Guest Post: 24 Women Food and Agriculture Reporters You Should Know About

Here's a guest post this month by Naomi Starkman over at Civil Eats. The critical role these women play allows us to stay abreast of what's happening on the Hill and beyond that impacts our farms and our plates. (I would add Naomi Starkman to this list!)

If you're interested in following women food journalists work and thoughts on food, Civil Eats just created a Twitter group that will keep you in the know.

24 Women Food and Agriculture Reporters You Should Know About
Women are the backbone of today’s food media. Take a look at our site and you’ll not only see that most of our contributors are women, but many of our featured stories are focused on female food movement leaders and projects spearheaded by women. And yet, the women reporting on this issue area don’t always get the attention they deserve.
Read more...  

GMO Labeling Update

Just last week on Civil Eats I posted this article about the latest industry attempt to keep us in the dark about whether or not we're eating genetically modified organisms (better known as GMOs). Since this posting Vermont has passed their GMO labeling bill and over 30 states have legislation in the works including California.

As a person who prioritizes organic foods whenever I eat and shop, I'm dismayed to know that GMOs are still finding their way into my home and body via prepared foods and especially gluten-free choices. Are they in yours? Probably: The Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food, Big Ag's latest group created to squash GMO labeling efforts (among other things), says that GMOs are in 80% of the foods found in our stores. Only 7% of the population in this country doesn't care about whether or not they are labelled. It's time that our voices - the voices of the 93% - are heard.

Please join me in telling the FDA that you agree that we have the right to know what's in our food by signing two online petitions both here and here. Thank you for taking action!

Rural Chicks Mob the CA Small Farm Conference

Marissa Thornton of Thornton Dairy. Photo John Burgess.

If you're in Northern California, join me and the Rural Chicks on Tuesday, March 11th at the California Small Farm Conference in Rohnert Park, CA from 9:15 AM - 10:30 PM.

I can't wait to hear what these rowdy, talented, whip-smart ladies share. Farmer-panelists include Andrea Davis-Cetina of Quarter Acre Farm, Samantha Gilweit a former pig farmer, Lynda Hopkins of Foggy River Farm and Marissa Thornton of Thornton Dairy, with yours truly as moderator. I'll have some copies of "Farmer Jane" on hand for anyone interested.

About the Rural Chicks
The Rural Chicks is a 75-member group of farming women in Northern California that get together monthly for local dinners and dishing about the field of food and farming.

Shifting Gears

 We believe we have a lot to learn from women food producers about how to foster true resilience, how to live on a finite planet, how to consume less and share more, how to foster compassion and courage, and finally, how to wake up and engage with present daunting realities. 

What do women farmers, sustainable food, the next generation and bikes have in common? A project called Shifting Gears.

Led by Caitrin Hall and Lake Buckley, Shifting Gears is an inspiring feat that took the motivations of “Farmer Jane” – exploring and celebrating women’s contributions to sustainable agriculture - on the road. It bodes well for the next generation of women changemakers that these two twenty-somethings designed a project that would bring them closer to women in their fields while utilizing the most benign form of transportation, the bicycle.

Caitrin Hall

From New York to California, nearly 4,000 miles, Caitrin and Lake visited urban and rural women-led farming operations alike. Call it an extensive informational interview of sorts, they rode to achieve “layers of dialogue, the documentation of alternative food systems, the female perspective, and bicycle transportation as inter-related mechanisms for change towards a more just and compassionate food system.” I call it - pure inspiration.

While the interrelationship between agriculture and bicycling may seem obscure, sustainable food advocates realize that the reduction of the externalities caused by the distribution of our food presents one of the biggest challenges in making our food system truly sustainable. Namely, that to achieve our desired carbon-neutral, environment-enhancing food system, we inherently need to tackle not only off-farm inputs and biodiversity, but also the mode in which we get food on peoples' tables. Despite this desire bicycles still play a minor role in farm delivery systems despite the creation of farms such as the women-led Ten Speed Greens in Florida. Caitrin and Lake didn't cover any such farms but they did successfully bring distribution into the project's dialogue by simply riding to each destination. 

Lake Buckley

Along their trip Lake and Caitrin got some serious road miles on their legs and their visits opened their eyes to the realities of farming as a woman in the U.S.; they discovered how women are successful and learned about the disparities that women still face; and ultimately, they found hope in meeting some of the members of the fastest growing demographic to own and operate farms in the U.S. 

Inspired all to heck by the Shifting Gears trip, I caught up with these young, enthusiastic cyclists on the last leg of their journey close to my home in California to glean what they learned. Here's what they had to say:

FJ: What did you learn about women farmers that surprised you most? 

Lake: The amount of discrimination out there surprised me. We knew about the lawsuits [against the USDA] and that discrimination was present, but we hadn’t experienced the telling first hand. That was really eye-opening.

Caitrin: For example, one farmer in Fairfield Idaho can’t get her compost delivered to her farm unless it’s ordered on behalf of her husband. They refused delivery to a woman. And since she doesn’t have a confrontational personality, she continues calling in the orders on behalf of her husband even though she’s the farmer and her husband is not.

Also, when we were in Iowa we learned about the challenges of women who have inherited land but have never been asked what they want to do on the land. Generally speaking what they want is in opposition to what the extended family wants. Women tend to want food, family and conservation land which goes against more conservative family’s farming ideals. There have been circumstances when extended family will sue or put a restraining order on the woman to take control of the land. We found that in Iowa there is a super rigid cultural definition of what it means to farm there. Women don’t have a place in farming even if they own it!

FJ: What were some of the most memorable farms stops? 

