March 9, 2012

Webster University Press Publishes ‘Missouri Harvest: A Guide to Growers and Producers in the Show-Me State’

To see a two-minute video about the book, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owDnn1QVFSw

Webster University Press (www.webster.edu/wup) announces the release of the first definitive guide to producers and growers in Missouri. Did you know that Missouri has the second-largest number of farms in the United States? Missouri farmers grow and raise an amazing variety of foods: vegetables, grains, fruits, meats, dairy products and more. "Missouri Harvest" takes you on a tour of all the “Show-Me State” has to offer for those interested in eating and shopping locally, whether you are a committed locavore or just developing an interest.

Webster University will host an author talk and book-signing for "Missouri Harvest" on April 19, at 7 p.m. in the Library Conference Room of Webster University's Emerson Library, 101 Edgar Road. This event is free and open to the public.

Authors Maddie Earnest and Liz Fathman introduce you to the farmers who raise the food, to the purveyors who bring it to you, the chefs who prepare it, and some of the people who are active in making it all happen through the support of local businesses. Throughout the book, Earnest and Fathman also provide ideas and suggestions for preparing the great bounty of our state, right down to the recipes provided by some of the folks featured in the book. Each food group has its own chapter, and each is divided by region, which helps the reader navigate the state’s farms and ranches.

From farmers’ markets, grocery stores, country stores, restaurants—let "Missouri Harvest" be your guide to local farming and local eating. The foreword to the book is written by nationally recognized alternative farmer, author and lecturer Joel Salatin. Lori Diefenbacher, faculty member and environmentalist at Webster University provides the afterword.

"Missouri Harvest" is co-published by Reedy Press and Webster University Press. ISBN: 9781935806257, 6.75 x 9, 304 pages, $18, softcover

Author Bios:

Maddie Earnest is the co-founder and co-owner of Local Harvest Grocery and Café whose interest in local foods stems back to the family garden of her youth and environmental courses in college. The store and the café sell and use as much locally grown and produced food as possible, striving for at least 50% to be locally sourced, and the businesses buy from farmers who use sustainable growing methods.

Liz Fathman is a food enthusiast with an interest in local food systems and all they imply. From the sustainability of growing and buying locally raised food, to the difference in the flavor and quality,

to the act of supporting the local economy, Liz’s interest in the Farm to Table movement has, like that of many others, developed along the way. When she’s not cooking and eating locally raised food, Liz is the Publications Manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden 

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based university providing a network of international residential campuses. Founded in 1915, Webster University’s campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional residential campuses in Asia, Europe and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.

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