The Co-op Food Stores of New Hampshire and Vermont

added 01/13/09

With two wars and a recession to contend with, farming may not be at the top of a new president’s to-do list. But thousands of activists in favor of the White House Organic Farm petition believe that it should be and that Barack Obama is a president who could pull it off.

The White House Organic Farm Petition

A recent article in the Washington Post, for example, described the cross-country tour of Daniel Bowman Simon and Casey Gustowarow—who traveled the country in a school bus with herbs, greens, and root vegetables planted on the roof to gather more than 10,000 additional signatures on the ever-growing White House Organic Farm petition. In addition, Chez Panisse chef-owner Alice Waters and journalist and sustainable-food advocate Michael Pollan were advocating for a similar idea last November—calling on the new president’s administration to plant organic fruits and vegetables on the South Lawn of the White House to not only feed the first family but also to stock local food pantries.

U.S. Food Policy: Adopting a New Food Agenda

Pollan is no stranger to making such recommendations. Pollan, the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley and author of best-selling books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, sat down with PBS’ Bill Moyers last November to discuss some of his ideas, many of which revolve around the direction the U.S. should pursue in the often-overlooked question of food policy. You can watch the entire program online here.

In addition, last October Pollan also wrote a popular open letter to the future “Farmer in Chief” that was subsequently published in the New York Times. In the letter Pollan recommended adopting a new food agenda and suggested that rising food costs could, and should, drive more Americans into the realm of the Localvores —or those eaters who prefer to buy locally produced goods.

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