Lake: Denise [O’Brien] of Rolling Acres Farm in Iowa was one of them. It was amazing to learn about the formation and activities of the Women Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN). I loved listening to her speak and was blown away by her ability to empower women and to farm holistically while being completely surrounded by a male-dominated farming culture concerned primarily with the bottom line. When we were biking to her farm, we saw it from afar as an oasis. It was the first time we had seen trees and butterflies since entering Iowa. Everything else was fence row to fence row corn. 

Caitrin: She’s pretty much taking care of the biodiversity of the state!

Lake: Beth Rasgorshek who runs Canyon Bounty Farm and Janie Burns of Meadow Lark Farm were inspiring too in that they are working together to rebuild local grain infrastructure in addition to managing their own farms. 

Janie and Lake buck hay in Idaho.

They learned that research isn't meeting smaller-scale grower's needs when Beth realized that she couldn’t get enough nitrogen in her soil. When she reached out to land grant universities to see if they were researching heirloom wheat varietals, they wouldn’t take her seriously because her operation is so small. The research that is being carried out in our land grants tends to focus on conventional seed for industrial farms making the seed and research generated unserviceable for a farmer like Beth as conventional wheat-berry protein levels are dependent on excessive nitrogen inputs. 

So, on top of running a farm, Beth is doing the market and varietal grain research and breeding herself to further understand how cross breeding will impact protein levels and flavor.  In addition, she's partnered up with Janie to try to figure out if it’s viable to build a local mill. At every step of the food chain there’s a link missing, so they’re farming and trying to piece the fabric back together.

Caitrin: Maisie Ganz of the Soil Sisters in Nevada City, CA was really memorable! She’s built sustainability into their ethos. Not just about the land and production but on an energetic level. I think we have an illness of overworking in our society. Farmers especially are overworked, and especially on diversified farms doing all that hard work. The workhorse, drive, drive, drive mentality is in place for farming as a career despite not making very much money. Meeting women who are dedicated to taking care of themselves as much as they take care of the land and their flowers was so refreshing. This is something that we need to keep in mind and an aspect of feminine wisdom what we need to hold and perpetuate. 

FJ: Were there any common needs between the women farmers you visited? 

Lake: We would often have the amazing opportunity of having a potluck and all the women would talk about how they needed more get togethers.  Isolation, or just being a farmer that works very hard in this unique lifestyle, makes it hard to have a social life and the social piece is so important.

Other needs included needing a better economic model that makes farming a viable occupation, appropriate technologies for the small scale and outreach, and networks, like WFAN. Not to mention the personal sustainability piece – it’s hard to take care of yourself and the farm. 

FJ: How has this trek changed your view of farming as a woman? 

Lake: I have so much faith in women farmers. There’s an element of nurturing, holistic seeing and long-term vision that are crucial in the farming sphere and the women we met have that view. I have so much faith and hope that this demographic of farmers will continue to grow. There’s a certain way of doing things with feminine qualities that have so much potential for real progress.

Caitrin: I just have a huge respect for women farmers. It’s incredibly hard work, an incredibly hard market and culture to participate in yet they perservere while nourishing themselves. They are generally making the world a better place. They are enlivening the world and making it better.

Details of the women farmers that Caitrin and Lake’s visited and their road adventure can be checked out on their website at http://www.shifting--gears.com.

‘Farms with a Future’ Decodes Farm Success

Farmer Rebecca Thistlethwaite and her family never anticipated that they would start a family farm, scale it 430%, and then close it all within six years.  But then, who would? Despite their farm's closing, the light at the end of their 80-hour farming workweek tunnel turned out to be enlightenment. She, her husband and daughter took a year off of farming not to rest, but to search for the most innovative and successful farming models across the U.S. Their time off-farm allowed Rebecca to manifest the essential handbook for starting and running a sustainable farm business, Farms with a Future.

Thistlethwaite’s book is a literal farm-business boot camp for greenhorns and aficionados alike. Read it as a new farmer and you’ll avoid many of the pitfalls that new farms make. Read it as an established farm seeking to transition to local markets, and you’ll reap the benefits of starting your journey to becoming a truly community-supported farm. 

Not only does Farms with a Future get real honest, like Rebecca’s blog, but the book divulges farm dos and don’ts from a variety of farm types. Farms such as Bluebird Grain Farms in Washington, which grow and market heirloom grain varietals, share their discoveries over the years. And the dairy, Butterwork Farm, which is touted as “one of the most successful organic farmstead creameries in the nation,” is featured as a prosperous model despite the volatility of the dairy industry.

If you want to serve your community food, you will need to get business savvy to do so. This is one of the main take aways of Farms with a Future. Each chapter will get you started on various considerations such as accounting and infrastructure, but clearly each chapter could have been its own book. Just know going in that you’ll have to go elsewhere for additional reading on the chapters’ themes, but as it turns out, this isn’t a bad thing. Creating the right foundation for your farm is an essential beginning to your business and this book covers it all.

Rebecca opens by recounting how she and her family closed the farm to explore what successful farm businesses look like all over the country but is far from dreary – by the end of the book she and her family are taking what they learned to start a new farm. And this is great news. After all, we need more farmers to grow our country food, to be equally connected to community and land, and that can revel in the slightly-controlled chaos that is farming.

I caught up with Rebecca to learn more about her book and to hear about the next iteration of farm that she and her family are in the process of starting.  

FJ: After reading your book, sustainability really takes on a new dimension as you include the farmer, local community, environment and economic viability in your definition. How have your thoughts of sustainability changed throughout your journey as a farmer and writer? 

