Don't Fear Food!

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to St. Louis to attend a training program for the CommonGround movement. CommonGround is a volunteer group of farm women whose mission it is to share their family farming operations and how they raise your food. Our #hashtag for this conference was #dontfearfood14 thus the title of this blog. I met some really awesome farm women whose mission in life is to raise healthy families and grow healthy food.

In the midst of some heavy PR campaigns from corporate folks who have probably never set foot on a farm, portraying farms to be something their not, here are the authentic family farms sharing their lives with you so that as consumers you can be confident in the foods you buy. #DontFearFood

Katie Olthoff is an Iowa turkey farmer who blogs at:

On the Banks of Squaw Creek

Wanda Patsche is a Minnesota hog and grain farmer and blogs at:

Minnesota Farm Living

Kristin Reese is an Ohio sheep farmer, owns "Local Flavor Foods" catering and blogs at:

Reese Farm Roots

Christy Wright is a Delaware produce grower and blogs at:

Farmer Dan's Daughter

Katie Pinke is from a 5th generation North Dakota farm family and blogs at: 

The Pinke Post

Sarah Ross is an Iowa farm mom who blogs at:

Sara's House HD

These are just a few of the farm women I've met who are CommonGround volunteers and are open and sharing their stories with you the consumer. There are many, many others! Our doors are open, our stories are real, and we can share with you how your food is grown or raised and why you

#DontFearFood!

Poster Girl for Crop Insurance

Risk management is critical for family farms. Crop insurance is part of that portfolio in addition to other approaches such as diversification. A few weeks ago, I was asked to do a video for the Department of Agriculture on crop insurance for grapes. Maryland photographer, Edwin Remsberg came out to take pictures and ask questions about crop insurance specifically for grapes and in general about risk management for family farms. I think he did a fantastic job!

Grapes are a very risky crop, as are many fruits and vegetables. If you have any doubts about this, read my earlier blog Rain is a good thing... The pictures tell the story of why crop insurance is so important to farmers.

The Meaning Of Harvest

As we continue work toward the end of our harvest for 2012, I was asked to guest blog for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for their online Food & Nutrition Magazine. I was asked to reflect on what harvest means to me. The link below will lead you to my guest blog.

             Stone Soup: Harvest On The Front Lines

In this week post-Hurricane Sandy, I am even more grateful to be reaching the end of our harvest season in a few weeks. The picture below I took the day after Sandy blew over us. Our ground was so dry that most of the 10" of rain soaked right in.  The rainbow reminded me that there is the sign of the promise!