Internships can inspire and change lives. And, that’s just what an internship did for Laurey Masterton when she worked with Nora Pouillion, the creator of the very first 100 percent certified organic restaurant in the U.S. When Laurey opened her café and catering business, Laurey’s: Catering and Gourmet Comfort Food, in downtown Asheville, she drew on her internship experience and decided to expand the work she had begun with local farmers. She now works with over twenty different farms to put locally produced and consciously created foods on her menus. When not working directly with farmers, she serves on the board of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

What is your motto?
Don’t postpone joy.

When are you the happiest?
I’m very happy at work, and I’m also very happy at home. I’m trying to make sure I am happy no matter where I am and no matter what I am doing; I’m even happy doing money things, which used to terrify me!

Before I die, I’d like to…
Take a dory trip down the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, go hiking in Switzerland in the summertime as well as ski there, and hike the Long Trail in Vermont.

Who is/are your hero/es?
I admire Ellen DeGeneres for her courage and individualism. Garrison Keillor is high on my list, as well as Nora Pouillion [mentor from internship].

What has been your favorite journey so far?
A trip to Provence, a gift for my fortieth birthday. I spent two weeks traveling from market to market being dazzled by the produce and bounty.

What will be your next journey or project?
Next journey, hmmm….I’m actively traveling to promote my new book right now (Elsie’s Biscuits: Simple Stories of Me, My Mother, and Food), so the immediate travel urge is being taken care of nicely. I’m at the beginning stages of creating the vision for my business and my life’s next five-ten years. I’m a wide-open canvas at this point, but the new picture could very well involve more study of glassblowing, which is a very new passion for me.

Where is your favorite local spot to unwind?
My deck is pretty fine. I sit there with my dog, my cat and my partner. We all listen to the birds, watch the light changing and slow down.
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