Eric D. Ronning, one of the few individuals lucky enough to be a part of Saint Paul Media, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a naturalist emphasis from Bemidji State University. During his years in Bemidji, Eric worked a couple stints for the DNR. One was banding ducks and the other was working as a creel clerk on Leach Lake in Walker MN. Eric also spent several of his school years working at a local pet store called Pet Zone while his now bride-to-be earned her Master’s in English. Through her, Eric met J. Hatch and was soon ensnared not just by his perdy eyes, but also by his great enthusiasm for the project. Way back in February of 2007 Eric wrote his first of many articles for How to Get Rid of Things and has since taken to contributing to How to Clean Things.

These days, Eric is the dwindling manager for a Wild Birds Unlimited store in Eden Prairie, MN. The dwindling is due to the recent shaving of his full time manager status down to part time with the hope of a complete (yet graceful) exit in about a year’s time. This would enable him to devote himself wholly, complete with candlelight vigils, to Saint Paul Media. Eric currently lives in a small apartment in Saint Paul’s left ventricle with his fiancé and co-contributor Amber Luck. As Eric is not yet married, he shares his bed only with two cats, a Siamese cross called Piper and a tortoise shell calico called Nina. Amber sleeps on the couch.

One of Eric’s greatest passions is devoting as much time and energy as possible to the support of the nation’s craft beer movement. Even though it has been awhile, Eric also enjoys brewing his own beer or at least helping friends with theirs. It’s not all about the beer though. Eric also enjoys fishing, pheasant hunting, hiking, cross country skiing, photography, grilling, good cigars, and finally…well…bourbon.