Help name the baby! Or a book.
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.
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Keep it as short as possible… catch the person’s attention as they scan for something that peaks their interest enough to read the back cover and get hooked! Love the gate and plate thing in the subtitle and Breaking Bread is very comforting and non- threating! Kinda like what one feels when they are sitting with a group of friends they meet up with every few years and pickup where they left off as if they just saw each other yesterday. I can’t wait to see it!
Can you use “Reaching across the plate somehow?” You already have it in your opening… I know you’re not looking for more ideas, but also in your opening – “Getting beyond the food fight” … Just a few other thoughts… good luck!
Thanks for voting & ideas! Played with both; food fight is too negative for a title – and already taken. Reaching across the plate is a thread in every chapter, so will think about it. Funny enough, several people had to tell me to use connecting gate to plate. Nothing like overlooking your own stuff. 🙂
I too like the breaking bread idea. To me breaking bread brings thoughts of tradition, and family these things are central to farm life as well. Bread is such an essential and historic part of our diets. I think the fight in the “food fight” could be helped by people taking time to listen to one another. Time to care enough to ask questions about things they don’t understand. Good luck with the book. I am excited to share it with friends.
Thanks Amanda. Breaking Bread is appealing on a number of fronts, but I wonder how much it resonates with folks not on a farm?
I like The Food Dilemma b/c it attracts people interested in food that have read or heard of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I think it connects well with the food fight concept too. And how about “connecting farm gate AND food plate” instead of “to” in there, I think it sounds more equal between the sides. I also like “a conversation connecting farm and food”.
Thanks, that was one of the ideas though I strongly prefer a unique title. Also appreciate the thought on and to bring more equality. Still playing with subtitle…
I think the food connected will catch a few different groups for different reasons…all of the folks that want to know where their food is coming from, or grow their own food…but also the folks that want people to connect the food to the crop or animals…and/or farmer. The food dilemma sounds too much like omnivore’s dilemma, and breaking bread might be what you wish the people and farmers may end up doing…but it certainly isn’t where they start or you’d have nothing to write about… ;-). For a non-farmer, the farm gate might bring up thoughts about what the farmer is “doing wrong” (eg spygate in the NFL, watergate, etc)…and I don’t think that’s where you’d want to start from….
I also liked reaching across the plate, or maybe “beyond (or behind) the plate:food origins.
You know, I had never thought about farm gate being associated with Watergate, etc. but tested your theory today on some non-ag folks and found out you were right. Thanks for the insight – still working on the pesky subtitle. Too bad it can’t be 20 words!
I voted for the “Food Dilemma – How to Have a Meaningful Conversation About Food and Farm.” If you want a non-farm audience to check out the book I feel like the Food Dilemma is intriguing and would make people at least pick up the book. Also, as for the subtitle I feel like gate to plate is great for a farm audience but that a non-farm audience might not understand. I think you have to stick with Food and Farm. Makes it simple.
Hi Val. Appreciate the vote and the comments. Looking at “No More Food Fights” but still trying to figure out subtitle. Agree that food and farm is simpler and more appealing to a greater number of people.
I’m having a little trouble with the use of “conversation”, although it is in the top four choices for the sub-title. I don’t think I normally buy books to read a conversation. I checked on Amazon and the only one was Conversations with God. I’d recommend something like… “Gate to Plate: Making Sense of the Food Debate, From Farm Gate to Food Plate.”
Thanks, Paul. The conversation is the outcome and won’t be in the main title, but the subtitle. We shall see how it ends up – goal is for it to appeal to as many as possible while accurately representing the content.
I agree short and simple is the way to go, and as inclusive as possible. My suggestion(s):
Across the Plate – A conversation connecting farm & food
or
Across the Table – A conversation connecting farm & food
Thanks for the ideas, Lance. Planning to go with “No More Food Fights” as the main title, still working on subtitle, but leaning the same way you did above.
Farms Feed Your Family: Discussing food and you. I know you’re probably not looking for yet another idea, but wanted to pass this thought along. Thinking more along the line of keeping it simple. “Food” is a very popular Internet search word.
Hi Gail. Appreciate your ideas! Yes, food is commonly searched term but is certainly central to the convo. The challenge I have is that the book is for both farmers and food folks. Frankly, I think it can come off a bit much when ag makes statements like “farmers feed you” to those outside of our world. The book is for both food and ag sides, so wanting something that applies to both worlds.