TopLinks: Food

"Bill Clinton’s Life as a Vegan"
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/08/20/139782972/bill-clintons-life-as-a-vegan?ps=sh_sthdl
The 42nd President of the United States may have been known for a penchant for Big Macs, but he’s since turned his life around, now eschewing meat, dairy, and eggs from his diet. This NPR article details the potential health benefits of a vegan diet and speculates on whether it will help Clinton overcome his health problems.

Chefs Collaborative
http://chefscollaborative.org/
Want to support the local food movement and still go out to eat? The Chefs Collaborative Web site allows you to search for restaurants in your area that support the sustainable food movement by providing meals prepared with fresh, local ingredients.

Choose My Plate
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s site details recommended daily serving sizes of the various food groups. The “plate” took the place of the traditional food pyramid in 2011.

Farm Aid
http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723595/k.EE67/Family_Farmers_Good_Food_A_Better_America.htm
Since 1985, Farm Aid has been helping farmers by raising awareness about the loss of family farms and the decline of local agriculture. They organize an annual benefit concert featuring musicians devoted to the cause, including Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, and John Mellencamp. The site gives details about the concert, clips from past shows, a “find good food” section that links to organizations that bring local food to consumers, and profiles of family farmers.

Food Day
http://www.foodday.org/
Food Day is an organization committed to promoting sustainable agriculture and making nutritious food accessible for all Americans. This site features details on Food Day (October 24 of each year), recipes, food day principles, and information on how to get involved.

Michael Pollan's Web site
http://michaelpollan.com/
The homepage of Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, links to articles, interviews, reviews, and daily links about food and culture.

Oxfam International
http://www.oxfam.org/
Oxfam International is a global organization driven to end poverty and injustice. Check out the site’s section on Agriculture, in which they state, “More than any other sector, an investment in agriculture can help reduce poverty.” The site features a blog, information about current campaigns, and ways to get involved.

Slow Food International
http://www.slowfood.com/
Slow Food International promotes the slow food movement, a system that recommends the enjoyment of preparing and eating food. This site chronicles the movement, offering FAQs, what you can do to become involved, articles, and links to further resources.

The Dinner Garden
http://www.dinnergarden.org/
The Dinner Garden was founded by Holly Hirshberg after her husband lost his job in 2008 and their family of four was forced to eat vegetables straight from the garden in order to make ends meet. Now, the Dinner Garden provides enough free seeds to feed a family of four—a benefit that has been provided to over 65,000 American families. The Web site lists locations where you can pick up seeds, recipes, a blog, and a newsletter.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm
The United States’ government homepage for the Food and Drug Administration has resources for biotechnology, ingredients and packaging, labeling and nutrition, food safety, and international activities, among many other categories.

USDA Farmer’s Markets
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/farmersmarkets
This searchable database of farmer’s markets by city and state is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Also included are facts, statistics, and links.