PART 1—A conversation with author, Ann Vileisis about her new book Kitchen Literacy; what we know about our food, and how we came to know it. For Ann, Kitchen Literacy came about because she was struck by how much she didn’t know about the common foods she encountered in the supermarket. In conducting her research, she was surprised to learn how much people in pre-industrial times knew about their food. It was common then to know the sex and age of an animal, the farm it came from, and even the animal’s background before purchasing the meat.

Today, there is a renewed focus on the importance of food production, and distribution. A big part of this interest stems from a growing concern over food safety issues, also a concern in earlier times. In this 3-part series, Ann Vileisis shares some historical perspectives about our early food systems, and how in some ways, people are returning to ways of the past to reconnect with the food that they eat. In part two, Vileisis talks about the transition of populations from the farm to the city, and how our relationship with food profoundly changed with that shift. Part 3, the consequences of our modern agriculture system are discussed, and the important role that a historical perspective can help us navigate toward more sustainable agriculture practices.