RT: I first viewed sustainability just through an environmental lens until I had the opportunity to study abroad in Belize and do extensive traveling throughout Latin America in the 1990’s. Developing countries teach you that there is no separation of 'man' and 'nature', and that you can't have environmental conservation without addressing issues of power, poverty, land distribution, access to education, and other social issues. I also came back realizing that new models must be created here because sadly, most of the world tries to emulate First World consumerism and industrialization. The planet is doomed if everybody tries to live like a suburban soccer mom, to use the euphemism. We need more sustainable models- those are what I hope the rest of the world will emulate. Not our opulence, consumerism, and complacency.

FJ: You’ve spent a few years researching some of the more successful sustainable farming operations out there. Are you seeing predominately new farmers making it work, or are multi-generational farms also making the transition to more direct markets and achieving greater economic viability at the same time?

RT: I have seen both ­– I have seen many new farmers get started with a lot of enthusiasm, media attention, and high ideals only to succumb to economic realities a few years into it (my own farm in California was probably an example of that), and I have seen multi-generation farms try new growing practices and marketing techniques that are likely going to 'save their farms.’ And I have seen the opposite too ­– new farms who are smart and business oriented that will probably last and family-farms that keep repeating the same mistakes.

I would say, overall, that trying to farm without any familial help is extremely difficult. If somebody plans to do that, they should at least have a strong network of friends who can help pitch in (labor & capital). In our own lives, we have moved to a place where we have stronger familial and social networks, giving us a fighting chance to get a new farming operation off the ground. We just did not have that in California (probably because we were working to hard to cultivate relationships well). Writing this book reinforced the idea of social capital – that is, the value of your social networks.

FJ: Have you seen any parallels of things that don't seem to work? What are they and how can new farmers avoid these pitfalls? 

"There are more pitfalls to fall into than there are potholes in a farm road. The biggest one is probably not seeking out advice from other farmers and feeling like you have to make all your own mistakes."

Ten Reasons to Make a Call for the 2013 Farm Bill

You care about farmers and ensuring future access to local, sustainable food, right?! So here's your chance to make a difference. With just two calls, and perhaps a few clicks on online petitions, you can weigh in how our tax dollars are going to be spent on our food system.

Right now, our senators are deliberating the 2013 Farm Bill - the single most important piece of legislation that can help create a more sustainable food future for our country. Will our tax dollars continue supporting Big Ag, subsidies, pollution, junk-food companies and other private interests? Or, will amendments be passed to cap subsidies, preserve conservation programs, label GMOs, save food stamp funding, support public seed research, and bolster local food systems? The answer is: it's up to us. So here's what we've all got to do:

     Step 1: Select your talking points from the list below.

     Step 2: Call your senators. Click here to find them.

     Step 3: Thank them for representing your interests!

Below you'll find not just ten reasons to make the call, but ten amendments that our senators need to hear from us on. You can also check out the recommendations of these organizations too: Live Real, Center for Food Safety, and the Organic Trade Association, but whatever you do, you've got to do something for a more sustainable and equitable food system for all!

Ten 2013 Farm Bill Talking Points 

In addition to these, you may want to consider voicing your support for Senator Boxer's amendment #1027 to protect honey bees and native pollinators, which, according to the Center for Food Safety, have declined by over 45% since last winter due to pesticides and Big Ag. 

Thank you for all that you do for our farmers and local food!

One Less Lady in the House: Kathleen Merrigan Leaves USDA

With Kathleen Merrigan's abrupt departure from the USDA early last month, sustainable food advocates and women backers of this power house are left wondering if she was forced to resign as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for the USDA, or, if she truly left of her own accord. 

Merrigan is perhaps most well known for being an outspoken advocate for local and sustainable foods and for creating and managing the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food campaign. This hallmark program was touted by Tom Philpott of Mother Jones as the "most high-profile acknowledgement [of the government] since the post-war rise of industrial agriculture that alternative food systems exist, matter, and deserve support." It efficiently bundled sustainable food programs under one roof at the USDA and brought a fresh voice to sustainable food programming everywhere. Merrigan not only weathered criticism by Big Ag supporters in the government, despite the fact that these programs receive peanuts in comparison with commodity crop growers subsidy payouts, but she'll be remembered as a strong voice of opposition and for convincing commodity-crop-centric states that the local and regional food movement isn't just a coastal phenomenon. 

But Merrigan's support of regional and local food systems didn't start with her most recent post, nor as head of USDA's Marketing Services under the Clinton administration. Her involvement goes back for decades.

As a faculty member and director of the Agriculture, Food, and Environment program at Tufts University Kathleen made Tufts a leading institution in sustainable agriculture. She also helped write the 1990 Organic Foods Act, a document that worked to ensure the integrity of organic foods when the USDA announced their dangerous organic certification program in 1998. Before that, she was a strong advocate for farmers' markets and local food production, a stance that she maintained throughout her time with both the Clinton and Obama administrations. 

As a woman of power at the USDA, Merrigan will always be an inspiration for women that aspire to climb into the higher tiers of government. A difficult task since most positions are appointed by male-counterparts that have historically held down such posts. Merrigan also managed to tactfully bring issues and concerns to the USDA table emblematic of a more feminine approach such as her genuine care for communities, for the environment and for future generations. 

We need more women in the government, like Kathleen, that will re-direct our tax monies and government spending to invest in the types of programs that are necessary for a healthy future. Kathleen will be sorely missed as an advocate and change-maker in our food system. For women, she will always represent the potential of women's leadership to steer the boat even in this historically male-dominated space. As Denise O'Brien said in Farmer Jane, "It's important for women to be involved in decision-making from a family level to the highest levels of government." Kathleen really exemplified the potential of this statement. 

