The Real Food Revolution ─ Healthy Eating, Green Groceries, and the Return of the American Family Farm

We Americans love our food. It's part of what has made this nation great. Our fertile farmlands and the abundance and variety of our agricultural output are the envy of the world. For most of our history, we lived close to the land, food was accessed locally, and we processed it in our own kitchens. But as our population and economy has boomed in the last century and we concentrated in cities, we industrialized our food system—with food coming far from home and processed multiple times. As foods rich in natural taste declined, we relied on high amounts of added sugar, fat, and salt to entice our palates. And it has taken a toll: our soil is polluted, our practices are unsustainable, and our health problems, including everything from allergy-related disease to obesity, are on the rise. This has all contributed to historic levels of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other causes of preventable death.

The good news is that people are starting to find solutions. They're voting with their pocketbooks for a new kind of food system—family farm, 21st-century style. Suburban and urban moms (and dads) want to know what's in their food and where it comes from. No more snack packs, Ding Dongs, and soda for lunch. This revolution is not only in how people eat, but also in how they grow, distribute, shop for, and prepare food. And the food is better tasting, better looking, and better for you.

The Real Food Revolution by Congressman Tim Ryan is a manifesto for this new food movement. In it, readers will find information on:
‧ The history and current state of our food systems
‧ Myriad negative impacts of our present food practices on our health and our planet
‧ Pros and cons of the current farm bill and what changes could help restore our nation
‧ What's happening both at the national and local levels
‧ How people can get involved, with actionable steps at the end of each chapter

This is a non-partisan, good-news message that will inform, inspire, and help readers around the country get involved. The era of the Twinkie and the hot-dog-stuffed-crust pizza has been fun, but now it's time for a change.

Tim Ryan was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, at the age of 29, and is currently serving in his fifth term representing Ohio's 17th Congressional District. He maintains a strong commitment to the economic and social well-being of his constituents in northeast Ohio. He serves as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as its Subcommittees on Readiness and on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. He also serves as a member of the House Budget Committee and co-chairman of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus.

Congressman Ryan has a daily mindfulness meditation practice. He has been an outspoken advocate for promoting mindfulness practice as an aid to dealing with the variety of complex problems facing the nation. During his tenure in the House, he has helped to get mindfulness and social and emotional learning programs established in several schools in his district. He also spearheaded a conference at a medical school in his district on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Before being elected to Congress, Ryan served in the Ohio State Senate, as president of the Trumbull County Young Democrats, as chairman of Earning by Learning in Warren, Ohio, and as a congressional aide. Learn more at timryan.house.gov.