Jennifer Schell is a farmer鈥檚 daughter, so she鈥檚 always known the value of Okanagan agriculture.

So it was only natural for her to spend much of her career getting everyone else caught up.

鈥淭he people you meet in the food and wine industry in the Okanagan are amazing and passionate, and what they do inspires me in life,鈥� Schell said.

That inspiration has seemingly created boundless amounts of energy.

On any given day she may be promoting a local foodie event, writing her Wine Trail鈥檚 column, coming up with course material for Okanagan college鈥檚 culinary program or, as has been the case for the last couple of years, writing cookbooks that are both well loved in the community and award winning in the literary world.

The latter, however, is where she really shines.

Schell first broke into the cookbook scene in 2012 with The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine & Cheese Maker.

It won cookbook awards across the globe, and a non-fiction prize.

She followed that effort up with a 鈥渂y the sea鈥� version that came out last year and focuses on coastal food producers.

In recent months she updated The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine & Cheese Maker in the Okanagan.

鈥淪ince 2012 the awareness around agriculture and food has really grown,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hen I sat down to update the cookbook I felt so inspired by all the changes I鈥檝e seen.

鈥淚 am part of the community and these people are my friends, so I hit the ground running.鈥�

One of the biggest revelations for her was the new ways farming is being completed.

鈥淲e have a new generation of farmers who are finding ways to farm by leasing and borrowing small lots of land,鈥� she said.

These farmers are squeaking in wherever they can, growing what they can.

As she embarked on this latest cookbook, she also saw a new generation of people interested in homesteading.

That, she said, was pretty amazing.

These young farmers aren鈥檛 motivated by wealth or accolades.

They鈥檝e merely prioritized food security and the lifestyle that goes with food production.

That lifestyle, she said, is priceless.

鈥淕rowing up, my cousins and I lived on the farm and we always had people just stopping by,鈥� she said.

鈥淢y oma and opa would invite them in and they would stop and , have coffee or wine. 鈥�

That鈥檚 what it鈥檚 like with these young farmers.

A glimpse into that world can be found in Schell鈥檚 cookbooks.

Dozens of recipes match locally produced foods with local chef鈥檚 imaginations鈥攁nd there鈥檚 a wine pairing, to boot.

Schell鈥檚 write-ups and photographs also go a long way in telling the Okanagan鈥檚 farm to plate story.

鈥淚 get so excited when I flip through the book,鈥� she said.