Upon receipt of the news of her so-called resignation, sustainable food leaders around the country wrote a letter to Merrigan thanking her for her service. The letter, signed by more than 100 food and farm leaders, can be viewed here. While the next appointee has not yet been announced, advocates sincerely hope that her legacy will continue. And back to the original question of this post: did she resign or was she forced to quit? This Farmer Jane believes that the latter is true.

Thoughts On 'God Made a Farmer'

The new Dodge Ram commercial sure is getting a lot of play for its tribute to farmers. Apparently, the company has plans to make 2013 the "Year of the Farmer." Certainly we don't need a truck company to tell us that the work ethics and integrity of farmers are to be admired. Yet, I have to admit, a little highly produced media to sway the public in caring about people that produce their food for a few minutes certainly isn't a terrible thing. 

Regardless, Dodge missed a great opportunity to provide a contemporary view of the American farm.  They were going for nostalgia and heart strings here - and they nailed it. Even so, they could have been more accurate by showing more farmworkers, more women, more minorities, and any one of the emerging young farmers featured on this site. Yes, old white men make up the majority of primary farm owners in this country, but that's only because the Ag Census, only started counting secondary farm operators - such as women - in 2002. (Here's where you guffaw.) For all intents and purposes, this revised iteration of the commercial does a better job in the inclusion of farmworkers, yet still misses out on representing other farmer demographics. After all, it's going to take more than just 2.2 million farmers in this country to grow this country local and sustainable food. 

The beauty of this piece did silence the room I was sitting in when it aired. So, all the criticism flailing around should be taken with a grain of corn. After all, it is a commercial designed to sell more trucks. And with the power of this trope over our hearts and minds, this could make this year Dodge Ram's best year. Ever. 

God Made a Farmer

 By Paul Harvey

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer. 

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer. 

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say,'Maybe next year,' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse with hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours." So God made the farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the leg of a meadowlark."

It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and brake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk, . Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does. "So God made a farmer."

Spring 2013 Food & Farming Conferences

It's that time of the year when seed catalogs are devoured and less is happening on the farm (even in California). That's why it's such a great time for sustainable agriculture organizations to bring all of us advocates and organic matter lovers together for inspiring talks and keynote speakers.

From Saratoga Springs, NY to Pacific Grove, CA, organizations across the country engage local food advocates and sustainable agriculture communities during this time of year. So here it is, the spring roundup of conferences organized by date. If I've missed any, please post the date, name and web link to the conference below.

Spring 2013 Food & Farming Conferences: 

January 19 - 20: - Nevada County's Sustainable Food and Farming Conference, CA
Farmer Jane (Temra Costa) will present with keynotes Will Allen and Joel Salatin. http://www.foodandfarmconference.com/

January 23 - 26: Eco Farm's 33rd Annual Conference, Pacific Grove, CA
http://ecofarm2013.org/

January 23 - 26: Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SAWG), Little Rock, AR http://www.ssawg.org/january-2013-conference/

February 6 - 9: Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture's (PASA) 22nd Annual Conference, State College, PA
http://conference.pasafarming.org/ 

February 10 - 12: Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's (SAWG) Regional Conference
http://www.nefood.org/

February 21: California Climate & Agriculture Summit, Davis, CA
http://calclimateag.org/calcan-summit-2013/

February 21 - 23: Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service's (MOSES) 24th Annual Conference, LaCrosse, WI
http://www.mosesorganic.org/

March 7 - 10: Natural Food Product Expo West, Anaheim, CA
Ok, not a true sustainable food and farming conference, but the natural food buyers all head here to check out the latest and greatest natural food and sustainable living trends.
http://www.expowest.com/

March 10 - 12: California Small Farm Conference, Fresno, CA
http://www.californiafarmconference.com/

April 29: Slow Money National Gathering, Boulder, CO
http://slowmoney.org/events/events/nationally-organized/the-2013-slow-money-national-gathering

GMO Labeling on its Way for CA

What was your food moment? You know, that moment when you realized that all food was not created equal. Perhaps it was when you discovered that seasonal foods simply tasted better. Or, perhaps it was when you found out that by supporting local family farmers you would support your community. Everyone has their "moment." For me, it happened in 1998 when I found myself on the streets of Madison, Wisconsin saying, "Want to sign a petition to preserve the organic standards?" I was a student of agriculture at the university and I'd just discovered that the food that I had been eating my entire Midwestern life wasn't the healthiest. I had walked into the Williamson Street Co-op and after reading the labels and being surrounded by organic foods, I decided to make the switch. At the same time the USDA was threatening to lower the organic standards as they formed the National Organic Program (NOP), and a call to action to preserve the integrity of organic by the Center for Food Safety got me out and into the streets.

The Center for Food Safety won on many fronts, but since the NOP's inception, consumer watchdog groups have had to continue their diligence to ensure that our food that is labelled as organic, remains as unadulterated as possible. Meaning without pesticides, synthetics, GMOs or other allowances that most people would agree are not "organic." So I couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement when I heard the call for action this week, to once again get out there and collect physical, real-world signatures! This time, to get GMOs labelled.

Labeling GMOs moves us in a proactive direction that will let each of us decide whether or not we want to eat them. Most other countries have chosen to label them, and all of us in support of labeling feel that it is our right to know. (Check out this video to see how many other countries have implemented labeling.) Where the attempt to banning GMOs in the early part of 2000 was only marginally successful, this effort has the potential to dramatically level the playing field. The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act of 2012 will undoubtedly make it on the ballot this year and is a call to action for Californians that don't want to expose their families, or themselves, to the adverse health impacts of GMOs. While the Act needs hundreds of thousands of signatures to make it on the November ballot, I have no doubt that this will happen. Right now dedicated volunteers are out there collecting signature! And the woman behind the charge? Pamm Larry.

