UPDATE: A version of this post was published in the 2021 version of New Farmers’ Almanac: Volume 5: Grand Land Plan. See The Greenhorns website for details. Essays, poems, photos, drawings. 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. […]
Climate crisis
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, […]
A slightly edited version of an announcement sent to three national food-and-farm listservs: COMFOOD (Tufts Univ.) Food Policy Networks – FPN (Johns Hopkins Univ.) North America Food Systems Network – NAFSN (Cornell Univ.) NEWS from REGENERATION MIDWEST — IL IN IA KS MI MN MO NE ND OH SD WI Here’s news from REGENERATION MIDWEST, the […]