Articles by Tom Philpott
Tom Philpott was previously Grist's food writer. He now writes for Mother Jones.
All Articles
-
What if the Midwest stopped trying to feed the world and started focusing on itself?
Is the sun setting on Midwest farming, or can it be saved by the dawn of a new model?In Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” a sailor contemplates the paradox of thirst amid a literal sea of water. “Water, water everywhere,” he famously laments, “nor any drop to drink.” Rural Midwesterners can likely identify with […]
-
Great veggies — and a model for city farming — thrive at Boggy Creek Farm models.
In “Mad Flavor,” the author describes his occasional forays from the farm in search of exceptional culinary experiences from small artisanal producers. Mad Flavor is currently reporting from location in Austin, the author’s hometown. The first thing to say about Austin’s Boggy Creek Farm is that its vegetables have mad flavor. Russian-red kale so bursting […]
-
Finding a proper coffee in the Texas hipster mecca
In “Mad Flavor,” the author describes his occasional forays from the farm in search of exceptional culinary experiences from small artisanal producers. For the next week or so, Mad Flavor will be reporting from location in Austin, the author’s hometown. News flash: I’ve found proper espresso in Austin, Texas, home of dozens of cafes. The […]
-
The shining promise of ethanol doesn’t add up for farmers
No one can begrudge corn farmers their share of euphoria over the recent ethanol boom. Until very recently, their plight could be summed up by a bit of gallows humor I once heard from a dairy farmer: “I lose money on every gallon, so I try to make up for it on volume.” Hopes are […]
