The year has brought us both hope and despair. Just three months into the “new” year, we see new life and also the attempt to destroy a culture that has existed for centuries. There is a lot to stay updated on and informed about. These are what are on UnitedInFood’s heart and mind.

On the hopeful front, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the first day of spring (A/K/A March equinox and spring equinox) officially arrives on Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. (11;33 a.m., actually, to be precise). As the planet earth tilts more towards the sun and we will have longer days to look forward to, and warmer temps. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, this day is the start of their fall or autumn season.

Speaking of spring, we are excited about March 20, 2022 — “#PlantASeedDay“. This is the genius idea of Big Green (their website is https://biggreen.org). Their mission is “Growing food changes lives.” Held on the first day of spring, this initiative it is to inspire people all over the world to grown their own food and it all starts with a single seed. In the last two years, almost 500,000 people have participated and planted over 1.5 million seeds. To learn more about this and pledge to plant your seeds, please visit their website at https://www.plantaseedday.org. Pixie, forever the kale lover and co-founder (with Pepper) of the unofficial Kale Committee, has pledged to plant kale seeds.

Which brings us to despair. We are staying informed on the war in Ukraine. Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine including the farmers and growers. War has put an abrupt end to growing crops among all other aspects of basic and everyday life. Modern Farmer has an insightful article on how wheat, in particular, is being affected by the war and what it means for the global supply. For more information on this article, please visit https://modernfarmer.com/2022/03/war-in-ukraine-impact-on-us-agriculture-and-food-system/.

What can we do to help? For UnitedInFood, food is our vehicle for activism. We will continue to write about what gives us hope and where we struggle to find hope.

Pixie Millet, March 2022