Roots of Change

The organization Roots of Change is a California effort to create public policy in that state that will support and enhance sustainable, healthy farming and eating habits. They do some really powerful work, and what I wonder is: in a state that prides itself as being an agricultural stronghold and as a state with severe obesity and food-related health problems, why isn't there a group like this in Alabama? There may be, but I'm not aware of one.

That's not to say that no one is doing anything. For instance, in Birmingham, Jones Valley Urban Farm hosts community education workshops (along with other services) and Frank Stitt's restaurants have impressive menus full of healthy, responsibly grown items. The state also has CSA farms like Red Root Farm in Banks and Snows Bend Farm near Tuscaloosa that allow customers to buy into their harvest on shares, thus providing them with healthy seasonal produce. For a full list of CSAs, published by the Farmers Market Authority, click here.

But what about influencing state policy? I'm no food expert, and beyond a general concern for the well-being of other people, my interest in the subject extends roughly to my own table. I'm not the man for the job. Does anyone know of work like this (not by a state agency, like the FMA) that is going?