thought pieces

By Joanna Winkler

January 20, 2009, the date that has been plastered across t-shirts, car bumpers, and American minds for over a year, is just around the corner. Because of the imminent (and eminent) inauguration of Barak Obama, this post will focus on what environmental and food-minded people expect from the next administration.

First off, there is the prospect of a Victory Garden at the White House. The food from the garden would be served in the First Kitchen and distributed to local food pantries. Additionally, it would bring attention to local food issues and hopefully inspire a revolution of American gardening. What is especially exciting about the idea for this garden is that YOU can help to make it a reality. The proposal is one of thirty ideas that you can vote for at change.org that will be presented to President Obama the day before the inauguration. You can vote in two places, first at www.OnDayOne.org, the issue being “Eat the View.” Next, vote at http://www.change.org/ideas/view/green_the_white_house. 

In less hopeful news, former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack will become the next Secretary of Agriculture. You know what that means: subsidies and subsidies, with a side order of subsidies. If you want to speak out against his nomination, you can sign a petition to the US Senate at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/t/8516/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1783. 

Additionally, the Defenders of Wildlife believe that President Obama could stimulate the dire economy by creating 60,000 much needed green jobs. These jobs would include reconnecting habitats across highways, combating invasive species, and rehabilitating native forests and prairies. Green jobs would also affect new energy policies because workers would help to make buildings more efficient and to install alternative energy systems. Encourage President Obama and your senators to create these jobs to help both the environment and the economy!

Finally, check out this Op-Ed by Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson. It’s smart, touching, and a reminder of how important Real Food is.
 

Anim Steel, Director of National Programs, spoke at the Real Food Summit at Yale University.  This meeting was the first one in the Northeast and it was sponsored by The Food Project, Yale Sustainable Food Project and Brown’s Sustainable Food Initiative.

This speech was a keynote address at the November conference.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

My main job is to talk about The Real Food Challenge, the national campaign that this conference is associated with…and I’m going to do that.  

But I want to start by putting it in context…to share with you what I think the deep meaning of it and of our gathering is. I want to build on what Josh has already done and try to situate us historically—how what we are doing fits into a long view of the past and future.

What came to mind when I thought about how to do this was a mental journey—a journey that would take us through three doors…three doors separated by time and space.  Each of these three doors represents a different insight into our work.

I'll admit up front that I am going to be making some links that are new for me…that are pushing the envelope of my own thoughts and maybe yours as well.  I hope you will receive it in the spirit of pushing the kind of conversation and debate that Josh called for.