While Time Magazine has declared 2011 as the "year of the protester," what gets lost in that hoopla are the origins of the protest. And those origins point back to what is, or what is not, on our collective plates. more ›

It's Food Day! But wait, we eat every day so why an actual "Food" day? According to the non-profit that is sponsoring this day as dialogue they have some fairly straightforward (okay, awesome) goals. Plus, a few ways for you to get involved in the local "good food" movement. more ›

We talked with Good Food Festival producer Jim Slama about what the event is and what you can experience at the various demos, talks, and gatherings that are part of a celebration of the Santa Monica Farmers' Market and a larger dialogue about improving L.A.'s foodscape. more ›

Where does "good food" come from in Los Angeles? Who has access to it? Who doesn't...and why don't they? These are questions tackled by a task force assembled in September 2009 by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to address concerns about food sources, availability, sustainability, and much more. The task force worked for months, and recently issued their report, signaling a need for Good Food for All in Los Angeles. more ›

Los Angeles currently has a handful of food policy initiatives in the works and today one of them took a step forward. Last November, Councilman Paul Koretz introduced a motion based on a blueprint to end hunger (.pdf) in Los Angeles County published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, which called attention to the local hunger problem, food insecurity and lack of access to fresh and healthy foods. more ›

No longer are the days of inconsistent actions regarding how the city approves and pays for special events like neighborhood block parties, farmers markets, festivals and larger, more notable street closures for events like the Oscars and Emmys (which means street closures this weekend in downtown). Some of those larger events like the Oscars will get half their fees waived while other events like farmers markets are left in the dark. The city says they need to entice events such as the Oscars to stay in Los Angeles as they contribute heavily to the local economy--caterers, flowers, fashion, tourism, etc. Farmers markets also contribute to the economy and organizers fear the new ordinance will force them to shut down as money raised is not enough to pay for street closures. Although Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the ordinance into law today, his office tells LAist that he fully supports Farmers Markets and knows they are vital assets to our communities (case in point, a local food policy is in the works). The City Council is currently looking into a way to adapt the new ordinance to waive or minimize the fees for the markets. more ›

Earlier at today's 30th Anniversary of local farmers markets, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the creation of a food policy task force that will provide a report and recommendations in the next six months on a city food policy council and a foodshed assessment. The group, which has not been chosen yet, will look into issues such as urban agriculture and community gardens, food access/transportation and level of regional self sufficiency in food production (see a full list here). more ›