If you, like so many others, are now aiming to consume a diet that reflects your concern for the world and its farmers, you’re probably eating organically, locally or seasonally. Also like so many others, you might find it tricky to keep track of it all. I can’t blame you. It’s a lot of information to process, and the task can become overwhelming if, not so long ago, you were shopping quickly, cheaply, and conveniently.
Luckily there are countless resources available to make your kitchen quest an easy one. Shopping for …

If you look at a map of passenger rail routes across the United States, you might notice something… odd. Sprawling across the prairies, mountains, deserts and coasts are thin red lines of beautiful, scenic railway. They connect DC to New York, Seattle to Chicago, San Diego to San Antonio, Wichita to… wait. Where’s Wichita?
That, at least, was my initial reaction. The next thought to follow was “Oh, Wichita just isn’t a big enough city yet.” I looked closely at the map to see if other cities of similar size and …

Just like every person on Earth is really great at something, so is every city. Some people are talented painters, knitters, kissers, or pickle makers. Some cities are amusing, tranquil, sprawling, or else host exceptional naked bike rallies. Garden City, in western Kansas, is excellent at being a strong community. In fact, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my visits to the “Tumbleweed Capital of the World” it’s that you’ll find absolutely nothing to do if you’re by yourself, and you’ll find weeks worth of entertainment if you’re willing …

After hearing a distressing interview on NPR last week, one of my good friends came to me with a few serious questions about the state of the world. “How will we ever manage to feed everybody?” “ If it came down to Genetically Modified Crops or Organic Food, what should we choose?” “How many people will die from malnutrition before Americans start becoming seriously concerned?” “What do we have to do to put things right?”
The last question, surprisingly, is the easiest to answer. “All we have to do,” I said …

There comes a time when every forward-minded consumer must take stock. If you look around your home, you will find a series of purchases that have defined you and your presence in the global marketplace. Are you green? Fashionable? Vegan? Accidentally vanilla-orange scented? Minimalist? Beige? Localist? The things you buy, both with careful consideration and with indiscriminate laxity, are all variables in your developing shopper’s profile. This personal history of fiscal activity speaks volumes about you and your relationship with the world, and it’s about time you gave it …