Upscale Food and Gear Bring Campsite Cooking Out of the Wild   

“One million more American households have headed into the woods every year since 2014, according to a survey by the research company Nielsen Scarborough, and an estimated 13 million plan to camp more often in 2017 than they did last year.”  New York Time’s writes about the many camp cooks and trailblazers who have managed to keep upscale food a part of their dining experience using specialty coolers and mini-skillets out on the trail this summer.

At REI, the Seattle-based outdoor-gear retailer, sales of cast-iron skillets (one of my favorite kitchenwares!) are up 57 percent in the last year. It’s clear that many people are trying to steer clear of packaged, freezer-dried food. Yet that industry is also boosting their sales by offering more than the traditional favorite, including dehydrated versions of gluten-free penne with marinara sauce and Thai curry. Yum!

What You Need to Know About Lead Levels in Baby Food

“You may have caught wind of last week’s news that 20 percent of baby food—and 14 percent of  other food—contains lead. The finding came from a report by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a nonprofit advocacy group. Here’s what you should know.” – Mother Jones

Why Trump’s Crackdown on Immigration is Bad News for Those of Us Who Love Food (And For Farmers in Particular)

The entire country is now governed by “a chief executive who has vows to make life miserable for undocumented immigrants,” which could easily spur immigrant farm workers to exit en masse and end up costing states like Georgia who are economically dependent on agriculture, up to 6 percent of its gross domestic product. In fact, research by the Farm Bureau suggests the federal immigration policy Trump is promoting could result in a massive farm labor shortage across the country, causing domestic fruit output to plunge anywhere from 30 to 61 percent.

In addition to understanding the significance of immigration raids within our food system, it’s becoming more paramount than ever to discuss the impact of race on our food system.