Grist.org publishes special series on food and farming

SEATTLE, WA -- Grist.org, the world's leading source of environmental news and commentary, introduces a special series, Sow What?, that takes readers behind the scenes of modern day agriculture and its connections to both their diet and the planet.

In this eight article series, Grist follows the transformation of food production and its consequences for the farmer, the consumer, and the environment. Highlights of the series include:

• An examination of the extremes of agricultural production
• A look at the savory challenges of local Iowa food chef Kurt Michael Friese and the sustainable recipes he cooks up in Big Ag country
• Interview with top sustainable food writer Michael Pollan (author of NY Times bestseller The Omnivore's Dilemma)
• Guest contributor Elizabeth Royte (author of Garbage Land) writes about how the nation's breadbasket is poisoning its own water supply.
• An exclusive Grist quiz on food facts: What's Your Edible IQ?
• An audio slideshow exhibiting images of a sustainable-food revolution in Woodbury County, Iowa.

Expert advice from farmers, economists, chefs, and more will guide readers on a journey from the heart of industrial agriculture to the local booths of organic farmers' markets. In addition, readers will be able to engage with Sustainable Table, a national group that connects shoppers with local suppliers. A serious subject for a site that refuses to take itself seriously, the Grist special series Sow What? sets out to stomach the story in between the Farm Belt and the dinner plate.

About Grist

The nonprofit, independent, online magazine Grist was founded in April 1999, and over the past eight years has developed the most recognizable voice in environmental journalism: funny, opinionated, and intelligent. Grist offers in-depth reporting, opinions, book reviews, advice, and a popular blog -- all tailored to inform, entertain, provoke, and encourage its readers to think creatively about environmental problems and solutions.

Each month, Grist reaches over 700,000 unique individuals through its website and emails, and it has enjoyed particular success among readers in their 20s and 30s. Through syndication arrangements with other media outlets like MSNBC.com and Salon.com, Grist is reaching an even broader audience that extends into the millions. Grist has been featured in Time, Vanity Fair, the New York Times, Newsweek, and dozens of other national publications. Grist earned Webby™ People's Voice awards in both 2005 and 2006 as the internet's best magazine.