The following snippet and interview is written by Annie Spiegelman, author of "Dirt Diva." The full article with more background on GMOs, can be found here: http://huff.to/zp9e6r

The Spark Behind the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act of 2012
by Annie Spiegelman (aka "The Dirt Diva")

There is a growing body of scientific research that indicates genetically engineered crops put our health at tremendous risk. "'Transgenic' seeds reduce the use of some insecticides," says Doug Gurian-Sherman, a plant pathologist and senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "But herbicide use is higher, and respected experts argue that some genetically engineered crops may also pose serious health and environmental risks. The benefits of genetically engineered crops may be overstated."

Jeffrey Smith, consumer advocate and director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, says that FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. "They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored," claims Smith.

Recent polls show that 9 out of 10 Americans want GMO foods to be labeled. Sometimes all it takes is the volatile vociferous voice of an Italian granny from Chico, California to have her Samuel L. Jackson "Snakes on a plane" moment, and bravely cry out, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"

Pamm Larry, farmer, midwife, businesswoman and a gutsy grandmother of three was so distraught about our modern day food system that she quit her day job and spent her time educating herself on GMOs and how to apply for a ballot initiative. Next, she searched out her team and went straight to the state capital to painstakingly navigate through the bureaucratic muddle of tedious paperwork necessary to put an initiative on the California ballot.

Grandma Larry and her galvanized cadre of concerned citizens represent the sane, spirited voice of a growing number of skeptical Americans who don't necessarily trust better living through chemistry. There are serious and valid concerns that the biotechnology companies creating these seeds have not adequately researched the long term health and environmental effects. Bear in mind, this initiative is not demanding these foods be removed from the food system, but rather Californians are justifiably demanding to know just what they are eating and feeding their children. (Wacko hippies! Why can't they just blindly trust the MAN?)

On Feb. 18, 2012, California voters will be able to sign a petition to place this highly charged issue on the ballot. Once 560,000 signatures are collected between February and April, 2012, this measure goes mainstream and onto the November ballot in the form of the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act.

I spoke with Pamm Larry a week before the signature gathering period begins.

You are the original instigator and the Northern California organizer of the Label GMOs campaign. What made you courageous enough to take on Monsanto and the other biotechnology companies?

I don't feel like I'm taking on Monsanto or the others. I'm simply taking a strong stand for our right to know what's in our food. I woke up to the knowing that it was time for me to do more than whine and be depressed about our food situation. I've since come to believe that I'm so glad I let go of the belief that it was someone else's job to get this done. If I care, it's mine. It's been a quite the eye opener.

Had you been politically active in the past, and how painful was the application process for a ballot initiative?

I've always been politically aware, but this it the first time I've done any organizing. The actual paperwork of forming the committee was easy. The part about writing it was an amazing process to witness... and I need to be infinitely clear that I did not write this. Lawyers, politicians, scientists, processors, farmers all came together. No one, least of all me, would have wanted me to write this. It was a labor of love that these folks devoted themselves to and I am so grateful to them!

Who came on board next to help?

The Organic Consumers Association (www.OCA.com) came on board. Ronnie Cummins, Alexis Baden-Mayer and the rest of the team were right there from the beginning and have continued to be a driving force for truth telling in the organic industry and keeping the grassroots strong. I admire them immensely. Jeffrey Smith and the Institute for Responsible Technology www.responsibletechnology.org) helped out at a crucial point in our grassroots building. Because they were willing to put out the word to their members to help me get meetings in communities, labelgmos.org (www.labelgmos.org), the original grassroots effort, grew exponentially in a very short time.

I commend Stacey Hall, who helped organize and support the leaders in the south, and the over 100 leaders around the state who believed in this long before anyone else did. They are volunteering 20-40 hours a week to see this gets on the ballot and then voted on come November. Then there's another hero; our webmaster, who has created an amazing site on no budget to speak of.

Are you surprised by how many Americans don't know what a GMO is?

Yes. I believe it's been a very well orchestrated program of silence. I've been an avid organic fan for decades and I hadn't even heard about GMO's until about 8 years ago. I find many in the same place. Amazing to me, especially since it's a huge subject once you start down the rabbit hole.

How can we best educate the public on this issue?

I believe this will be won on the streets, one by one, with us talking to our communities, looking in each others eyes. That's how it began. We need to talk about it with each other. We need to spread the word and invite folks to learn more- read articles, watch films. We've got to wake up to what's happening to our food supply and take back our food sovereignty. I recently learned that the California Medical Association has a resolution in support of labeling Genetically Engineered foods. If the doctors think it a good idea... well... that's sure something, yes?

What do we need to have this initiative pass?

First we need to get it on the ballot. That requires 560,000 qualifying signatures. We have the services of a signature gathering professional to lead that drive and all are confident that we'll get there. Please visit www.labelgmos.org and volunteer to help us gather signatures. Come to a one hour training workshop and then hit the streets with your neighbors!

Then we need to educate folks about the issue. They have a right to know that they are innocently and blindly feeding their children; foods developed, then grown, via a genetically engineered process that has not had any long term testing on humans and that has increased the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Which companies are backing the labeling campaign?

David Bronner, of Dr. Bronner's Magical Soaps (www.drbronner.com) decided to get involved. His passion and commitment just blows me away. He is the reason large companies and the various NGO's finally decided to give this a second look. Without him, this initiative would not be where it is today. Because of him, the Center For Food Safety (www.centerforfoodsafety.org) became involved in writing the initiative. The folks who wrote the actual law did an incredible job. Food Democracy Now (Fooddemocracynow.org) brought its expertise in grassroots support of farmers.

