The Two Americas of Food:Reflections on the 2007 Farm Bill

Check out my post (the first!) on Huffington Post!

I'm in DC at the National Family Farm Coalition meeting. Just heard from agricultural activists in Venezuela who shared some of the amazing work that they've been doing there (will post more on it here or elsewhere in the blogosphere). And, heard about this new book, Food Fight: A Citizen's Guide to the Farm Bill, which I won't have time to read for a little stint, but wanted everyone to know about. Sounds really interesting. The countdown has begun for Mali and the North American delegation for the Food Sovereignty meeting is having a launch party tonight at Busboys & Poets. If you're in DC, come on down!

"Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy" Launch

Small Planet Institute is one of 350 endorsers to a declaration for a set of policy proposals for shifting resources allocated in the farm bill and promoting other policy changes that would improve the sustainability of farm production as well as address hunger and healthy by help more of us access healthy foods. You can read the full report here. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved, too.

Farm Bill Forum

If you're in the New York City area and can join us on Thursday, please come out for what will be a hugely educational day: The Small Planet Institute is one of the co-hosts of the Northeast Regional Farm Bill Forum. Panels will include folks that will help us make sense of the impact of U.S. farm and food policy as well as share ideas about how to shift the policy toward a more sustainable (and sane) direction. All the details are below. --Anna

On January 25, 2007 the Hunger & Environmental Nutrition Special Interest Group of the Greater New York Dietetic Association, in partnership with Hunter College of the City University of New York, Just Food, the New York City Nutrition Education Network, and Oxfam America is sponsoring a full-day, Northeast Regional educational forum and networking event on the upcoming 2007 Farm Bill. This event will bring together expert speakers from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions to discuss our nation’s most important agricultural legislation, including issues of farming, Federal food and nutrition programs, commodity subsidies, rural development, environmental sustainability, international trade, food access and food security. Participants will take part in lively discussion around the local, regional, national, and global impacts of the Farm Bill and learn how to become a part of making change. Registration is closed with the exception of press requests.
WHO: Featuring speakers and panelists from: The American Dietetic Association, Bread for the World, the Council on the Environment for NYC, Community Food Security Coalition, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Food Bank for NYC, Food Research and Action Center, FoodChange, the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, the NYC Council Office, NYC Coalition Against Hunger, NYC Nutrition Education Network, National Family Farm Coalition, Oxfam America, Small Planet Institute, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the W. Rogowski Farm, and World Hunger Year.
WHERE:
Hunter College ’s Brookdale Campus
425 East 25th Street
Between 1st Avenue and the FDR Drive
New York City, NY 10010
8:00 am-5:00 pm

Everything You Need to Know About the Farm Bill

Okay, maybe that's slight hyperbole, but Dan Barber (friend, chef, and creative director of Blue Hill at Stone Barns) hits all the right points in "Amber Fields of Bland", his op-ed in today's New York Times. As you probably know if you've found yourself here, the Farm Bill is up for renegotiation this year and so there's lots of heated debate about how the Bill could actually (imagine this!) promote healthy farms and healthy food. As a chef, Dan's got a particularly interesting perspective. (It doesn't hurt that he's a sharp writer, too). --Anna