B.A. Wilson

When I was 15 years old, I got my first food job as a busboy at the International House of Pancakes in Atlanta. I paid my way through high school and college working in restaurants and bars, graduating from Northern Arizona University with a degree in journalism.

After a decade as a reporter, I chose to lay down my pen and pick up my knife again. I went back to school at the University of Tennessee’s culinary program to sharpen my skills and learn the business side of running a commercial food operation. Upon graduation, I began working at one of Knoxville’s premier restaurants in hopes of saving enough money to open a gourmet food truck. I finished the build-out of my rig in October 2013 and hit the streets of Knoxville, Tennessee. I relocated to Dahlonega, Georgia, three years later and started a mini farm on five acres to complement the food truck. I have since relocated back to Tennessee, where I reside on a 71-acre farm outside the small town of Decatur.

Over the years, I have vended at numerous festivals and catered countless events, building a great reputation and an impressive collection of original recipes. In addition to operating Gonzo Gourmet and Gonzo Gourmet Farm, I teach culinary courses at the University of Tennessee and have written a cookbook, Gonzo Gourmet: Tales and Tastes from a Farmer and His Food Truck. I have been featured in several publications and news broadcasts. Throughout my journalism career, I earned numerous awards as a reporter. I have not yet earned any farming awards, but my loving wife and daughter say I am pretty good at it.