Braiding
on the page and on the stage!
Dear Friends,
Given all the time we are spending working on the farm, people often ask, “Are you still writing?” The answer is “yes,” although my manuscript feels like a big hot mess right now. Nevertheless, I’m at it every day, braiding three distinct but related pieces together, all relating to food. I thought writing fiction was tricky, but the honesty demanded by creative non-fiction is challenging, even painful at times, but that’s probably why I’m inspired to keep at it.
One strand of the braid explores my lifelong relationship with food and how it was shaped growing up in 1970’s America. The working title of the manuscript is “Raised on Froot Loops” which pretty much sums it up. However, I also dive into my formative high school years, working in an ice cream parlor, as well as being newly married into a Jewish family where food expressed a lot of things, including love.
A second strand tries to explain how John and I ended up on a farm outside Madison, Wisconsin and the healing nature of the work, the people, the land, and of course the food. The chapters about the farm are contemporary and visceral, however I’m without true takeaways from the last four years because of how new it is. It would be self-aggrandizing to conclude we’ve achieved our purpose of transparency and food accessibility less than four years in. However, I do love describing the wide-eyed impressions of a beginning farmer, but the pages are akin to a sauce that needs more time on the stove, these chapters need to simmer.
The third strand, where I reflect on our culture, giving anecdotes of the many ways in which we’ve been deceived by advertisers, food companies, and our government, is unfortunately very easy to write. I don’t need to go all the way back to the 1970’s when the harmful effects of processed food may have not been truly appreciated. Heck, who thought back then that food wrapped in plastic, or sitting on the shelves in cardboard boxes would become a staple of the American diet?
No, I don’t need to go to the ‘70’s because the headlines in the past month alone have provided enough heartbreaking evidence that greed and corruption continue to rank above the health of our environment and of our population.
On February 18, 2026, the president signed an executive order “Promoting the National Defense by ensuring an adequate supply of elemental phosphorous and glyphosate-herbicides.” How the nation’s defense hinges on spraying our food with toxic chemicals is beyond me.
He said, “Lack of access to glyphosate-based herbicides would critically jeopardize agricultural productivity, adding pressure to the domestic food system.” To me, this sounds like a gift to chemical and big Ag lobbies. It’s always about the cash, it’s never been about our health.
Nor the health of farmers…. who are incentivized with government subsidies to grow corn and soy, using GMO seeds that can withstand widespread spraying. Developing cancer is an all too common occupational hazard.
The EPA’s safety limit for glyphosate exposure from food are twice the levels allowed in the EU. And despite not being truthful about its harmful impacts on our food, its runoff is recognized by the agency as a drinking water contaminant.
As of February 2026, Bayer/Monsanto has proposed a $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits, aiming to end long-standing litigation claiming its glyphosate-based weedkiller causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This new proposal follows over $11 billion in previous payouts and covers current and future claims. Anyone who has ever used “Round-Up” knows it not only kills weeds, but everything it hits, it poisons our soil, our water, and our food.
Even though these policies enrage me, I want my book to ultimately be a message of hope. One thing I’ve learned from other farmers is that when humans get out of the way, nature heals itself. And scientific studies have shown that just three days on a diet of organic food can greatly reduce the amount of glyphosate found in human urine. We can heal ourselves as well.
Some cool news…..
An essay I wrote for Zibby Owens’ ON BEING JEWISH NOW anthology was selected along with 11 other essays to be part of a play being performed by The Braid in locations around Los Angeles. If you are in Southern California, please check it out!
What I’ve been Reading:
Not much because I was glued to the Olympics for two solid weeks!!
The most inspirational athletes of the games, in my opinion were the women. Such grit, admirable mindsets, and role models for laying it on the line.
Speaking of women…. 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Land stewards who are especially suited to healing, nurturing, and caring for the planet. Laying it on the line to do the right thing.
If you want….
…something more about how to protect yourself and those you love from the onslaught of poison in our food system, I’ve gathered some tips below:
One of the biggest things you can do is prioritize organic groceries, especially for the foods known to have high glyphosate levels. Filter your water, limit processed foods, take your shoes off before entering your home, NEVER USE ROUND UP, wear organic textiles, and wash your produce well before eating it!!
Buy organic, especially for the foods below:
Spinach
Strawberries
Kale, collard & Mustard Greens
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Necatrines
Pears
Apples
Blackberries
Blueberries
Potatoes
Foods with the highest levels of glyphosate:
Oats
Wheat and wheat based foods
Beans and legumes
Honey
Soy
Corn
Almonds
Apples
Grapes
Rice
Many thanks for reading to the end, sending you wishes for all good things!
Best,
Jeannie
Well said, J. Growing up I remember how polluted and poisoned the Connecticut River was and the ospreys that were endangered because of the widespread DDT use that was finally banned in the early 70's. The ospreys came back and the fish are back and it never occurred to me that we would be moving in this direction. Be well.
Congratulations on the essay! Also, great title: Raised on Froot Loops -- I used to want them so bad and my mother wouldn't buy them.