The night before Earth Day 2020, filmmaker Michael Moore made a surprise announcement about the release of a new film. The film is Planet of the Humans, directed by Jeff Gibbs, with Moore as Executive Producer and author/scholar, Ozzie Zehner, as Producer. The U.S. climate movement hasn’t been the same since — a good thing, […]
Climate crisis
Author/activist Naomi Klein made an interesting observation recently, during one of her many “stay at home” teach-ins and interviews during this 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Passover having just ended, she likened the last 40 years — 1980-2020 — to the Jews’ 40 years of wandering in the desert. A similar observation is posted on the homepage […]
On Sunday, March 15, 2020, the Governor of the State of Illinois imposed a moratorium on ON-SITE CONSUMPTION of food & drink for all Illinois food businesses—grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, bars, etc. The moratorium is currently scheduled to continue through March 30. Of course, the situation around COVID 19 is completely fluid no matter what time […]
VOTE March 3, 2020Super Tuesday states: AL AR CA CO ME MA MN NC OK TN TX UT VT VA This update contains 5 topics relevant to FOOD + FARMS + DEMOCRACY in the U.S., as our work is reflected in the 2020 campaign for U.S. president. It was originally sent to two of the […]
I’m endorsing Elizabeth Warren because she is an organizer, knows how the U.S. government works (and doesn’t work), and knows how to listen and how to communicate. I believe she will be a great partner to activists of all kinds on all our basic needs and to local and state governments. She is a model […]
This update contains 5 topics relevant to Food + Farms + Democracy as our work is reflected in the 2020 campaign for U.S. president: 1. IMPEACH & REMOVE RALLIES (tonight Dec. 17)2. DEMOCRATIC DEBATE: Threat of Sodexo strike3. FOOD & FARM PLATFORMS4. SECRETARIES OF AGRICULTURE (federal & state)5. ORDER OF PRIMARIES & CAUCUSES Sent to three […]
I’ve lived in Evanston, a Chicago suburb, for 43 years. I can confirm that for 43 years, most of the organic growth from Evanston’s soil—grass clippings, leaves, shrub prunings, tree branches—left the city limits. Almost none was returned to the soil. Yes, there was always the occasional composter or real gardener who kept that precious […]
I recently sent a version of this blog to some food-and-farm colleagues as a possible idea for “big picture” system change, without reinventing the wheel. This is basically a re-purposing of two U.S. institutions, to the benefit of both and for the benefit of all Americans—rural, urban, suburban, including non-humans (soil, water, air, plants, animals, […]