Irene Van Riper grew up in Northern California and earned her BA in cultural anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2012. In Santa Cruz, work in agroecology and sustainable farming systems brought her to North Mississippi, where she completed research for her undergraduate thesis. In 2014, Irene returned to Mississippi to earn her MA in Southern Studies through the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. She is currently writing her thesis about challenges and opportunities in the development of local food systems in North Mississippi.