Just Harvest

"Although Greg Francis is not a farmer, he planted a seed as a lead counsel in a groundbreaking class-action lawsuit that yielded the largest gain for Black farmers in U.S. history. Since the last slaves were freed in the United States more than a century ago, countless promises made to the Black community have been broken. The first, of course, was the pledge of 40 acres and a mule to each emancipated family. Without land to their name, achieving economic independence was a near impossibility, yet Black farmer persisted. At first, many labored under condition that replicated slavery until they became tenant farmers, sharecroppers, and ultimately landowners. Throughout the years, systemic discrimination and racism barred them from receiving government funds intended as much for them as for other farmers. Their land, livelihood, and very existence were threatened time and again. Just Harvest not only pays homage to all the Black farmers who fought to own the land they've worked for decades, but it also celebrates the largest civil rights settlement won on their behalf. When the first of two landmark class-action law suits secured restitution for only a fraction of the affected farmers, a second lawsuit was launched, yielding astounding results. Due to the efforts of Francis and other on the latter case, more than $1 billion dollars has been paid by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Black farmers for the injustices they suffered. In telling the story of Black farmers and their epic legal battle, Francis provides both personal and historical context. If you're American, these events should have personal and historical resonance for you too."--Page 2 of cover

When a class-action lawsuit against the US government results in a billion dollar settlement for the aggrieved parties, you’d expect the story to be headline news . . .to be posted on social media everywhere . . . to be adapted to film or even to a popular legal procedural series on TV . . . So why then have so many people never heard of Pigford vs. Glickman? Or the follow-up lawsuit, Pigford II? Or the Black Farmers Case, as the pair of these legal actions is often called? Could it be that the heart-wrenching story of Black farmers in America, and the monumental legal case that brought long-sought justice to them, is rarely told because it reflects so poorly on the US and its treatment of those whose ancestors helped make the nation an agricultural giant in the first place? Whatever the reason, the time to tell the full story has come and the person to share the gripping details is Greg Francis, one of the lead counsels in the historic case that finally helped Black farmers achieve equity. In Just Harvest, Francis narrates the dramatic twists and turns of the legal battle fought and won, and evidences the many years of ingrained discrimination and racism that preceded it. Awareness of this story makes us all witnesses to the history still unfolding— and while parts of what is recounted herein will enrage you, the hope is that this book will also inspire, inform, and motivate you to join the continuing fight for the rights of all Black farmers now and in the future.

How to focus anti-hunger efforts not on charity but on the root causes of food insecurity, improving public health, and reducing income inequality. Food banks and food pantries have proliferated in response to an economic emergency. The loss of manufacturing jobs combined with the recession of the early 1980s and Reagan administration cutbacks in federal programs led to an explosion in the growth of food charity. This was meant to be a stopgap measure, but the jobs never came back, and the “emergency food system” became an industry. In Big Hunger, Andrew Fisher takes a critical look at the business of hunger and offers a new vision for the anti-hunger movement. From one perspective, anti-hunger leaders have been extraordinarily effective. Food charity is embedded in American civil society, and federal food programs have remained intact while other anti-poverty programs have been eliminated or slashed. But anti-hunger advocates are missing an essential element of the problem: economic inequality driven by low wages. Reliant on corporate donations of food and money, anti-hunger organizations have failed to hold business accountable for offshoring jobs, cutting benefits, exploiting workers and rural communities, and resisting wage increases. They have become part of a “hunger industrial complex” that seems as self-perpetuating as the more famous military-industrial complex. Fisher lays out a vision that encompasses a broader definition of hunger characterized by a focus on public health, economic justice, and economic democracy. He points to the work of numerous grassroots organizations that are leading the way in these fields as models for the rest of the anti-hunger sector. It is only through approaches like these that we can hope to end hunger, not just manage it.

