FOOD LAB

A place to learn,
connect, and nourish.

MODERN STONE AGE FOOD LAB

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About Classes Founder Featured Support Us

Backed by Research

Dr. Bill Schindler demonstrating food preparation in a kitchen with attentive audience.

At the Modern Stone Age Food Lab, we are revolutionizing the way people of all ages understand and experience food by reimagining ancestral culinary traditions for a modern, sustainable world. Led by Dr. Bill Schindler, we combine hands-on research, education, and innovation to uncover the dietary practices that built us as a species. Our work addresses critical issues like food access, waste, and the health of both individuals and communities.

We believe everyone—from curious children to lifelong learners—should have the knowledge and skills to transform basic ingredients into the most nourishing foods possible. Through ancestral techniques and sustainable, local ingredients, we empower communities to reconnect with their food and, ultimately, eat like a human.

In-Person Classes

Cooking class with participants learning to make dough. Dr. Bill Schindler guides participants in shaping mozzarella cheese at the Food Lab

Get your hands dirty and work alongside Dr. Bill at the MSA Food Lab in Chestertown, MD. Cheesemaking, sourdough classes, you name it!

We’re hosting classes of all types and for all ages on a rotating basis, so keep an eye on our class schedule!

Online Learning

Dr. Bill Schindler cutting meat in kitchen with shelves of books and cooking utensils in online class

Learn from the comfort of your own kitchen with the MSA Food Lab’s professionally-filmed pre-recorded classes.

Get all the recipes and techniques, go at your own pace, take notes, and interact with the instructor in our online course platform.

Courses coming soon in phase 2 of new website😉

Trips & Retreats

Group of people smiling in front of a large teepee with a scenic landscape in the background, including hills, grass, and a body of water under a blue sky in County Mayo, Ireland on the 2024 Food Tour.

Join us for a culinary adventure! Travel the world with us to uncover ancestral food traditions or create unforgettable private experiences right here at the MSA Food Lab.

From global food tours to hands-on workshops, we’re here to help you connect, create, and eat like a human.

Custom Classes & Retreats

A group of children gathered around Dr. Bill Schindler outside, during a foraging class

Looking for something else? Request a class!

We can support group classes, individual lessons, youth programs and more! Our expertise includes food classes like Animal Fats, Fermentation, Foraging, Fireside Cooking or primitive tech like cordage-making, bow-making, flint-knapping and primitive ceramics.

For me, food has always been at the heart of my work. As an anthropologist and archaeologist, my career took me around the world, exploring how ancestral and indigenous communities harvested, prepared, and shared food. But it wasn’t just about research—it was about applying those traditions to modern life. Together with Christina, I used these techniques to nourish our family, raising our three children on food rooted in ancestral practices.

Teaching has always been central to this mission. For over a decade, I invited students into our home, transforming my research into hands-on experiences. Night after night, we butchered deer, made cheese, ground grains, and discovered the life-changing power of truly connecting with food. Our commitment was so strong that Christina and I even built a commercial kitchen in our basement, creating a space where learning and experimentation could thrive.

Those years laid the foundation for what is now the Modern Stone Age Food Lab. Our mission is to preserve and teach ancestral dietary approaches to food in order to empower people to live a more nourishing, ethical, and sustainable lifestyle. And it all starts here, in Chestertown, MD.

