I’m here listening to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s address to the 600 folk gathered here at the Community Food Security Coalition Conference in Des Moines. He uses the story of the feeding of the 5000 to make his point about the culture of sharing that needs to be cultivated in this country.
Some were against his appointment but the efforts they are making to support community food programs and better nutrition for kids are impressive.
Jill Richardson, on the La Vida Locavore, reports how he avoided answering questions about the paradox of supporting community food programs and large-scale, mechanized agriculture by going on and on about Afghanistan – “Vilsack filibusters – then gets booed and hissed”
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Yesterday, I was very encouraged and, frankly, surprised. The Food and Faith Committee, which I helped establish back in 2002, had the best turn-out ever with close to 60 energized people who talked about ways they are linking their faith and faith communities to the building a just and sustainable food system. In addition to bringing a strong food/faith dimension to next year’s conference in New Orleans, we determined to come up with faith-based principles around food and agriculture that will help determine legislative platforms.