Celebrate Food Independence Day this 4th of July! June 12, 2009 Join Kitchen Gardeners International and IATP's Food and Society Fellows in making this 4th of July Food Independence Day. Organizers are encouraging all 50 governors to share their locally-sourced 4th of July menus. Sign the petition and share your menu here. And if you're a kid, enter the "Why I'm a Victory Grower" video contest (sample videos). Reexamining an American Staple June 9, 2009 Food and Society Fellow Alissa Hamilton is making a splash with her new book Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice. Squeezed chronicles the surprising history of one of the most popular drinks in America. Tales of year-long storage and candy-flavored additives might have you thinking twice about your next glass of "fresh-squeezed" OJ. Check out all of Alissa's recent media hits on the Food and Society Fellows website. A few of the best: The New Yorker, New York Post and CTV News. Evolution or Revolution? May 12, 2009 In a post on Civil Eats, Food and Society Fellow and historian Rose Hayden-Smith asks some big questions about urban agriculture and local food systems. At the heart of her post: Do we "think outside the box" but work within our current system, as James McWilliams argues in his forthcoming book, Just Food: How Locavores Are Endangering the Future of Food and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly? Or do we follow MacArthur genius grant recipient Will Allen's lead in thinking as if there is no box? In other words, do we need evolution or revolution in our food system? Roger Doiron Wins "Heart of Green" Award! April 23, 2009 In honor of Earth Day, Hearst's green lifestyle Web site The Daily Green announces its 2009 Heart of Green Awards, honoring those people, organizations and companies that take the green message to the mainstream—to the "heart" of the American people. Today, the Daily Green hosts its first annual Heart of Green Awards ceremony at New York City's LEED Gold-certified Hearst Tower. IATP Food and Society Fellow Roger Doiron won "The Ground Breaker Award" for promoting home gardening and launching the "Eat the View" campaign, which contributed to the President and First Lady's decision to plant an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn. Congratulations, Roger! Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Food Cookbook in the News IATP Food and Society Fellow Bryant Terry has been garnering acclaim for his new cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine. Local, seasonal and sustainably grown ingredients are highlighted in recipes like Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce, Jamaican Veggie Patties, and Double Mustard Greens & Roasted Yam Soup. Check out a video of Bryant discussing VSK or link to all recent media through his Web site. King Corn Wins Peabody Award! April 1, 2009 King Corn, produced by IATP Food and Society Fellow Curt Ellis, won the 2008 Peabody Award for broadcast journalism. The award, which is internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media, will be presented at a New York awards ceremony on May 18, 2009. Check out Curt's latest project. 100,000 Applaud Announcement of a New White House Food Garden More than 100,000 people have signed a petition asking the Obamas to replant a Victory Garden at the White House and they are now reaping what they sowed. For advocates of sustainable and healthy foods, this harvest of good news was as welcome as the summer's first red-ripe tomato. "I'm thrilled for the Obama family and for all the families who will be inspired by their example to grow first gardens of their own this year," said Roger Doiron, founder of the nonprofit Kitchen Gardeners International, leader of the successful petition campaign and an IATP Food and Society Fellow. Fellows Speak Out Against "Food-borne Injustice" IATP Food and Society fellows Sean Sellers, Jim Goodman, and former fellow Melinda Hemmelgarn were part of a delegation of food justice advocates in Immokalee, Florida, which spoke out against the human rights crisis taking place in Florida's tomato fields. After refusing for months to meet with representatives of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Governor Crist reversed course and agreed to meet with the CIW on March 25th in Tallahassee. Real Food Is... Fellow Deb Eschmeyer at the National Farm to School Network asked students K-college to produce a 30-second to 3-minute video answering the question: "What does real food mean to you?" The contest informed, inspired and encouraged student advocacy to restore connections to community, food, land and place through Farm to Cafeteria programs. View the winning videos at the Farm to School Web site.