Hi Everyone,

We are down to the wire and everything is falling into place for our Thanksgiving Feast for the Less Fortunate. The sign-up for shifts is almost full (you are all amazing!) with only a few spots open, so if you wanted to sign up, don’t wait! I am doing a big call out for WINTER COATS, HATS, GLOVES, SCARFS, BOOTS, SOCKS, BLANKETS, SLEEPING BAGS, TOTE BAGS, TOILETRIES, and TOWELS. Anything to help keep people warm, as the winter approaches. We need all sizes, so please help us collect from your friends and family. All clothing donations can be dropped off at the iEat Green Homestead in Old Westbury, through Monday, November 20th. Monetary donations can be sent to The River Fund-NY, 89-11 Lefferts Blvd.,
Richmond Hill, NY 11418. The River Fund Food Pantry is a 501-c3 organization, so your donation is tax deductable. For further info, call Bhavani at 516-238-3616. Thank you to everyone who helps to make this possible. I couldn’t do it without all of you!

As I focus my attention this week on feeding some of my hungry neighbors, I can’t help question; why? Why is there so much poverty, food insecurity, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mal-nourished people, especially in such a rich country? My guest this week can answer some of those questions! Eric Holt-Gimenez, is an agro-ecologist, political economist, lecturer and author, who focuses on understanding these issues. In his new book, A Foodie’s Guide to Capitalism; Understanding the Political Economy of What We Eat, Eric reveals the link between capitalism, poverty, hunger and the ills that plague our food system. He talks about the history of agriculture, and the basics of capitalism. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand why billions go hungry in the midst of abundance; why obesity is a global epidemic; and why land-grabbing, global warming, and environmental pollution are increasing. Eric has been the Executive Director of Food First since 2006. Food First is a non-profit organization that works to end the injustices that cause hunger through research, education and action.

Eric is the editor of Food First books, Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform Our Food Systems; and Land Justice; Re-Imagining Land, Food, and the Commons in the United States, He co-authored the book Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice with Raj Patel and Annie Shattuck; and was the author of Campesino a Campesino: Voices from Latin America’s Farmer to Farmer Movement for Sustainable Agriculture.

Eric is of Basque and Puerto Rican heritage. He grew up milking cows and pitching hay in Point Reyes, CA, where he learned that putting food on the table is hard work. After studying rural education and biology at the University of Oregon and Evergreen State College, he traveled through Mexico and Central America, where he was drawn to the simple life of small-scale farmers. He returned to the States and received his Ph.D. in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz in 2002. I hope you can all join us on Thursday for a great discussion and conversation about these troubling issues.

Remember, my show is recorded live, every Thursday, from 10-11 am, EST.  To tune in, navigate to PRN.fm and click the “Listen Live” button on the left. Also try downloading the PRN mobile app, and take the station with you wherever you go! If you want to call in during the show with any questions for me or my guest, the call in number is 888-874-4888.

If you can’t tune in at that time, you can listen to the show in the PRN archives, or through a direct phone line to my archives. Just dial 1-701-719-0880, and you can listen to the past 5 weeks of shows! Of course you can also access the shows through my website, or through iTunes. Please “like” iEat Green’s Facebook page and feel free to rate the show and leave comments on iTunes and on my website. Thank you all for your support.

With love and gratitude,

Bhavani