Articles by Bill Palladino
Reclaiming Our Food As Sacred

Reclaiming Our Food As Sacred

Bill Palladino, chief executive officer of Taste the Local Difference, explains the role of food in our lives. Palladino will give the January 27 keynote address on the eve of this year’s Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference.

Agriculture Forum: A definition of food, almost

Agriculture Forum: A definition of food, almost

Everything we do revolves around food, yet it’s not so easy to define. Go ahead, give it a shot. Now take that definition and ask yourself: Do soft-drinks qualify? How about alcoholic beverages, or bottled water, or fast-food or a protein bar with mysterious ingredients that look a lot like that pharmaceutical ad? This is our challenge as we try to measure our work in the food system, and it’s just the beginning.

Agriculture Forum: A definition of food, almost

Ag Forum: In a digital world, is agriculture still relevant?

Yet despite technology’s advancements, the last time I checked food isn’t grown by the judicious application of ones and zeros. Websites don’t plant seeds, and microchips don’t worry about organic certification audits. I’ve never known a software company to bring a handful of loam to its nose and smile at its richness, or let slip a tear of joy at the birth of a calf. With technology taking over our lives, is agriculture still relevant in a world racing to leave old ways behind? Solidly I say the answer is yes.

Agriculture Forum: A definition of food, almost

Ag Forum: Too many accolades -no way!

If you’re anything like I used to be, your eyes roll every time you hear of yet another “best of” accolade for the Grand Traverse region. I’ve long been a bit cynical about community self-aggrandizement. But last week, while taking a trip to the East Coast with my wife and kid, my cranky world-view received a great big blow. So now I must say, “Mea culpa, Traverse City!”