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By Rose Hayden-Smith; Originally posted on her Victory Grower Blog.

In 2009, under the leadership of Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, the USDA launched its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative with an eye toward supporting local and regional agriculture. The list of the initiative's goals is lengthy and includes promoting locally and regionally produced and processed foods, expanding access to affordable and fresh food and demonstrating the explicit connections between food, agriculture, communities and the environment. 

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food is a USDA-wide effort.  It is not a new department, but rather, an effort that seeks to more effectively connect existing USDA departments and work to strengthen local and regional food systems.

We know that demand for local and regional foods is strong. Per USDA statistics, the number of farmers markets has more than tripled in the past 15 years and there are now more than 7,175 around the country. The community supported agriculture (CSA) model has grown from 2 operations in 1986 to more than 4,000 today.  Farm-to-school programs have experienced...

First published on Mocha Manual and Lifetime Moms.

Dear white women,

I know the breastfeeding world is all abuzz over reports that Beyonce breastfed her beautifully brown Blue Ivy in public last week and that we consider this a victory for all nursing moms everywhere, but I need to claim this moment for African American women. And I need to ask you to step aside or better yet, step behind us in support, while we relish this extremely significant time.

You see as you may have heard, black women have had historically low breastfeeding initiation and duration rates for over 40 years. And while we had made some solid gains in initiation, when it comes to the gold standard of nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, we have a lot of work to do. But when it comes to the power of celebrity breastfeeding role models, to normalize breastfeeding, add the lifestyle cache and make it trendy like has happened among white women, we have very few. The fabulous Laila Ali comes to mind. But not many others.

And certainly nowhere of the A-list nature of your breastfeeding celebrity roster which includes: Angelina Jolie (on...

IATP Food and Community Fellow Francis Thicke and his wife, Susan, of Radiance Dairy, Fairfield, IA, were honored today as the 2012 MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year at the 2012 Organic Farming Conference. The MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year Award is given annually to an organic farmer practicing outstanding land stewardship, innovation, and outreach.

According to the announcement in the Organic Broadcaster:

Francis recommends farmers "listen to your inner agronomist, not be so tied to preconceived notions, and be more fluid" in making management decisions. This is how the Thicke dairy herd is managed, with young stock and production animals given feeds and living conditions that respect their needs and natural behaviors. Using the tools that nature provides and remaining open and responsive to their livestock's subtle messages, the Thickes have a productive and profitable dairy operation, supported by a constantly improving land base.

Read the full announcement on the MOSES website and visit the Thicke farm by watching a recent video produced by the Perennial Plate.

By Andrea King Collier

Originally published on the Williams Sonoma Blog.

I cooked with my folks when I was little –cookies, breads, etc. but it wasn’t until I got out on my own that I fell in love with cooking. I got invited to a dinner with a group of women who were older than me. The food was amazing, but the conversation about cooking changed my life.  I was resistant to becoming a person who cooks. I wanted to be out changing the world, writing books and telling stories. I said as much, and well that was like throwing the gauntlet down. They talked about all their experiences in the kitchen and the joy they got from being “food artists.” They weren’t chefs. They were everyday women who saw the beauty in preparing food.

When someone dies, people cook food and bring it. It says “I love you. I care about you. We are bonded.” When someone who really knows what they are doing makes a cake, they channel love, creativity and art. When somebody is sick with a cold, you roll up your sleeves and make a chicken soup, that seems to have a healing power.  I had never looked at cooking in that way before I heard these women talk about the art of cooking, and the power of the cook.

I was so excited and rushed home to start my love affair with cooking. It didn’t take long...