Dr. Bill Schindler

A Lifelong Journey to Revolutionize Food 

Dr. Bill Schindler with beard smiling outdoors, wearing a gray T-shirt with the text "HUNT."
Dr Bill Schindler White_SIGNATURE.
Guanciale or “Italian Cheek Bacon” is the star of next week’s pizza special. Take a look inside of our meat curing chamber to learn more about one of my favorite cured meats. #eatlikeahuman #nutrientdense #curedmeat #guanciale #pizza #nosetotail #wholeanimalbutchery
Grinding organic Kamut berries for a new MSAK Spring sourdough bread. We are experimenting combing ancient gains including spelt and kamut for safety and nourishment with chives, tarragon, parsley and lemon zest for seasonal flavors. First trial is set for Friday!#eatlikeahuman #sourdough #fermentation #traditionalfood
So excited to collaborate with Kent Cultural Alliance for their 2025 SFW Resident Artist Season focused on FOOD. They will be at the Modern Stone Age Kitchen this Friday enjoying our pizza and returning to the Food Lab Saturday to participate in our cheese class. Come say hello and meet these three incredible artists, Sheba, Tory and Radu and of course say hello to director John Schratwieser!#toryRadu
Last night Christina and I shared an incredibly nourishing meal with Jason. It has become our tradition to eat our last meal at F.X. Buckley each time we visit Ireland. We kicked off the meal with lamb kidneys followed by a ribeye topped with foie gras and bone marrow jus. It doesn’t get more nutrient dense, satiating and delicious than this! #eatlikeahuman #nutrientdense #ancestraldiet #traditionaldiet #offal #ancestralfood #nosetotailcooking #nourishing #nosetotail #nourishingfood @themodernstoneage @modernstoneagemomma @jasonhuntergatherer @fxbuckley
We Used to Snack on These Every Day… Until We Learned the Truth Before we knew better, almonds were our go-to snack—we bought them in bulk, thinking they were a healthy choice. But behind the health food label, they were actually wreaking havoc on our health. No more! On our way to the Philly airport tonight, we stopped at the BJ’s we used to shop at all the time to film this quick video because this message is too important not to share. Check out today’s blog post to learn why we’ve completely eliminated almond flour, almond milk, and all almond-based products—and why you might want to reconsider them too. 🔗 Read it here: https://modernstoneage.com/blog/why-we-dont-use-almond-flour-and-never-will-part2 #KnowYourFood #EatLikeAHuman #AlmondFlour #Oxalates #RealFood #ChestertownRestaurant
Not Just Charcuterie—A Deep Connection to Real Food This isn’t just a carefully arranged board. It took 5 months to create. Every single item was made from scratch, right here at Modern Stone Age Kitchen—a true reflection of time, tradition, and craftsmanship. That means: 🧀 The cheeses? Made in-house using Nice Farms milk and traditional methods. 🥩 The meats? Cured using old-world techniques with pasture-raised pork from Langenfelder Farm with Redmond salt 🥕 The vegetables? Fermented for maximum nutrition and gut health. 🥖 The breads? Slow-fermented sourdough, naturally leavened with wild microbes from this very region. The only thing we didn’t make? The Albanian olive oil from Donika—because when you find something that good, you honor it. What’s On the Board? 🧀 Cheese (made from Nice Farms milk): ✔️ Armenian String Cheese ✔️ Fresh Mozzarella ✔️ Scamorza ✔️ Burrata ✔️ Pimento Cheese 🥩 Meats (Langenfelder pasture-raised pork, house-cured): ✔️ Finocchiona Salami ✔️ Calabrese Salami ✔️ Chicken Liver Pâté ✔️ House-Cured Ham 🥕 Fermented & Scratch-Made Vegetables: ✔️ House Lye Cured and Fermented Manzanilla Olives ✔️ Hummus ✔️ Fermented Carrots ✔️ Fermented Sauerkraut 🥖 Sourdough Breads (wild-fermented, of course!): ✔️ Garlic Crostinis ✔️ Grissini (breadsticks) ✔️ Everything & Butter Bite Crackers ✔️ Focaccia Flats Coming This Spring! 👉 Dine-in to try a smaller version of this board. 👉 Now offering catering for your next event! This isn’t just food—it’s a deep connection to place, process, and patience. When it takes 5 months to create, you taste the difference. #Charcuterie #EatLikeAHuman #SourdoughBakery #MadeFromScratch #FermentedFoods #AncestralEating #EasternShore
Happy Birthday Christina! I am in awe of your spirit, your work ethic and your heart. You are the foundation of our family and our team at the @modernstoneagekitchen. You are my rock - and you know I love rocks! @modernstoneagemomma
