Claudine Arndt began her adventures with MFU in 2011, starting part-time and eventually growing into her role as the Membership and Minnesota Cooks™ Director. Having descended from a long line of farmers, she is passionate about enhancing the quality of life and overall well-being of farmers and rural communities. Drawing from her dedication to food and farming communities and her love of writing and sharing stories, she helped create The Farmer and the Chef: Farm Fresh Minnesota Recipes and Stories on behalf of MFU. With a background in nutrition, Claudine is a longtime fan of quality, local foods and all the goodness they bring to people, the planet and local economies. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks with her husband Mike; spending time on Lake Kabetogama in Voyageur’s National Park; and losing herself in her unruly prairie gardens.