Born in San Diego,California, and raised in Virginia, Eric Skokan studied history at The University of Virginia. After graduation, he moved around the country working in some of the best restaurant kitchens. In 2006, he and his wife, Jill, opened Black Cat Farm Table Bistro inBoulder and followed it a year later with Black Cat Farm. In 2012, he openedBramble & Hare in Boulder. Both restaurants showcase Eric’s long-held goal of growing and raising most of the food that he serves guests. With nearly 250 varieties of vegetables, grains, legumes and herbs as well as hundreds of heritage pigs and sheep, Black Cat Farm achieves true farm-to-table experiences for guests. Now, Eric runs the nation’s largest full-scale farm and restaurant group, with the farm achieving both USDA organic and Demeter biodynamic certifications — the only of its kind in the nation. In addition, in 2019 Black Cat kicks-off an energetic farm dinner program, with elegant fine-dining experiences on the farm throughout the growing season. Eric’s hard work and vision earned him a 2017 James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Southwest. And his 2014 book, Farm, Fork, Food: A Year of Spectacular Recipes Inspired byBlack Cat Farm, was a finalist for a national International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) award for Best American Cookbook. Eric and his farm are participants in research projects with universities and research organizations on sustainable agriculture.