“No More Food Fights!” Arrives Valentine’s Day
Have you ever known you needed to take that next step, but held back until you had the right concept? Maybe expanding your business, leaving a job or creating a new product? That’s exactly how I felt about writing a book. Connecting the two sides of food plate was the idea that finally gave me permission to write a book after a decade of knowing I needed to. It’s been an educational and laborious process in the months in between, but I’m thrilled to announce that Valentine’s Day will be the print release of No More Food Fights! I invite you to be be a part of sharing the food love with this book!
What motivated me to finally write a book? The first part of the food side sums it up. “When my family sits down to a meal, the last thing we want to worry about is what kind of statement our food is making. Food is about nourishment, and the meal is about spending time together as a family. Yet the conversations outside of that table have become increasingly complex.” My hope is that No More Food Fights! will move the conversation to a different level, one based upon connections around the food plate, rather than rotten vegetables.
Writing the two-sided book proved therapeutic, as I was able to corral a whole lot of thoughts, experiences and research. The framework fell into a book that “flips” with six senses for the food side and 6 ½ steps for the farm side, plus a common chapter about connecting at the center of the plate. 60,000 words came much more quickly than I ever expected, largely due to the great examples available from both the farm and food side. It was a testament to the collective energy of a community building energy for a cause, something that is bigger than any one individual. My heartfelt thanks to the following individuals for allowing me to share your stories and the dimension you added to the book.
- Sarah Bedgar Wilson
- Wayne Black
- Marie Bowers
- Dr. Jude Capper
Photo Credit and Copyright ~ Joe Murphy
- Dr. John Copland
- Susan Crowell
- Jennifer Elwell
- Eliz Greene
- Darin Grimm
- Jennifer Heim
- Sarah Hubbart
- Zach Hunnicut
- International Food Information Council
- Renee Kelly
- Kim Kotecki
- Debbie Lyons-Blythe
- Donna Manring
- Paul McConaughy
Photo Credit & Copyright ~ Lauren Chase,
Montana Stockgrowers - Dr. Samantha McLerran
- Shay Myers
- Neimann Farms
- Laura Nelson
- Dr. Robin Rastani
- Dr. Cami Ryan
- Larry Sailer
- Joanne Samuelson
- Brian Scott
- Amy Sipes
- Marianne Smith Edge
- Dr. Kathy Swift
- Amy Throndsen
- Garrett Weber-Gale
- Ryan Weeks
- Jeff VanderWerff
- Emily Zweber
Links to these fine folks will be available in four digital versions of No More Food Fights! released in March or through the QR code available to those reading the print edition. In the meantime, you can check out the table of contents for the book here. I sure wish there was room to include more stories from around the plate, but there will likely be another opportunity.
Photos often bring a story to life, especially when it involves farms and ranches. I was touched by the generosity of Lauren Chase of Montana Stockgrowers and Joe Murphy in Iowa in sharing with images in No More Food Fights! I also appreciated the review, questions and challenges from professional speaking and agricultural colleagues – you know who you are.
Several food and agricultural leaders have already offered words of praise for the book – I’m honored to have their endorsements. I’ve learned I had to let some things go as the book “goes to bed” and reaches the final design stages. I spent a lot of time honing personal stories for the food side of the book, but wished I would have done a better job of adding that introspection to the farm side. The book won’t be perfect – and that’s O.K. After all, No More Food Fights! is about growing a productive conversation around farm and food. And the conversation will never be perfect. But hopefully No More Food Fights! will help bring the conversation to a different level. I’ll let you be the judge of that.
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Congratulations on having the release date set! Looking forward to seeing the book after it comes out.
Thanks so much, Val! I really hope it helps change the conversation.
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