed making breakfast on weekends for his family. After high school, he attended Community College for a brief period. It was during this time that he realized his true passion in life was food. He got a job working for the Limestone Grille in Fayetteville, NY, and set his sights on culinary school. He attended Johnson & Wales University from 2009-2012. As his culinary skills expanded, he began to feel strongly that food could be used for more than mere sustenance. He started exploring sustainable, local eating, as well as foods and their effects on health. He met Sandy of Dharma Nutrition in 2009 from an introduction from his uncle who has been a longtime friend from California and Hawaii. Soon after Matthew started apprenticing and learning Sandi’s Nutrition views and methods. Now a senior at Johnson & Wales Matthew is graduating with Bachelors of Science in Food service management and a concentration of wellness and sustainability. He plans to continue working with and consulting for Dharma Nutrition while pursuing a Masters of Gastronomy at Boston University.