Eat Well Guide’s New Book

“Technology is tools. A plow was once the newest technology and now we can communicate as fast as we can dream. If our spirit and values are rooted in community and sustainability, then technology can help our ideals bloom.” This is Marissa Guggiana, president of Sonoma Direct, as quoted in “Cultivating the Web” (download it for free at www.EatWellGuide.org). This booklet was prepared by the Eat Well Guide in partnership with Slow Food Nation, and is a great resource for anyone wishing to forward the sustainable food movement–both online and beyond.

After the plow, there was the telephone, the fax machine, and the computer. As time progressed, these tools became commonplace, and more or less essential in the modern business world. The internet is quickly becoming one such indispensable tool. More and more farmers and organizers are using it daily–not just for information and communication, but for giving concrete form to this notion of “sustainable agriculture.” The folks at the Eat Well Guide have done a wonderful job summarizing common web-based tools, and explaining how we as educators, farmers and consumers can use them to connect with each other.

Cultivating the Web features ideas for networking, quotes from farmers and organizational leaders, and a great glossary that defines common web-related terms. This is a timely publication, as the number of farm blogs goes up daily, and the agricultural community has a growing online presence. We hope you’ll enjoy this book–whether you are a farmer, conscientious eater, or just plain interested.

To see how some of the farmers in the Animal Welfare Approved program are using the web, check out the following farm sites:

White Oak Pastures, http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/

Cates Family Farm, http://www.catesfamilyfarm.com/