Happy Birthday Christina! I am in awe of your spirit, your work ethic and your heart. You are the foundation of our family and our team at the @modernstoneagekitchen. You are my rock - and you know I love rocks! @modernstoneagemomma
An ant hill cake? Yep, you heard that right! The most challenging MSAKed up cake I have ever made for one of our employees! Check out what I had to use to make this one - definitely a first for me! And don’t forgot to head over to our restaurant, the @modernstoneagekitchen to see the final product and Tatyana’s reaction!!! #sourdoughbakery #anthillcake #weloveourteam
This guanciale is about as close as you can get to the nose in our nose-to-tail approach! Also known as “cheek bacon” the jowls I just removed from the head of a Kent County Langenfelder Farm pig went into a cure made with salt, cracked w
This guanciale is about as close as you can get to the nose in our nose-to-tail approach! Also known as “cheek bacon” the jowls I just removed from the head of a Kent County Langenfelder Farm pig went into a cure made with salt, cracked white peppercorns, fresh rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes. When it comes out of the cure it will hang in the drying chamber for several weeks before it is ready. It is perfect for pasta carbonara, omelettes, frittatas and anywhere you would use bacon. It is also fantastic simply sliced thin and enjoyed. @modernstoneagekitchen #eatlikeahuman #nourishing #ancestraldiet #nosetotail #nutrientdense #curedmeat
Culatello known as the jewel of Italian salumi is one of my favorite whole muscle cures. This one is made with Langenfelder pork cured with salt, rinsed with wine, sewn into a pig bladder, and tied. It is now ready to hang for 3-5 months in our dryin
Culatello known as the jewel of Italian salumi is one of my favorite whole muscle cures. This one is made with Langenfelder pork cured with salt, rinsed with wine, sewn into a pig bladder, and tied. It is now ready to hang for 3-5 months in our drying chamber. @modernstoneagekitchen #eatlikeahuman #curedmeat #culatello #nutrientdense #nourishingfood #ancestraldiet
Guanciale or “Italian Cheek Bacon” is the star of next week’s pizza special. Take a look inside of our meat curing chamber to learn more about one of my favorite cured meats. #eatlikeahuman #nutrientdense #curedmeat #guanciale #pizz
Grinding organic Kamut berries for a new MSAK Spring sourdough bread. We are experimenting combing ancient gains including spelt and kamut for safety and nourishment with chives, tarragon, parsley and lemon zest for seasonal flavors. First trial is s
So excited to collaborate with Kent Cultural Alliance for their 2025 SFW Resident Artist Season focused on FOOD. They will be at the Modern Stone Age Kitchen this Friday enjoying our pizza and returning to the Food Lab Saturday to participate in our
Last night Christina and I shared an incredibly nourishing meal with Jason. It has become our tradition to eat our last meal at F.X. Buckley each time we visit Ireland. We kicked off the meal with lamb kidneys followed by a ribeye topped with foie gr
We Used to Snack on These Every Day… Until We Learned the Truth Before we knew better, almonds were our go-to snack—we bought them in bulk, thinking they were a healthy choice. But behind the health food label, they were actually wreaki
Not Just Charcuterie—A Deep Connection to Real Food This isn’t just a carefully arranged board. It took 5 months to create. Every single item was made from scratch, right here at Modern Stone Age Kitchen—a true reflection of time,
Happy Birthday Christina! I am in awe of your spirit, your work ethic and your heart. You are the foundation of our family and our team at the @modernstoneagekitchen. You are my rock - and you know I love rocks! @modernstoneagemomma
An ant hill cake? Yep, you heard that right! The most challenging MSAKed up cake I have ever made for one of our employees! Check out what I had to use to make this one - definitely a first for me! And don’t forgot to head over to our resta
This guanciale is about as close as you can get to the nose in our nose-to-tail approach! Also known as “cheek bacon” the jowls I just removed from the head of a Kent County Langenfelder Farm pig went into a cure made with salt, cracked w Culatello known as the jewel of Italian salumi is one of my favorite whole muscle cures. This one is made with Langenfelder pork cured with salt, rinsed with wine, sewn into a pig bladder, and tied. It is now ready to hang for 3-5 months in our dryin