Mercola.com, Nature's Path, Lundberg Farms have all invested time and financial support in moving this initiative forward. Straus Dairy has been amazingly supportive in many ways. (One of which is hooking us up with their rocking ice cream whenever we ask!!) And now our coalition is growing to include other endorsers and supporters of varying involvement. Frey Vineyards, Nutiva, Guayaki, Amy's, Organic Pastures and UNFI have also been supportive. There are others you can find on Labelgmos.org.

What will be the talking points of the opposition?

1. "We have been doing this for thousands of years."
Answer: NOT true. This is not about hybrids or selective breeding. The initiative is clear in its definition of what a genetically engineered food is. It is where they take the DNA or RNA of one animal, plant, yeast, etc, and put it in another animal, plant, yeast, etc. It cannot happen in nature. For instance, in nature, a fish and a tomato do not breed and reproduce a new entity.

2. "What about feeding the world?"
Answer: First off genetically engineered foods are not feeding the world. There are books on the subject. The UN and the University of Davis both came out with studies last year stating that the way to feed the world is NOT via corporate monoculture agribusiness; it's through agroecology (the application of ecological principles in farming). But even though the 'feeding the world' thing is a great PR myth, at the end of the day, what does feeding starving children in Africa have to do with labeling GE foods in California? Nothing. It's a different subject that's used to confuse people.

3. "Food costs will go up."
Answer: NOT true. Companies change their labels all the time. There is a phase in period where all companies could easily incorporate this change into the design, too. Did everyone notice a jump in prices when they started labeling trans fats? No. Same thing here. There is no cost to the state. To say otherwise is a blatant diversion and misrepresentation or the person has not read the language of the law.

4. "The government (FDA) says we don't need labeling of GMOS because they are the same as non GMO."
Answer- NOT TRUE. They are using 14th century science with that policy: if it looks the same and (in general) smells the same, it must be the same. We are asking the FDA to use 21st Century science.

What have you learned from this that you can pass on to other citizens wanting to get a measure on a state ballot?

Just start. I've learned that if we wait for someone else to do it, it won't get done. I had no idea where this would end up. I still don't. If I had waited for funding to start, this would not exist. If I waited for others to agree with me, I would have stopped after a month. While I believe "experts" and "professionals" are vital to everything in life, if I had listened to them carte blanche, this initiative would not be where it is today.

I simply "knew" this was right, knew I could not stop, and kept on going. I let go of the outcome and continue to, knowing that I've done all I could to make it happen. The rest isn't up to me. I believe this is happening because it's time. It simply needed a tenacious, focused spark and a commitment to keep on going no matter what.

Fundraising. How much is needed and where can "people who like to eat" send donations?

The coalition is gearing up for a very large sum as initiatives are very expensive. You can donate to the coalition effort at http://www.carighttoknow.org. Labelgmos.org will continue to raise monies independently as the original grassroots effort and member of that coalition. Our primary need for funds is for printed materials and film rights to educate the public about GMOs.

You can donate on our site at www.labelgmos.org.

USDA Avoids Discrimination Litigation and Offers Cash

Since its inception in 1862, the USDA has systematically discriminated against farmers of color and women farmers throughout the U.S. denying them access to grants, programs, and support staff services. It wasn't until 1996 that the USDA created a Civil Action Team to eradicate racism and address the flaws in the system that have mostly benefitted agribusiness. But this committee's formation proved a little too late. By the mid-nineties farmers of color especially, had largely eroded from our rural landscapes. "In 1920, one in every seven farms was African American owned. Today, only 1 in 100 farms is African American owned (USDA 1998, at 16). The decline of the African American farmer has taken place at a rate that is three times that of white farmers (USDA 1998, at 16-17)." This is why in 1997 African American farmers filed a class action suit against the agency which they eventually won. (Read more about it here.) Now is the time for reciprocity for women and Latino farmers too.

This week on January 25, the administration preempted the same sort of class-action suit involving Latino and women farmers saying, " "The Obama Administration has made it a priority to resolve all claims of past discrimination at USDA, and we are committed to closing this sad chapter in USDA's history," said Vilsack. "Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who allege past discrimination are encouraged to participate in an improved claims process in which they have the opportunity to recover up to $250,000 in damages." After posting this announcement on the Farmer Jane Facebook page, one woman farmer quickly replied, "Trouble being a lot of us were denied 'applying' for said loans, and therefore there is no paper trail." I recommend that even if you were denied during the application process and there is no paper trail, you should still pursue! We need to hold the USDA accountable even if they don't know how many employees they have (hopefully this isn't still the case!).

Here's the information from the press release for contacting USDA, or read the full release here.

"Individuals interested in participating in the claims process may register to receive a claims package, or may obtain more information, by visiting www.farmerclaims.gov. Individuals can also register to receive a claims package by calling the Farmer and Rancher Call Center at 1-888-508-4429."

And if you're not too keen on calling up USDA right away and you're a woman farmer that has been denied funding I would recommend that you call Leigh Adcock at the Women Food and Agriculture Network at (515) 460-2477. They have your best interests in mind!

Good luck!

Setting Intentions

I'll keep this end-of-the-year missive short, with a poem:

This year, let your love for the world grow wild;
like your garden;
real, or inside you.

Plant some seeds for the future;
pull some from the library;
think about what you will "do" versus "watch."

Our lives are our gardens, full of wild creatures, weeds, and delicious gems.

Like any fruit we start with a flower;
we too must be open to bees;
to ideas;
to wind.

And as we sit in our gardens;
we must think about what we are willing to "do" for our passion;
for our future;
for ourselves;
and with love turn our faces towards the sun.

