Biographical note

Susan L. Slocum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Tourism and Event Management at George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia. Sue has worked on regional planning and development for 15 years and worked with rural communities in Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Her primary focus is on rural sustainable development, policy implementation, and food tourism, specifically working with small businesses and communities in less advantaged areas. Sue received her doctoral education from Clemson University and has worked at the University of Bedfordshire, UK, and Utah State University.

Kynda R. Curtis is a Professor and Extension Agriculture and Food Marketing Specialist in the Department of Applied Economics at Utah State University, Logan, Utah. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Washington State University in 2003. Her research interests include international agriculture/food marketing, consumer demand for specialty foods, and behavioral economics. As an Extension Specialist, Dr. Curtis assists small-scale growers in developing new markets for their products and assessing the feasibility of new products and value-added processes. Dr. Curtis has received several awards including Extension group program awards from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and the Western Agricultural Economics Association (WAEA) and the AAEA Presidential Recognition Award.