Who we are
Hands in the dirt. Food on the table.
Culinary Earth Educational Foundation builds and maintains community gardens and provides garden, culinary, nutrition, and food education for people of all ages.
What we do
Rooted in community
We build and maintain community gardens — including small-scale urban gardens across Indianapolis. We provide hands-on cooking classes for children, families, and adults, and create service opportunities for Master Gardeners and other volunteers.
The work is practical, local, and grounded in the belief that food education belongs to everyone.
"When we cook together, we stop being strangers."
What drives us
Mission & values
To build and maintain community gardens, provide hands-on food and culinary education, and connect people of all ages across Indianapolis and beyond to the food they grow.
Radical welcome
No experience required. No prerequisites. Our programs are designed to meet people exactly where they are.
Hands in the soil
We believe learning happens through doing. Every program we run is practical, tactile, and grounded in real food.
Community first
We are not a school or a restaurant. We are a community organization. Our success is measured in relationships, not credentials.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Culinary Earth Educational Foundation is guided by a small board with deep roots in culinary arts and farm management.
Jonathan L. Velde
President and Treasurer
Chef Jon Velde brings more than two decades of professional culinary expertise to Culinary Earth Educational Foundation. His career spans traditional French, American, and Mediterranean cuisine, with a deep commitment to craft, seasonal ingredients, and the kind of cooking that brings people together.
Based in Indianapolis, Chef Velde is the founder of Broken Husk Fine Catering and a recognized leader in the city's culinary community. His work is guided by a belief that exceptional food — prepared with intention — has the power to transform any gathering into something truly memorable.
Mitch Roberts
Secretary
With more than a decade of hands-on farm management experience, Mitch brings the kind of grounded, practical knowledge that turns good intentions into productive growing seasons. He understands soil, systems, and the steady work it takes to keep a garden not just alive but thriving.
Mitch's expertise helps Culinary Earth stay rooted in what actually works — keeping our programs on pace, our growing spaces healthy, and our long-term goals within reach.
We don't do this alone
Partners & supporters
Our work is made possible by a network of local farms, community organizations, foundations, and individual donors who believe in the power of food education. We are grateful for every partnership.
Come be part of it.
Whether you want to learn, teach, volunteer, or give — there's a place for you at Culinary Earth.