Ever struggle to identify your role in the equitable and sustainable food movement? I recently spoke to someone who felt misaligned with the expectations of a role they were playing. I remember having a similar experience in the past. I also remember the relief I felt when I finally understood that you don’t need to try and do […]

When you work in a field that you’re passionate about (food) — and in an environment that emphasizes and rewards non-stop work (hello, dominant American culture) — it can be easy to forgo nourishing yourself in favor of “getting things done”. So take this as your start-of-the-year reminder / suggestion / endorsement to nourish yourself. […]

Last week, I took time to play with my food. A tiny, plastic croissant, to be specific. I found the croissant under a deep pile of other Lego accoutrement while building minifigures—or “minifigs” to those Lego fans out there—with my kiddos at Legoland. It paired nicely with a tiny goblet of juice. Or maybe that was wine? “Mama, obviously […]

A few years back I was interviewing fifth graders at a school in Oakland, CA about their favorite foods. “I love Burger King,” said one student. “What do you like about it?” I asked. “I like that it’s fresh,” he said. “What does fresh mean to you?” I responded. “You know…it’s not just sitting there already. They make […]

Years ago, a funder and I were having a disagreement about the presence of a specific food in a design project. She thought it was “unhealthy” and that it didn’t align with her company’s values around health. I asked if she could share the organization’s definition of so-called “healthy food”. Her answer? “You know healthy […]

Food nourishes us in more ways than one. Food connects us to our identity, culture, history, community, memory, land, and waters. To ourselves and to each other. As designers within the food system, we have a responsibility to honor these connections and forms of nourishment. To collaborate with people and communities most impacted by a […]