The story of how the emerging food justice movement is seeking to transform the American food system from seed to table. In today's food system, farm workers face difficult and hazardous conditions, low-income neighborhoods lack supermarkets but abound in fast-food restaurants and liquor stores, food products emphasize convenience rather than wholesomeness, and the international reach of American fast-food franchises has been a major contributor to an epidemic of “globesity.” To combat these inequities and excesses, a movement for food justice has emerged in recent years seeking to transform the food system from seed to table. In Food Justice, Robert Gottlieb and Anupama Joshi tell the story of this emerging movement. A food justice framework ensures that the benefits and risks of how food is grown and processed, transported, distributed, and consumed are shared equitably. Gottlieb and Joshi recount the history of food injustices and describe current efforts to change the system, including community gardens and farmer training in Holyoke, Massachusetts, youth empowerment through the Rethinkers in New Orleans, farm-to-school programs across the country, and the Los Angeles school system's elimination of sugary soft drinks from its cafeterias. And they tell how food activism has succeeded at the highest level: advocates waged a grassroots campaign that convinced the Obama White House to plant a vegetable garden. The first comprehensive inquiry into this emerging movement, Food Justice addresses the increasing disconnect between food and culture that has resulted from our highly industrialized food system.

The perfect book for plant lovers, foragers, fermenters, brewers and those fascinated by the healing power of herbs, this is a collection of natural, non-alcoholic stimulants and tranquillisers to improve awareness, aid sleep, and everything in between. Trained herbalist, nutritionist, aromatherapist and drinks specialist Michael Isted has treated the worlds of fashion, art and wellbeing to his fabulous natural drinks, and now brings his delectable potions to a wider audience. This is no rarefied guide; using everyday plants such as dandelions and nettles, Michael reveals the history and processes of making drinks at home. A wonderful selection of amazing non-alcoholic drinks teach the secrets of love elixirs, sleeping draughts or brain boosters, among many others. Michael draws on his knowledge of worldwide plants to match each to a desired effect. A seasonal guide shows when and how to harvest plants, wherever you live, and by using the power of the Sun and Moon. Whether you’re an active herbalist, looking for a way to live in tune with nature, or just want to try your hand at making natural drinks, this is the book for you.

Would you like to plan liturgical celebrations that are accessible to children while remaining true to the riches of the Anglican tradition? Then this book is for you. Drawing on her experience as a children's worker and primary school teacher, Margaret Pritchard Houston provides a whole year's worth of material to celebrate the church year with children.

Elevate your backyard veggie patch into a work of sophisticated and stylish art. Kitchen Garden Revival guides you through every aspect of kitchen gardening, from design to harvesting. Author Nicole Johnsey Burke, founder of Rooted Garden, one of the leading US culinary landscape companies, and Gardenary, an online kitchen gardening education and resource company, leads the way with expert advice. Participating in the grow-your-own movement is important to both reduce your food miles and control what makes it onto your family’s table. If you’ve hesitated to take part because installing and caring for a traditional vegetable garden doesn’t seem to suit your life or your sense of style, Kitchen Garden Revival is here to show you there’s a better, more beautiful way to grow food. Instead of row after row of cabbage and pepper plants plunked into a patch of dirt in the middle of the yard, kitchen gardens are attractive, highly tailored food gardens consisting of easy-to-maintain raised planting beds laid out in an organized geometric pattern. Offering both four seasons of ornamental interest and plenty of fresh, homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs, kitchen gardens are the way to grow your own food in a fashionable, modern, and practical way. Kitchen gardens were once popular features of the European and early American landscape, but they fell out of favor when our agrarian roots were displaced by industrialization. With this accessible and inspirational guide, Nicole aims to return the kitchen garden to its rightful place just outside of every backdoor. Learn the art of kitchen gardening as you discover: What characteristics all kitchen gardens have in common How to design and install gorgeous kitchen garden beds using metal, wood, or stone Why raised beds mean reduced maintenance What crops are best for your kitchen garden A planting, tending, and harvesting plan developed by a pro Season-by-season growing guides It’s time to join the Kitchen Garden Revival and start growing your own delicious, organic food.