WHAT’S HAPPENING

At the Food Lab

Featured
Join Us for an Unforgettable Culinary Journey Through Ireland! 🇮🇪
Travel & Culture, News
Join Us for an Unforgettable Culinary Journey Through Ireland! 🇮🇪
Travel & Culture, News

Join us July 21-27, 2025, for an exclusive 8-day food and archaeology tour of Ireland that you won’t find in any guidebook! Immerse yourself in traditional Irish cuisine, explore ancient archaeological sites, and enjoy hands-on experiences like foraging, peat digging, and private seaweed baths. Dine with renowned chefs, including a private meal with Ireland’s first 2 Michelin Star chef.

This all-inclusive journey (lodging, meals, transportation & tours - flight not included) is limited to 12 guests, ensuring an intimate and immersive experience.

Travel & Culture, News
The Savage Retreat: A Weekend of Ancestral Living, Butchery & Real Food
Travel & Culture, Education, Personal
The Savage Retreat: A Weekend of Ancestral Living, Butchery & Real Food
Travel & Culture, Education, Personal
Travel & Culture, Education, Personal
It Is Possible: The Future of Truly Nourishing Restaurants
Food, Travel & Culture
It Is Possible: The Future of Truly Nourishing Restaurants
Food, Travel & Culture
Food, Travel & Culture

Meet the Food Lab Board of Directors

  • Dr. Bill Schindler

    Dr. Bill Schindler

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    United States of America

  • Christina Schindler

    Christina Schindler

    PRESIDENT
    United States of America

  • Rick Wheeler

    Rick Wheeler

    TREASURER
    United States of America

  • Angela Holocker

    Angela Holocker

    SECRETARY
    United States of America

  • Cliffe Arrand

    Cliffe Arrand

    BOARD MEMBER
    Mongolia

  • Alex Atala

    Alex Atala

    BOARD MEMBER
    Brazil

  • STEPHEN MCAULIFFE

    Stephen McAuliffe

    BOARD MEMBER
    United States of America

  • Jason O'Brien

    Jason O'Brien

    BOARD MEMBER
    Ireland

  • Delia Stirling

    Delia Stirling

    BOARD MEMBER
    Kenya

Support the Lab

At the Modern Stone Age Food Lab, we’re transforming the way people think about food, health, and community. Your support makes this mission possible.

By donating, you’re not just helping us teach others; you’re helping create a future where food is nourishing, ethical, and sustainable for everyone. Thank you for your generosity!

Zeffy, our payment service provider is a fee-free platform. There is an auto-filled suggested additional donation field in the form, but this amount is to cover their banking fees and does not go to the Food Lab in any way. You can set it to zero if you’d like.

Food Lab Collage

A 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization

Overhead view of sourdough sandwiches and salads with chips and beer on a wooden table.

MENU

Commercial waffle maker with sourdough batter overflow; kitchen setting.
Family dining outdoors at Modern Stone Age Kitchen, enjoying food and drinks.

RESERVATIONS

Person pouring syrup over sourdough pancakes with butter on top, blueberries on side, hands holding forks.
Wood-fired oven with sourdough pizza inside and flames visible at Modern Stone Age Kitchen
Logo of Modern Stone Age Food Lab with abstract geometric design.

CHESTERTOWN, MD

Bread pudding with sauce on a plate using sourdough croissant loaf
Selection of cheese with olive oil and bread slices on a wooden board and plates

TAKE-OUT

Family enjoying pizza at Modern Stone Age Kitchen

HOURS

Platter of assorted scratch-made meats including sausages and bacon with a baked dish on a wooden table.
Dr. Bill Schindler preparing sourdough near an industrial oven in a bakery.
Sourdough breakfast sandwich with egg on an everything but the oxalates bagel, ketchup on the side, and a Bloody Mary cocktail garnished with celery and green peppers.

BAKERY

Food has always been central to my research and teaching… 

For years, I would have students at the house, night-after-night, butchering deer, making cheese and grinding grains to provide valuable hands-on opportunities to bring to life what they learned in the classroom. This mission was so important to us that Christina and I even built a commercial kitchen in our basement!  I didn’t realize it then, but those ten years spent teaching out of the house were laying the foundation for the Schindler Food Lab.

Now, the vision is bigger. We want to change the relationship humans have with food, by revitalizing ancient dietary practices. And we’re starting right here, in Chestertown, MD.

Dr. Bill Schindler smiling with a beard wearing a grey t-shirt outdoors
Signature with cursive script on a white background.

Dr. Bill Schindler