January 1 Welcome to the Diary!
Deep resilience: healing through herbal medicine, farming, and ancestral memory
Jovan Sage carries on traditions passed down from African and Indigenous ancestors, and is a healer on many levels–herbalist, “food alchemist,” farmer, chef, and community organizer.
Renewing Native American food traditions
Sanjay Rawal ‘s new film, Gather, explores how Native Americans across the U.S. are rediscovering their food traditions–and building on them in the context of present-day realities.
Fragmenting society, with disinformation
The rise of advanced information technologies has resulted in sophisticated efforts to fragment American society — from foreign actors like Russia, to conspiracy theorists and political campaigns — and these efforts are working.
Funding the science of regenerative ag
LaKisha Odom of The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is helping to fund the research behind healthy soil practices so that more farmers can make the transition to regenerative agriculture and long-term sustainability and resilience.
Reclaiming the Commons: a conversation with Dr. Vandana Shiva
For millennia local and indigenous farmers have been producing healthy food worldwide. In less than a century that food system has been decimated, We talk to Dr. Vandana Shiva about restoring health, democracy, species, and local knowledge.
Democracy’s roots: Equality, freedom and inclusion in ancient Greece
Democracy flourished in Athens 2500 years ago — but lasted only about a century. What did Athenian democracy look like — who was included as a citizen, who was excluded, and why has the idea and practice of democracy been so influential? We talk to scholar Catherine Zuckert.
From art to agriculture: Emerald Gardens
Roberto Meza was an artist and MIT graduate student who took some time off to deal with health concerns—and found that fresh greens made such a difference in his life that he started growing them. Now he runs a thriving business and focuses on food sovereignty and equity.
First nations food–rebuilding resilience across the land
Part of the experience of colonization for Native people has been the denial of their long-standing practices of agriculture. Now indigenous voices are becoming part of the conversation about how to think in a healthy and holistic manner about food.
