The Dirt to Dinner Team

OUR MISSION

Connecting you with our food system and its value in our daily lives — from dirt to dinner.

China's Plight with Food Independence

Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambition to reshape global world order and replace the U.S. as global economic and military leader misses one key element: China's dependence on capitalist and democratic nations for food security.

Food Security, Food Trade

Anybody Want a Job in Ag?

Finding the workers needed to make our modern food system function is a major challenge across our supply chain. And now we have a perfect storm of labor issues affecting us all.

Agricultural Labor, Food Production

Meet D2D's Lucy Stitzer

Lucy believes an educated and curious food consumer can transform the global agricultural system. She is determined to make evidence-based food research and information accessible to consumers so they can make the best choices for themselves and their families.

Meet D2D's Hillary Kaufman

As a team member, Hillary manages the D2D website and makes sure readers have a great experience navigating all our content across our varied subjects, media experiences, and platforms.

Meet D2D's Hayley Philip

Hayley joined D2D in 2018 as Marketing Director. Hayley’s interest in food, farming, and agriculture began at a young age. But it wasn’t until a few years ago when she was trying to make healthier meals for her family that she realized the enormous challenge people faced in getting actual facts about our food and food system.

Meet D2D's Garland West

Garland, D2D's self-proclaimed in-house policy wonk, has spent four decades immersed in the complex world of food and agriculture, as both a profession and a personal passion. Garland applies that experience and curiosity in all things food-related to address our modern global food system, sustainability, and other timely topics.

Introducing D2D's "Digging in" podcast!

Join us as we talk with everyone in the food system, from farmers to scientists and nutritionists, to discuss important issues in their field. And we’ll connect the dots along the way by asking how these experts see the food industry working together to provide safe, nutritious food for all.

How is Salt Made?

Salt is a vital component in the functioning of our bodies and it boasts over 14,000 known uses. Where does it all come from?

Food Ingredients, Food Production

Your Views on Food Information Credibility

Results are in for our food information credibility survey. With your input, we’ll make our site the most credible and trusted source of information about food and our food system available anywhere.

Food Production

Is Ag the Key to Future U.S.-China Relations?

Tariffs on Chinese goods have become the quiet political rage in Washington. But can a successful trade relationship in agriculture and food products help teach us another way of thinking about what’s best for both countries?

Food Regulations & Policy

Will more ethanol fight inflation...or fuel it?

Prices for gasoline, food and other staples continue to rise and rise. The latest initiative is to increase the amount of ethanol allowed in our gas tanks. But will this temper gas prices? Or just increase food prices for consumers?

Food Regulations & Policy, Food Trade

Ukraine Conflict Clouds Outlook for Global Food System

Ukrainians are needlessly suffering from this invasion. But tragically, more suffering will follow as Putin’s aggression triggers a disrupted food system, higher food costs and, even worse, food insecurity for our most vulnerable.

Food Security

Energy, Food Costs: The Unexpected Pain of Ukraine Invasion

While it is uncertain whether Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have serious immediate consequences for U.S. consumers, it could have profound longer-term implications for food costs, the global supply chain and trading system that makes our modern lifestyle possible.

Food Security, Food Trade

Trading Carbon and Talking Plants

Carbon trading can enable farmers to sequester carbon, sell a ton of carbon credit on the market for consumers, and enable companies to purchase as credits. But how does this happen?

Soil and Crop Management

FFA's Nicholas Mello: The Importance of Seed Science

In partnership with the Future Farmers of America, we will be highlighting a series of finalists from 2020 and 2021 to share their stories and passions. Today, read about Nicholas Mello of California and his hybrid corn seed experimentation.

Agricultural Technology, Soil and Crop Management

Are fermented foods key to our health?

You want to prevent disease? Then consider fermented foods. Fermentation is a chemical reaction that’s responsible for some of our most favorite food and drinks that not only taste great – they can be great for you.

Health

How safe is our food from cyberattacks?

Many of us recently learned that our food system is vulnerable to cyberattacks, just like any other business. Despite these events, industry experts find new ways to keep our food safe and supply chain constantly in motion to feed the world. Here's what's being done now...

Food Safety, Food Technology

Toigo's Transition from Tomatoes to Cannabis

Mark Toigo had to pivot his multi-generational farm when low-cost tomatoes flooded the organic market. Converting his tomato crops to cannabis saved his struggling farm, and perhaps a few lives along the way...

Five Reasons Why I Started Using Conservation Practices On My Farm

This article was written by Keith Mears, who farms with his family near Delphi, Indiana, and is a Conservation Steward with America’s Conservation Ag Movement.

Conservation

Grilling Season: Food Safety Best Practices

Before you fire up the grill, let’s review safe food storage, handling, and preparation to help you protect yourself, your families, and your guests from food-borne illnesses.

Food Safety

Lucy Stitzer x Farm Journal: Soil, Plant & Human Health

D2D's founder talks with Trust in Food's Nate Birt about Regenerative Ag's rapid evolution and its power to restore health.

Soil and Crop Management

Q&A with FFA’s Tyler Gardner

Future Farmers of America member, Tyler Gardner, is one hard-working college student. His work at his family’s cranberry marsh has evolved his mission to produce healthy and sustainable food for generations to come.

Soil and Crop Management

Farmer & Rancher Election Survey Results

D2D set out with a goal to better understand the issues affecting American farmers - their concerns, hopes, and thoughts about the next four years. Here are our results...

Food Regulations & Policy, Food Trade, Health, Soil and Crop Management

Trump vs. Biden: Comparing Ag Platforms

Election Day is almost here. So where do Trump and Biden stand on American food and agriculture? We compare the candidates' views on the major issues affecting farmers and ranchers today.

Agricultural Labor, Conservation, Food Regulations & Policy

A Few of D2D's Favorite Recipes...

Demanding Equality: Women Farmers in Africa

These women farmers in Africa not only challenge the status quo, but have dramatically improved their local economies...and beyond.

Agricultural Labor, Food Security, Soil and Crop Management

Jack Bobo: How We Choose Our Food

Especially during chaotic times like this, we rely on Jack Bobo's insights into our behaviors as food consumers to educate us and help us make better decisions. While we search our supermarket for a new "superfood" to cure us or a "natural" product to make us feel healthier, Jack is searching for the answers to why our brains want us to behave this way and what we can do to better evaluate our purchasing decisions.

Agricultural Technology, Food Production

D2D's "Nice List" for the Holidays

Here's our "nice list" of helpful posts to keep you healthy, happy and in-the-know through the holidays and into the new year. Everything from delicious, low sugar recipes to global trade and alternative proteins, we've got you covered!

Food Regulations & Policy, Health, Soil and Crop Management

Coffee: Uniting Our Worlds

Our morning brew is so much more than just another beverage! Each cup connects us with farmers in the rainforests and mountains, highlighting the importance of sustainable farming. To bring our cup of joe to life, we introduce sustainability-rated Colombian coffee producer, Finca El Ocaso.