Dan Barber is a chef a writer, a food philosopher, and a passionate advocate for regional farm networks.

Dan graduated from Tufts University in 1992 with a degree in English. He then enrolled in The International Culinary Center's Classic Culinary Arts program, graduating in 1994. After a stint on the West Coast as a bread baker, and working in several restaurants in Paris and the South of France, he returned to New York to cook at the original Bouley until it closed in 1996.

In May of 2000, Dan opened Blue Hill restaurant in New York City with family members David and Laureen Barber. Four years later, they established Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York. Sourcing from the surrounding fields and pasture, as well as other local farms, the restaurant highlights the abundant resources of the Hudson Valley.

Dan has extended his culinary philosophy into his writing, penning pieces for the New York Times, along with articles in Gourmet, The Nation, Saveur, and Food & Wine. His efforts to create a consciousness around our everyday food choices have led him to the World Economic Forum's 2010 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, as well as to TED2010, where his talk looked toward a new ecological approach to cuisine.

Appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, Dan continues the work that he began as a member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture's board of directors: to blur the line between the dining experience and the educational, bringing the principles of good farming directly to the table.

Both Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns have received James Beard nominations for Best New Restaurant, and Dan was awarded Best Chef: New York City (2006) and Outstanding Chef (2009). In 2009, he was named one of the world's most influential people in Time's annual "Time 100".