The Creators
We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love for purposeful work, thoughtful design, and real connection.
Chef Jametta Raspberry
What began in 2023 as thirty friends around a borrowed table has become, in her hands, an annual immersive dining experience honoring Black food systems — a single seating in the field, in reverence for the farmers, growers, and chefs who have always fed us.
Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu with nearly two decades of experience across catering, event production, and immersive dining, Jametta is the founder of House of Gristle — a Twin Cities culinary studio whose work is rooted in Creole, Caribbean, Southern, and Midwest Asian influences, executed with classical French technique. Her cuisine is precise. Her rooms are intentional. Her hospitality is a form of storytelling.
Prior to House of Gristle, Jametta served as Executive Director of Roots for the Home Team, where she led a youth-driven urban agriculture and culinary program in partnership with the Minnesota Twins. Her work has been featured in Vice, HuffPost, Rolling Out, The Growler, and the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She is a founding committee member of the Salt Cure Fund at the Minneapolis Foundation, a Charlie Awards Rising Star, a recipient of the L'Étoile du Nord Award from Minnesota United FC, and a Facing Race Award honoree from The Saint Paul Foundation.
Across every project, Jametta leads with reverence, craft, and cultural intention — designing tables where the food is only the beginning, and where the room itself becomes an act of return.
Founder, Culinary Director & Curator
Jhaelynn Elam
Co-Producer
In 2022 she had the pleasure of attending the very first Black to the Farm dinner and knew immediately she had to be part of bringing it to life again and again. With a background in food and a deep passion for community, Black to the Farm is where Jhaelynn's two greatest passions converge.
A graduate of Tuskegee University with a master's degree in Food Science from The Ohio State University, Jhaelynn began her career in science before turning her analytical, systems-focused lens toward community-centered work. That same lens shapes her broader portfolio: she is the founder of The B Suite, a professional community platform connecting Black professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs through programs like the Kinfolk Collective Marketplace, Nine to Thrive, A Seat at HER Table, and the Black Founders Brunch — each designed to strengthen belonging, leadership, and opportunity.
Jhaelynn serves as Co-Chair of the Minnesota Chapter of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum's Making History Network, and sits on the boards of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Love First Community Engagement. She is a Forbes Next 1000 honoree and a 2026 40 Under 40 recipient from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Across every venture, Jhaelynn leads with heart, strategy, and cultural intention — building the rooms she once needed, and the tables where her community can gather, grow, and build.
Chef Gary Sherwood
A highly versatile and prominent culinary leader in the Twin Cities, currently serving as the Executive Chef of Salt & Flour in the North Loop of downtown Minneapolis. Renowned for his expertise with char, deep-stewed profiles, and global fusion, Sherwood has built a diverse portfolio across some of Minnesota’s most celebrated kitchens.
Born and raised in Minneapolis he has led culinary teams in the twin cities since early 2014 as an executive chef at Masu Sushi and Noodles: Refining precision cutting and Asian flavor dynamics over a foundational four-year tenure with local chef Tim McKee, which created a platform for him to work along side the team at the Handsome Hog in lower town St. Paul redefining soul food classics, working with some of the states best chefs.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, chef Sherwood was highly regarded for utilizing his craft to support the local community. He teamed up with regional food trucks to package and distribute thousands of hot, fresh meals to Minnesota school children and local homeless shelters.
He has also worked at other prominent culinary institutions such as Just/us eatery, Travail, Petite Leon and Public Domain, and refined his talents with charred and smoked meat on the nationally recognized food truck Boomin Barbecue.
His goal is to inspire and mentor the next generation to bring culturally diverse cuisine to the forefront by focusing on the stories the plates and ingredients will tell, far before and after the meal will end.
Executive Chef