We so enjoyed this recent TEDxManhattan talk with Lindsey Lusher Shute about “Building a Future with Farmers” that we wanted to share it with you.

Lindsey serves as the executive director of the National Young Farmers’ Coalition, “a membership-based organization dedicated to the success of the next generation of sustainable farmers in the United States.” In this talk, she makes a strong case for supporting young farmers and their ventures in various ways. She calls on all of us to become involved in farming in some way because our very future depends on it.

“The more a farmer cares for the land the more that land gives back,” she says.

Take some time to watch this honest, smart and passionate call for us to engage in the future of farming, no matter what our role is in the local food system.

Sheila Campbell, owner of A La Carte Food Tours, calls herself a "food tourist."  She believes that in Columbus, a restaurant and market-rich city, there are always intriguing flavors left unturned. After working for three decades as a dietician and managing medical nutrition communications for a pharmaceuticals company, Sheila decided to funnel her passions for exploring and eating into A La Carte, which operates group food tours covering districts, markets, flavors, ethnicities and ingredients. Though private and customizable tours are offered through coordination with Sheila, regularly scheduled tours can accommodate up to 10 people.

The 2013 tour schedule is posted on A La Carte's website, and includes upcoming visits to gluten-free bakeries, a wide swath of ethnic markets, a "Tasting Tour of German Village" and, for a bit more indulgence, a week long culinary tour of Costa Rica, happening this November, when every one of us will be ready to escape from the cold.

Below, Sheila shares some pearls of wisdom from her experiences leading tours, and encourages everyone to visit their local ethnic markets for new and exciting ingredients. 

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How long have you owned the business?

I have been taking foodies to Costa Rica for the past four years. But I have been leading 3-hour, Columbus-area tours only since May 2012.

What do you like about running a business in Columbus?

Columbus is a tremendous town for food, so there are always new venues and providers to investigate.

What's the oddest request you've ever received?

"Can I bring my dog?" Of course, this is not so strange when the name of the A La Carte Food Tour of interest was "Doggie Delights." (http://www.alacartecolumbus.com/doggie-delights-a-gourmet-food-tour-for-columbus-canis-lupus-familiaris-lovers.html)

A lot of buzz has been growing around the new Upper Arlington Whole Foods Market that will open on Wednesday, March 6. The store has become so much more than a grocer. From an in-store pub and a Wi-Fi equipped café to a fully equipped cooking department, it promises to be quite the destination. We wanted to learn more about the new store and its Grand Opening, so we caught up with Tiffany Smith, marketing team leader for Whole Foods Market Upper Arlington.

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Leah Wolf: What activities are you planning around the Grand Opening of the new store?

Tiffany Smith: The Grand Opening of Whole Foods Market Upper Arlington starts even before the store opens on Wednesday, March 6. On Saturday, March 3 and Monday, March 4, we are hosting sneak preview tours of the new store. The tours are an exciting opportunity for community members to get a glimpse of the store in its working state and to learn about what makes us special—our core values, quality standards and the passion of our team.

You can count on us always having exciting events, activities and educational food opportunities at Whole Foods Market. Our Grand Opening won't be an exception.

The store opens at 10am March 6, but starting at 9am we’ll have coffee samples from Silver Bridge Coffee for anyone waiting outside, music from the Upper Arlington High School band and entertainment from the OSU Spirit Team. After our bread breaking ceremony at 10am, you can find delicious samples throughout the store, music from local bands and happy hour 4-7pm, Monday through Friday at The Social, our in-store pub and organic coffee bar.

A childhood spent on 120 acres of land outside Granville, Ohio imbued Evelyn Frolking with a passion for uncompromisingly fresh food and the kind of self-sustaining lifestyle encompassed in farm life. Most recently, a fascination with small operation farming families led Evelyn to publish a book called, Homegrown: Stories from the Farm, which celebrated an official release on February 21 at the Granville Inn. 

Evelyn's book delves into the nuances, struggles and beauty of local food production through the perspectives of six Ohio farming families: Ann and Tom Bird and their family of Bird's Haven Farms in Granville; Tom and Emma Stout of Osage Lane Creamery in Pataskala; Erin Harvey of The Kale Yard in Granville; Kathy and Rich Harrison of Skipping Stone Farm in Utica; Mike and Laura Laughlin of Northridge Organic Farm in Johnstown; and Warren and Victoria Taylor of Snowville Creamery in Pomeroy.