Food Town, USA : Seven Unlikely Cities That Are Changing the Way We Eat

“Mark Winne’s Food Town, USA is a tasty, heartwarming journey through towns we’d never thought much of but suddenly want to move to. It happily reminds us that when we devote ourselves to people and places we care about, wonderful and unexpected things seem to happen.” Mark Bittman, author of the How to Cook Everything series, Food Matters, and VB6: Eat Vegan Before “ Food Town, USA may prove to be the most hopeful and important book to take the food movement out of the predictable culture wars between big city and forgotten countryside, between blue and red, and between glamorous and unfashionable places. Whether it’s craft beer or food sovereignty, Winne gives voice to those who are reinventing the food movement in their own language.” Richard McCarthy, Executive Committee, Slow Food International “As only a longtime leader in the food movement can, Mark Winne introduces us to the unsung heroes of local food revitalization, demonstrating how food policy councils, farmers' markets, community gardens, and farm-to-school programs can help struggling communities rebuild." Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil Underground and coauthor of Grain by Grain Look at any list of America's top foodie cities and you probably won't find Boise, Idaho or Sitka, Alaska. Yet they are the new face of the food movement. Healthy, sustainable fare is changing communities across this country, revitalizing towns that have been ravaged by disappearing industries and decades of inequity. What sparked this revolution? To find out, Mark Winne traveled to seven cities not usually considered revolutionary. He broke bread with brew masters and city council members, farmers and philanthropists, toured start-up incubators and homeless shelters. What he discovered was remarkable, even inspiring. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, once a company steel town, investment in the arts has created a robust new market for local restaurateurs. In Alexandria, Louisiana, “one-stop shopping” food banks help clients apply for health insurance along with SNAP benefits. In Jacksonville, Florida, aeroponics are bringing fresh produce to a food desert. Over the course of his travels, Winne experienced the power of individuals to transform food and the power of food to transform communities. The cities of Food Town, USA remind us that innovation is ripening all across the country, especially in the most unlikely places. “Mark Winne’sis a tasty, heartwarming journey through towns we’d never thought much of but suddenly want to move to. It happily reminds us that when we devote ourselves to people and places we care about, wonderful and unexpected things seem to happen.”__Mark Bittman, author of the How to Cook Everything series, Food Matters, and VB6: Eat Vegan Before__“__Food Town, USA__may prove to be the most hopeful and important book to take the food movement out of the predictable culture wars between big city and forgotten countryside, between blue and red, and between glamorous and unfashionable places. Whether it’s craft beer or food sovereignty, Winne gives voice to those who are reinventing the food movement in their own language.” __Richard McCarthy, Executive Committee, Slow Food International__“As only a longtime leader in the food movement can, Mark Winne introduces us to the unsung heroes of local food revitalization, demonstrating how food policy councils, farmers' markets, community gardens, and farm-to-school programs can help struggling communities rebuild." __Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil Underground and coauthor of Grain by Grain__ Front Matter ....Pages i-x Introduction (Mark Winne)....Pages 1-14 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Mark Winne)....Pages 15-40 Alexandria, Louisiana (Mark Winne)....Pages 41-62 Boise, Idaho (Mark Winne)....Pages 63-85 Sitka, Alaska (Mark Winne)....Pages 87-110 Youngstown, Ohio (Mark Winne)....Pages 111-130 Jacksonville, Florida (Mark Winne)....Pages 131-160 Portland, Maine (Mark Winne)....Pages 161-170 Conclusion (Mark Winne)....Pages 181-190 Back Matter ....Pages 191-194