OrganicNation.tv - Exploring America's Sustainable Food Landscape
Submitted by DorotheeRH on Tue, 04/28/2009 - 16:10.
Last updated on Mon, 01/18/2010 - 16:52.
Vital Stats
ongoing project
10000
3
Project Video
The Problem
Food is both a basic necessity and a ritual of daily life, yet most young Americans are completely disconnected from the food they eat and have little knowledge of where it comes from and how it’s made.
OrganicNation.tv is an exploration of the American sustainable food landscape focusing on the people, places and products that are shaping a new green economy and lifestyle.
Amid the new fascination with “organic” and “local” foods, we find ourselves bombarded with food labels and advertising that leave many confused about what is best to eat. OrganicNation.tv is a one-stop online resource that aims to educate young people around the country about emerging sustainable food systems as well as food policy, how farmers grow certain products, what different types of food certifications exist and how to choose products that are right for their own lifestyle. OrganicNation.tv features original videos, an interactive map, food policy blog and opportunities for participants to connect via social networking.
Why It's Important
Growing up in the suburbs, I never knew what food really was or where it came from. To me, food came from the supermarket, and it recently occurred to me that if I found myself in the city without a grocery store, I would likely starve! That seemed like a pretty sad fate for a girl whose ancestors grew most of what they consumed. I figured there must be other Americans like me who yearn to reconnect with the land and understand more about food production and OrganicNation.tv is a way to deliver that experience directly to them.
The Plan Of Action
Our preliminary site was built to provide ways for young people to learn, share and connect. Our goal is to continually improve the website and keep people informed by delivering information in a fun and accessible way. OrganicNation.tv features candid video interviews with farmers, scientists, business people and activists. The OrganicNation blog keeps you up to date on the latest food policy and sustainable living news and the OrganicNation Community Map is a place to share information about your neighborhood as well as find sustainable resources across the country. The website also offers opportunities for participants to connect via social networking.
So far, we've profiled over 45 locations on the Community Map, released a video trailer and compiled an extensive list of resources (online communities, organizations, blogs and events) for readers to check out.
Over the next six months, we'll continue to build up the OrganicNation.tv website and will be releasing videos on a bi-weekly basis, posting articles on the blog everyday and expanding the Community Map through reader participation.
Please join us as we explore America's sustainable food landscape - we look forward to your comments, questions and ideas along the way!
How Can Others Get Involved?
We're building a visual directory of America's sustainable food system and we need your help! Feel free to submit your own suggestions for organic farms, community gardens, restaurants, cafes or other sustainable locations here: http://www.organicnation.tv/map/
Project Updates
06/29/09
Update: I'm happy to report that the OrganicNation.tv project has been improving and expanding rapidly since we launched. Mark Boyer and I recently returned from our KickOff Tour of the West Coast where we interviewed farmers, activists, brewers and restaurant owners about their engagement with sustainable food. Our trailer was screened at The Organic Summit in Stevenson, Washington at the end of May and we were lucky enough to attend the event and even got a chance to meet Nell Newman! Now that we're back in Chicago, I'm editing all the footage we got on our trip and Mark is blogging up a storm. We've been getting great responses from our viewers and fellow green bloggers (we've been written up on sites like Treehugger.com, EarthFirst.com, LaVidaLocavore and RevolutionGreens). We've also been chosen as a featured project on Changents.com. Next up, we're filming around the Midwest and planning our East Coast tour!
-DorotheeVideo
Photos
01/18/10
Update: Since our last update, we traveled around the Midwest and East Coast interviewing the farmers, activists and experts behind the "good food" movement. We've been able to cover diverse topics including aquaponics, sustainable lobster fishing, rooftop farms, organic beer and fair trade. It's been a pleasure learning and building with a community of people who are passionate about the health of our people and our planet.
We've also been honored to receive recognition for our work in several ways: OrganicNation.tv was a NAU Grant for Change Finalist in September 2009 and received an honorary mention in the Earth Journalism Awards in November 2009 and was chosen to participate in an exhibition at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. OrganicNation.tv has also been featured in GOOD magazine, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Mindful Metropolis and prominent green sites including Huffington Post Green, Treehugger.com, Mother Nature Network, Traveling Greener and EarthFirst.com.
We plan to continue our in 2010 with a tour of Southern and Mountain states. Stay tuned! Additional people impacted: 10000
Additional people involved: 0
Video
Photos
Final Grant Update
01/18/10
Dorothee Royal-Hedinger
Number of people impacted: 10,000
Describe the impact the grant had: Though many organizations profess their support of youth-led community projects and entrepreneurship, few organizations make it possible for young people to find the initial funding they need to start. Winning the DoSomething Grant powered by AMEX was an inspiring vote of confidence that told me my idea was worth investment. The Grant was crucial to the success of the OrganicNation.tv project because it gave us confidence in our vision, helped give us credibility and provided a starting point for approaching other funders. The DoSomething team is a great network of support that helped connect us to resources and advice as well as other young people trying to make a difference.
Project highlights: 1) Interviewing a sustainable lobster fisherman while in Maine and having the video featured in GOOD magazine online. 2) Getting to meet hard-working farmers on the East and West coasts of the U.S. who normally don't have access to media and reporters. 3) Having members of our audience share the influence our site has had on their daily lives - from getting involved with a CSA, starting their own organic gardens and even doing worm composting in their kitchens!
How did the project unfold and develop? Since April 2009, we've been traveling across the U.S. interviewing the farmers, activists and experts behind the "good food" movement. So far we have covered diverse topics including aquaponics, sustainable lobster fishing, rooftop farms, organic beer and fair trade. It's been a pleasure learning and building with a community of people who are passionate about the health of our people and our planet. We've also been honored to receive recognition for our work in several ways: OrganicNation.tv was a NAU Grant for Change Finalist in September 2009 and received an honorary mention in the Earth Journalism Awards in November 2009 and was chosen to participate in an exhibition at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. OrganicNation.tv has been featured in GOOD magazine, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Mindful Metropolis and prominent green sites including Huffington Post Green, Treehugger.com, Mother Nature Network, Traveling Greener and EarthFirst.com.
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