Pingree, organic farmer/politician, to receive Beard award

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, was selected to be one of six recipients this year for the seventh annual James Beard Foundation Leadership Award.

The award recognizes visionaries across a broad range of backgrounds who influence how, why and what we eat. Recipients are chosen by previous honorees, which include former First Lady Michelle Obama, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan and Harborside organic farmer Eliot Coleman.

Pingree was named for her support of national policies that promote healthy food, local and regional food systems, and organic agriculture. https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/announcing-the-2017-leadership-award-recipients

“I’m deeply honored to receive this year’s James Beard Leadership Award,” Pingree said in a news release. “As a long-time organic farmer and passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture, I’m grateful to have had the unique opportunity to use my life experiences to help shape food and agriculture policy in Congress. This award is symbolic of all we’ve accomplished, but there is still much to do to improve our nation’s food system for every American to have access to healthy, sustainable food no matter their zip code and to support the farmers and fishermen who drive our food economy.”

Recipients will be honored at the James Beard Foundation Food Summit in October.

This year’s other honorees are:

Dan Barber, chef and author
Olivier De Schutter, co-chair of an international panel of experts on sustainable food systems and former United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food
Joan Dye Gussow, professor, author, food policy expert and environmentalist
Joann Lo and Jose Oliva, co-directors, Food Chain Workers Alliance.

“I couldn’t do this work without the input and example of many Mainers who have taught me so much along the way — and who are leading innovative efforts to strengthen our state’s food system,” Pingree said. “I share this award with so many.”