- - -

Wishing you the best in the coming year! Happy 2012!

Just What the Season Ordered: Citrus!

As the longest night of the year gets closer, my body craves citrus. Sweet, acidic, floral, and delicious, the markets are gearing up to churn out more than the present Satsuma mandarin explosion - pomelos, kumquats, navels, blood oranges, and grapefruit are all on their way. Perfect timing! Just as the days shorten and I start to miss central heating here in Northern California, these immunity boosters arrive at local markets.

For a Midwesterner like myself, navel oranges from California (back then from Orange County no doubt), or Florida, were a special treat that I have fond memories of during the holidays. I used to get three brightly-waxed navels in my stocking, a tradition that as a kid I considered a gip in the toy department since they filled half of the stocking. Regardless, receiving them as a gift made me aware of the preciousness of seasonality. We didn’t eat citrus year-round and citrus certainly wasn't grown locally. But the navels were oh-so-much more than a tradition handed down over generations, they were an omen of good health as each navels’ contents – cleverly packaged in a compostable wrapper – would help me in my daily battle against colds. And while navels might not be viewed as such a novelty with today's digital gift options, they still have a place at the table. In fact, oranges are the most consumed fruit per capita in the U.S. with Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas growing a projected 11.7 million tons this season alone. And we need it.

Unlike other mammals that can produce vitamin C, humans must eat two mandarins per day, or other equivalent citrus, to get our daily recommended dose (90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women). And being that vitamin C is water-soluble, if there are leftovers that our body can't use immediately to strengthen our immune system, to catch free radicals, or to repair our cells and tissue, they are expelled.

For me, eating enough citrus during these colds months is not a problem. Proven by the sheer quantity of mandarins that I eat in one sitting, and by my obsessive plotting to perfect marmalade, I'm sure to be eating enough citrus for two adults' daily allowances. Citrus is also starting to show up at seasonally inclined restaurants with beautifully manicured sections of citrus tossed in salads with roasted nuts (see recipe below). And in the coming weeks, the varieties and quantities offered at such establishments and markets are only going to expand. This is a very good thing. After all, our bodies have evolved with this fruit so that when we need it the most, it is most abundant.

arugula & citrus salad

4 servings * prep time 20 minutes * nutritional benefits: vitamins C, A, and K

salad
1 large bunch of arugula, approximately 4 cups, washed and stemmed
1/3 cup toasted chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
1 large grapefruit, or, 4 mandarins sectioned (see below for instructions)
grated Parmesan (optional)

dressing
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
salt and pepper to taste

steps
1. section the citrus and set aside
2. wash and clean arugula, remove the stems and chop
3. toss arugula and citrus with dressing and top with nuts

Sectioning: First, get a really sharp knife. It helps! Second, remove the peel and outside membrane of the fruit by cutting off the peel, from top to bottom. Then, sectioning begins. Cut between each wedge of the membrane to remove each section without the skin, and voila! You have successfully sectioned citrus.

Photo: Farmer Emily Thacher Ayala, Friends’ Ranch, Ojai, CA

Plate to Politics - 2012

Look up "moms against" in your favorite search engine and you'll find an untold number of organizations comprised of moms against such and such. Moms Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Moms Against Mercury, Moms Against Climate Change, and (my favorite) Moms Against Sarah Palin. Moms definitely have reason for their anger and advocacy for change. And now there’s a new collaborative of moms, and not moms, that will be working to engage more women in food politics. And do we need it! Despite our efforts to shift our national food policy in a more progressive and healthful direction during the last Farm Bill, we're still getting served up more of the same. This past spring, for example, many of the progressive programs funded through the last 2007 bill such as ATTRA were eliminated and other organic programs were put on the chopping block. Fortunately, organizations such as the Organic Farming Research Foundation were able to preserve organic research funding. Despite budget cuts attacking a broad spectrum of social services such as organic food and farming research, health care reform, and education, military spending is only slated to increase in 2011 and 2012. So it was with a happy heart that I received the press release below announcing a new coalition of women who convened to discuss policy and food system reform.

What Plate to Politics posits is that women's leadership in political positions will activate change through the entirety of the food movement's various branches - labor, farm to school, consumer awareness, Native foods, organic research and practices, health, and environment. This was expressed through the diversity of attendees at their first meeting, women who represented all of these facets of our food system. It will take all of us in this movement to make headway next year and Plate to Politics is sure to be a great force in organizing rural and urban women alike around a progressive food policy platform. So visit the website and get involved!

Women from Around the US Gather in Wisconsin to Strategize Ways to Strengthen the Healthy Food and Farming Movement
A diverse group of 30 women food system leaders from across the country met May 23-25 near Racine, WI, to begin the process of creating a national strategy for strengthening the influence of women in the healthy food and farming movement, from the farmhouse to the White House.

“We called this gathering ‘Cultivate 2012,’ reflecting the fact that next year will be a pivotal year for increasing women’s leadership and voice around food issues through the next election cycle and farm bill,” says Liz Johnson, National Director Rural Leadership for The White House Project, a non-profit aiming to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors.

The Cultivate 2012 summit was the kickoff of Plate to Politics, a nationwide coalition of women in sustainable agriculture sponsored by The White House Project, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), and Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN).

“Women have always been the primary drivers behind the healthy food and farming movement--as farmers, purchasers of their families’ food, and staff at the non-profit organizations that support the work,” says Leigh Adcock, executive director of WFAN. “Plate to Politics is the beginning of a national coalition of women in the movement who will work on a series of projects and initiatives to magnify our voices and influence in the arena of sustainable agriculture and healthy food systems.”

