We made it!

This year, we made a book. It’s the legacy piece of a two-year program called Food for Thought that we served up in 2010 and 2011. For two years, we invited people from across Indiana to mull over what’s on their plates, how it got there, and what it means. At the same time, we challenged them to consider food’s significance in our communities, nation, and world and to confront the serious issues surrounding food—issues such as hunger, nutrition, and food production and security.

In late 2011, staff member and photographer Kristin Hess set out on the road with author David Hoppe to capture stories that we learned through this theme and to discover many more. Through their travels, they heard from chefs, farmers, entrepreneurs and teachers that this was the best time in Indiana food history. The book, which was designed by Kristin and copy-edited by our team at Indiana Humanities was published by IBJ Media and printed by an Indiana company. It now serves as the legacy piece to Food for Thought, which won the 2011 Schwartz Prize for best humanities program in the country.

Food for Thought: An Indiana Harvest tells the story of Indiana’s food renaissance through the voices of more than 80 people who are creating this fresh and dynamic scene. You’ll meet Greg Gunthorp, whose grass-fed pork and poultry are served by some of the best chefs in the country, and Dani Tippmann, reviving the Native American food ways of her ancestors. There’s Lisa Sparks, who says she hates pie, but who keeps winning prizes for the best ones in America; and Jay Akridge at Purdue University who is training the next generation of farmers; Jesús Alvarez, the Mexican immigrant known as the Pierogi King of Whiting, Indiana; and Aster Bekele, who has turned an urban farm into a lifeline for kids in need.

Learn more at www.IndianaHarvest.com.

Indiana Humanities is participating in the December Think Kit challenge by writing something every day based on a writing prompt provided by the folks at SmallBox. This post was written by Kristen Fuhs Wells, director of communications.