Sean Buchanan

Business Development Manager, Black River Produce, Vermont

Sean Buchanan graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science from Virginia Tech in 1998. He soon ventured out to the mountains of Colorado and found a new passion for regional and seasonal foods. While cooking during a two-year stint in Austin TX, Sean found himself researching and studying the local food movement. After getting married on the coast of Maine he and his wife settled down in Vermont. Sean began to shape his style of food through simplicity, bold flavors, and seasonality of ingredients. While Executive Chef of the Middlebury Inn Sean wrote and filmed Vermont Public Television’s “Feast in the Making”. The six episode series connected viewers to their local farmers, producers, and chefs. In 2008 Sean became the Executive Chef of Solstice at the brand new Stowe Mountain Lodge. At this luxury hotel Sean proved that farm to hotel can be profitable and that high volume is not a constraint to local foods if you are committed and willing to work one-on-one with produc- ers. Sean currently works for Black River Produce, a local produce and specialty foods
distributor, helping local chefs integrate sustainable ingredients into their menus. He is the food column contributor for the Stowe Reporter and is an advocate for local growers, producers, and small businesses that focus on building Vermont’s agricultural community through its food system. Sean regularly sits on various state and nonprofit panels to help develop new innovations in small-scale agriculture.