Who We Are
Hi! We are Jonathan and Dana, a couple living in Peshawbestown, MI.
After living in Austin, TX for most of our adult lives, we moved to Northern Michigan in the midst of the pandemic, excited by the abundance of beauty and public land this place has to offer. We were immediately blown away by the incredible food and farming scene here and quickly started up our vegan spring roll business, Roll Model. With Jonathan’s history of cooking professionally in Austin and West Texas and my background in visual arts, the business focused on beautiful and nutritious food sourced as locally as possible.
In the summer of 2022, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and began treatment. The day I received the diagnosis, Jonathan came home early from work with a grocery bag of my favorite foods and took to the kitchen. He cooked me dinner every night from then on, navigating my wildly changing nutritional needs, food phobias, and fluctuating appetite. I watched him channel his fears and anxieties throughout this terrifying time into ever more beautiful dishes, always focused on health and local produce. We sat down at the table together every night, and it got us through. We witnessed the power of food as medicine, as routine, as connection, as land, as health.
That winter we purchased a house on a few gorgeous acres in Peshawbestown and settled into the snow while I healed from multiple surgeries and Jonathan cooked. In the spring, ready to emerge, we began to discover the land around us; medicine everywhere. Violets and comfrey, mallow and wild geranium, nettle and dandelion, ramps and oregano. The land provided. Blackberries and raspberries in the summer, goldenrod and apples in the fall. One of the very first to emerge, though, was a plant that nourished us and many others throughout the spring, fall, and summer:
Mint.
Mint Culinary was born that summer, as we introduced the public to Jonathan’s passion for providing nutritious, delicious, beautiful and bespoke meals, and my love of foraging from the wild land. We began cooking elaborate meals for clients in their own homes featuring our favorite items from our favorite local partners, including many elements from our own land. We aim to continue providing care, comfort, and community with every dish we make.
Roll Model is now owned and run by our dear friends and former employees, Jess Ryan and Abigail Hodge, who have so many exciting ideas for the business. We couldn’t be happier about it!
Jonathan also works as an Addiction Recovery Coach based in Traverse City, where he provides support and resources for individuals struggling with substance use disorder.
Dana is a visual artist and songwriter, focusing on chainstitch embroidery and painting the natural and wild world around us, which she sells on her website.