by guest blogger Maya Rodale. With the election looming and “the women’s vote” more courted then ever, there’s no better time to share the story of Victoria Woodhull, one of history’s most daring and audacious women. The story of Victoria Woodhull is the story of the first woman to run for president. And the story of the first female stockbroker, the first female publisher, and the most controversial and popular advocate of free love. It’s the story of a woman in late-1800s America the scandalizing the nation with a life that was in her own words “ahead of its time.”
Tag Archives | Random Thoughts
Polluting our Backyard to Feed China
By guest blogger Andrew Gunther. As our domestic demand for intensively produced meat continues to drop dramatically, we are about to let the meat industry continue to pollute our environment and make our families sick in order to profit from China’s appetite for meat. And the meat industry’s clever marketing hides the fact that the real cost of the meat we eat is extraordinarily high when we account for its environmental costs and its costs to human health and animal welfare.
What Saved This Conventional Farm?
by guest blogger Alberto Gonzalez. James Burkholder’s family has been farming forever. They moved from Switzerland to the U.S. in the 1700s and dedicated themselves to cultivating the land. But during a crisis in 2009, when milk prices tanked, James was at risk of losing his family’s legacy and livelihood. He needed to find a way to save their farm because farming was all they knew how to do. So, James decided to look into organic farming practices.
5 Things My Dog Made Me Learn the Hard Way
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. When I was 21 years old, I made a list of reasons why I can and should have a dog of my own. A few months later, Penelope arrived. A few days after that, I called my mother crying. Penelope was adorable, but she was an evil demon spawn that wanted to bite me to bits with her tiny, razor-sharp puppy teeth. In spite of thoughts of throwing her out the window, I vowed to love this dog if it was the last thing I ever did. Love took a year—a long year—during which Penny trained me as much as I trained her. Here’s what I learned:
For a Minute There, I Lost Myself
It’s so easy to lose yourself—in the wrong job, the wrong relationship, the wrong town, the wrong mindset, the wrong diet. Changing often involves changing your viewpoint more than your actual location, but it also takes the courage to dig deep into the pit of your soul and ask yourself, Who am I really? Who do I WANT to be? Am I living the life that best enables me to continue down the road to where I was meant to go? The hardest part is then getting up the courage to make the changes required.
The Art of Going Back to School
(When You’re…Older)
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. At the age of—well, never mind that—I have gone back to school. This time, instead of yet another English degree, I’m learning another language entirely. I’m learning how to write code. Yes, computer code.
That Stupid Feeling
I hate feeling stupid. But we’ve all been there: That Stupid Feeling that comes when we should know what we are doing and we don’t. I’ve had a lot of That Stupid Feeling lately. Probably because I’ve been on vacation, and also because I am purposefully trying to do new things. I hate That Stupid Feeling. But I hate it so much I’m determined to work my way through it, too.
How to Get More Hours in the Day
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. Getting up wicked early basically feels like a head start. I’ve become hooked on the feeling of having accomplished something before 9:00 a.m. That way, no matter what the day throws at me, I’ve gotten something important done. Here are my tips for turning yourself into a morning person, so you, too, can have a more useful day:
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
Order Now