Women attending the Racine gathering represented a wide range of backgrounds, such as Lydia Villanueva, a Latino farmer organizer from the Texas Panhandle, Severine von Tscharner Fleming of New York, a beginning farmer advocate and producer of the film The Greenhorns, and Aurora Conley, a tribal leader working to preserve native strains of wild rice in northern Minnesota. The group included farmers, leaders of national grassroots organizations, federal agency staff, political activists, researchers and communications professionals. Meet all of the women leaders here.

Key initiatives that emerged from the Cultivate 2012 gathering are development of:
• an authentic, positive message in the national media prioritizing the triple benefits of the movement for health, economy and food;
• a national database and social media platform for collecting and championing diverse and inspiring stories of women farmers and food activists across the country, including connecting them with opportunities to be policy leaders from the local to the federal level;
• a targeted education campaign for Congressional staff and leaders on policy issues of importance to women in sustainable agriculture;
• and an informational toolkit and resources to educate and inspire a broad diversity of voters on food issues.

“The core of our work and conversations at Wingspread was a deep and collaborative commitment to social and racial justice that drives the action agenda we developed, including perspectives from rural and urban, women of color, young women, native women, immigrant women and elders,” says Lisa Kivirist, director of the Rural Women’s Project for the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and author of Farmstead Chef and Ecopreneuring. “We proved at the summit that as diverse as we are, we can coalesce around several key initiatives that will support the millions of women working to change America’s food system for the better.”

Visit the Plate to Politics website to learn more about these initiatives and find out how you and your colleagues and constituents can get involved in this vital work!

Busy Times!

With spring on its way out the door, we are quickly entering early summer mode here in Northern California. For the past few months I've been busy pickling and canning everything that I got my hands on! While last year was the "year of the book," this is the year of doing things, of growing things, of putting seasonal splendor up for next winter, and of enjoying late nights in the kitchen with friends. My canning sessions to date always seem take longer than planned and it's a sure sign that I am truly a novice at the art. For example, a few weeks ago I was up until 3:00 AM waiting for the marmalade to get to the right consistency. Sometimes things take longer than planned.

In addition to all this food work, I have two new bee hives that I'm looking after along with my boyfriend's fabulous mom up on their farm in Sonoma County. My last hives disappeared suddenly a few years ago and it's exciting to get some going again. Bees take pollen (pure sunlight) and turn it into golden honey - a wonderful alternative to cane sugar that is also said to help with allergies.

In between food preservation, beekeeping, and some Farmer Jane events here and there, I've been looking for more stories to tell on the Farmer Jane website; especially the stories of women of color. Why women of color, you ask? Because, these are the stories that aren't being told as much as they ought to be. While writing Farmer Jane, I searched and searched but unfortunately did not have the right contacts to get in touch with more women of color. (Thirty percent of the book's stories fall into this category, but it's hardly 50 percent - the goal that I had set for myself.) So if you have any contacts of women that I should reach out to, please send them my way by emailing me at info@farmerjane.org. I would very much appreciate it!

In Celebration of International Women's Day, March 8

Tuesday, March 8 is International Women's Day! A day to celebrate all of the women in your life, and women that you don't know, that make our world a better place. Through our work in fields, advocacy and tireless commitment to community and future generations, this day unites women from all over the globe to recognize their contributions to peace, development and sustainability.

The day started in 1975 when the United Nations proclaimed March 8th as International Women's Day to celebrate women's global activism and peacekeeping activities. In the United States, women were first celebrated on the National Women's Day on February 28, 1909 after a women's garment workers strike. I don't know if women in oppressed countries know about this day, but on Tuesday, I'm going to be in solidarity with women everywhere who fight for justice, a clean environment, healthy food, and peace. I will be in the company too, with other women advocacy organizations such as Oxfam America. Below is some info about the event I will be at, but if you're not in the East Bay, look up an event near you or consider having women you care about over for dinner to dialog. Women, the world over, are making the change that politicians only promise.

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March 8th, 2011 marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Around the world, organizations and individuals will be celebrating this exciting historic landmark. From coast to coast, Oxfam America supporters will organize 100 events in 100 days, and you're invited! Join the Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps at a very special event called “Ending Hunger Starts with Women.”

Reception, Presentation and Panel Discussion...all FREE!
Tuesday, March 8th, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
The David Brower Center, Goldman Theater and Gallery, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA

RSVP: oxfam.sf@gmail.com

6:30 to 7:10 pm: Informational networking reception in the gallery where guests can enjoy sustainable appetizers, organic wine and fair trade tea and coffee, while mingling with local luminaries and browsing informational tables featuring local non-profits.
7:10 to 8:30 pm: The evening will continue in the Goldman Theater with short films and a presentation from special guest Ms. Prak Souern, a rice farmer and community leader from Cambodia, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with some of the Bay Area's pioneers for ethical change, food experts, and leaders in business and government.

This event is the beginning of a dialogue about food justice in its global dimensions. We don't expect to arrive at all the answers in one night, but it's urgent that we further the conversation. There is something drastically wrong when nearly 1 billion people in the world are chronically hungry. And most of them - 3 out of 5 - are involved in food production, either by farming, fishing or herding. Women are the majority of farmers in this context, and so shoulder the added burden of gender inequality.

There is something wrong when our US cities have pockets of so-called 'food deserts' where people of limited income cannot easily access affordable healthy food. And there is something wrong when the food we do eat today depletes our natural resources for tomorrow because of unsustainable practices.

But it does not need to be this way. We can embrace solutions and a smarter, fairer food economy. So join us, at what promises to be a fun, uplifting and enlightening event, and find out how we can choose better ways to eat and grow our food, and at the same time advocate so that people worldwide have the rights and the resources to do the same.