Madison, Mollie Katzen, and the Biggest Farmers Market Ever

Just finished up a fun, fun, fun weekend here in Madison, Wisconsin. (I'm writing this blog from the kind of cafe I wish we had more of in New York City: Big, airy, with lots of folks studying, talking, reading.) I was brought out here to join in the 8th Annual Food for Thought Festival. My first time at the Festival was in 2000 when my mother presented with Jose Bove and I got stung by a yellow jacket and spent the rest of my time doped on Benadryl diligently trying every farmer's remedy for a bee sting.

This year, I presented with Mollie Katzen (of Moosewood Cookbook fame). Mollie has a new book out with one of my all-time public health heroes, Dr. Walter Willett, called Eat, Drink, & Lose Weight. (One thing I learned on this trip: If Mollie ever wants to give up her career as a multi-million copy cookbook author, she could always go into stand-up comedy. She had us all in stitches.) We were joined by Wisconsin farmer Jim Goodman, who is an articulate voice for sane and sustainable food and farm policy -- and pretty darn funny in his own right.