Personal stories. Expertise from around the food plate. The opportunity to reach across and shake hands

There’s a lot of pressure in picking a name. Get it wrong and a child is stuck with a lifetime of jokes. Or a German Shepherd has to answer to Barbie. The same is true when naming a book. After 48,000 words, the last handful have been a bit painful. The title will likely never be perfect, but I believe in leveraging the brainpower of a community – so I’m asking for your help. This baby will be “birthed” in January, but the name has to be picked in a couple of weeks. Here’s quick glimpse of the two-sided book designed to connect the farm and food conversation.

Welcome to reaching across the plate…

Food fights can be entertaining for a short time, but they get rather messy and smell bad when they’ve gone too far. Bystanders are hit with rotten tomatoes or fall down on slimy floor. And the bullies who likely started the food fight slink away unnoticed, with their pockets stuffed for another fight.

Is that really the scenario we want when we talk about food? I think not. Is all the negativity and grandstanding really necessary? Frankly, I’m tired of the food fight, the food rules and the drama around our food plate. Instead, how about we approach the food discussion with decorum?

Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Because it’s important to find some understanding – an intersection of values – in the debate around food.  Because we are personally involved with food at least three times per day. It  sustains life. Food is central to our family’s well-being. Shouldn’t it be enjoyed and even celebrated?

I’m not writing this book because I expect group hugs amongst the various factions. I see it as an opportunity for people from around the food plate to find common ground on some issues – if they actually take the time to listen rather than scream across the plate. After all, wouldn’t a conversation flourish in that environment?

So I invite you to join me in adding decorum to the debate. Decorum is a big word for common courtesy. My hope is that you’ll give serious consideration that the discussion around food and farming should include civility. If you are interested in how to have a responsible & respectful food conversation, join me in the journey. Let’s move the conversation about food and farming to a different level.  You’ll find the stories of people from all around the food plate interwoven throughout the book to make it a richer discussion with more diverse, human perspectives.

What you put in your mouth is a personal choice. What a farmer produces is also a personal choice. One should not overpower the other.

It is time to engage in a conversation about food with decorum so we can celebrate choice. You’ll know which side of the book you need to read based on your role around the plate. Who knows? You might be interested enough to read the other side when you’re done. My hope is that both sets of six will help you move our society to a conversation with decorum – and connecting at the center of the plate.

Since people have asked, the book will be available in print and four digital version through my website and Amazon by late January.  It’s currently in copy editing. Pre-print quantity orders are available until December, as is the opportunity for organizations to add a custom message with the logo.  But first – let’s get this baby named! Don’t forget to vote for title and subtitle.

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Thanks for playing – I’ll send an autographed copy of “the baby” out to the person with the most creative ideas. Note – this means commenting, as I can’t see who’s voting. In the meantime, please keep reaching a hand across the food plate.