Homegrown and Homemade is a hand-illustrated cookbook featuring recipes inspired by customers of The Stand at Ridgemere Farms, a farm market in Highland, MI, owned by artist and author Olivia Colasanti. The goal of Homegrown and Homemade is to counter the diet industry, social media, and manipulative marketing tactics that have contributed to the development of an unhealthy food culture within our society and the widespread notion that it's hard to come by nutritious and enjoyable food. Instead, the book showcases that growing and cooking fresh produce can be a fulfilling and positive experience. This farm-to-table book features Olivia's watercolor paintings and graphic design work. The making of the cookbook echoes the effort it takes to make something truly homegrown and homemade. The book celebrates the joy of cooking with local produce, highlighting the importance of community and connecting to the environment.
Olivia Colasanti is an illustrator and graphic designer. In her artwork, she aspires to challenge concepts that have become normalized in our society. Her work focuses on breaking body image ideals, bringing feminine inequalities to the surface, and exploring ways to healthier living.
