Civil Eats

“Throughout my career, I’ve encountered arguments that suggest the free market can solve food insecurity through competition and innovation. While the market certainly has a role to play, my experiences have shown me it’s not enough.” Read the op-ed by Mya O. Price, Ph.D., president of The Root Cause Coalition. ??

Now that Trump has won back the presidency and Republicans control both the House and Senate, longtime efforts to repeal or water down the ACA may be back on the table. One group that will feel the impacts? America’s farmers and their families.

In this week’s newsletter, we feature a new book on fighting corporate CAFOs, an op-ed on food security within Black communities in rural Appalachia, and more. ?? https://buff.ly/3Oist2B Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox ???? https://buff.ly/3LtSMC1

Author Sonja Trom Eayrs chronicles her family’s battle against factory hog farms in Minnesota in her new book, “Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America.” We recently spoke to Trom Eayrs about her family’s battle against CAFOs, the ways these facilities hurt rural areas, and how communities are fighting back.

Help us inform and empower readers and hold the powerful accountable. From now until 12/31, NewsMatch will match your contribution, which will help power our newsroom into 2025, and beyond. ?? https://buff.ly/460F9SW

A new community of millers joins the revival of America’s regional grain heritage, connecting farmers with a market eager for fresh, local flour.

NEW ARTICLE ALERT - I’m deeply honored to contribute as a writer for Civil Eats, where I continue to uplift critical conversations about food equity and justice. My latest piece, "Op-ed: Food Security is Urgently Needed in Black Rural Appalachia," is now published. Growing up in Kentucky and conducting much of my research with the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, I traveled extensively throughout the Appalachian counties of Kentucky. There, I witnessed firsthand how residents struggle with limited access to essential resources like healthcare, education, and nutritious food. In this piece, I reflect on the urgent needs of the region, highlight personal stories—such as my grandmother’s experiences—and outline a playbook for meaningful support and critical initiatives. As I write in the article: "True food justice means that policies, resources, and support reach those who need them most, regardless of political winds. With strategic, inclusive efforts, we can create a food system that uplifts all people, ensuring that Appalachia’s families, farms, and communities are no longer left behind but are instead at the forefront of our nation’s progress." Mentioned: Feeding America, Global Food Institute at the George Washington University, The Root Cause Coalition, and Accelerating Appalachia. Find the article linked here:

Leaders in Food and Ag React to Trump’s Reelection: “[Farmworkers] have deep and strong roots in the country which their labor feeds. And they know this country’s agricultural economy would collapse without them. Farmworkers are resilient. They have to be.” –Teresa Romero, United Farm Workers Of America president Read more ?? https://lnkd.in/efcGaBDU

Mya O. Price, Ph.D., president of The Root Cause Coalition, explains in an op-ed how Black communities in rural Appalachia struggle to access healthy food and lays out ways to build local food systems that reach everyone.

In a Q&A with editor Tilde Herrera, author and family law attorney Sonja Trom Eayrs spoke about her newest book, 'Dodge County, Incorporated,' in which she chronicles her family’s battle against factory hog farms in Minnesota.