Shortly after the inauguration, I wrote a post outlining a set of five questions I thought the Senate should ask President Trump’s choice for Secretary of Agriculture. Former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue had been named to the position just days prior, and though the selection is deeply flawed, I expected a Senate hearing and confirmation vote would follow promptly. Read more >

We Can Help Veterans, Bolster an Aging Agricultural Workforce, and Reduce Food Insecurity. Here’s How.
November 10, 2016 4:15 PM EDT
This Veterans Day, I wanted to profile an amazing veteran-turned-farmer, Sonia Kendrick, and share her inspiring vision for how increasing opportunities for new farmers might eliminate food insecurity. Sonia’s channeled her post-war trauma into a successful non-profit that grows healthy food across her hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Through her organization she also trains beginner farmers, something needed on a large scale to succeed the current aging agricultural workforce. Read more >
It’s Never Too Late to Start Slimming Down Your Food Waste
January 27, 2016 11:09 AM EDT
Well, the holidays are long gone (sigh), but hopefully your resolutions are still going strong? Just in case you are ready for another, I have a suggestion that will benefit your plate, pocketbook, and the planet: waste less food (even if you are already part of the 73% of Americans that believe they waste less than the average American). Read more >
Listening to SNAP Voices: What to Know Before Cutting Program Budgets
May 12, 2015 3:14 PM EDT
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), still referred to by some as “food stamps”, is a federal food assistance program that offers benefits usable as cash for the purchase of food by lower-income families and individuals. First piloted in 1961 by President Kennedy and later signed into law by President Johnson, SNAP is a vital federal program addressing food insecurity in our nation. In 2014, more than 46 million lower-income individuals received SNAP benefits. Approximately 70% of these recipients were families with children. Read more >
Do We Need GMOs?
November 25, 2013 5:10 PM EDT
Most observers agree that we are facing big obstacles to producing enough food sustainably in coming decades. Issues of distribution and food justice remain paramount, but production must also be adequate, and the huge impact that agriculture has on the environment must be reversed. Read more >