Back in February, I was surprised and honored to be included on a list compiled by Elizabeth Street (with the help of food activist Robyn O’Brien) of the “Top 15 Most Important Moms in the Food Industry.” I shared the link on Twitter that day, and doing so sparked an interesting conversation with some of my favorite food policy colleagues about whether it’s OK to single out moms in this fashion, whether it does a disservice to fathers and the childless, and whether exalting an activist’s maternal status is, in the end, demeaning.
As you can imagine, it was pretty frustrating to try to have that conversation in 140 character bites, so I later wrote down my thoughts in a longer format. I wound up sending the essay to the New York Times Motherlode blog and I’m thrilled to report that it will appear there on Mother’s Day, this Sunday.
This is a nuanced topic, though, and even the 800 words I was allotted by the Times didn’t feel like nearly enough to convey all I wanted to say on the subject. And I’m sure there are some readers who will take issue with my views. If you’re one of them (or if you agree with me), please feel free to leave a comment on the Motherlode blog when the piece appears so we can continue the conversation.
An early Happy Mother’s Day to all TLT moms! Wishing you a well-deserved day of love and relaxation. To help with the latter, be sure to check out this “recipe” from Katie Morford (of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook) for a luxurious, fragrant Mother’s Day bath. But make sure your family understands this is the only thing you’ll be preparing on Sunday. 🙂
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