The Color of Food

Redefining the face of the American farmer

A stunning collection of portraits and stories, The Color of Food sheds light on the seemingly forgotten agricultural story of people of color. Author, photographer, and biracial farmer Natasha Bowens' quest to explore her own roots in the soil leads her to unearth a larger story, weaving together culture, resilience and the critical issues that lie at intersection of race and farming. 

The Color of Food teaches us that the food and farm movement is about more than buying local and protecting our soil. It is about preserving community, digging deeply into the places we've overlooked, and celebrating those who have come before us. Blending storytelling, photography, oral history, and unique insight, these pages remind us that true food sovereignty means a place at the table for everyone. 

Copyright 2015, softcover, 230 pages.

About the Author:

Natasha Bowens is an author, beginning farmer, and community activist who focuses on building empowerment and community through food and storytelling. She is the creator of the multimedia project The Color of Food.

Praise for The Color of Food:

"...step into a cultural history of our foods and the beautiful and proud people that grow them." -Cynthia Hayes, executive director, Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network

"It is impossible to understand food in America without digging deeply into 'race,' class and culture. People's perceptions are their realities, and The Color of Food contributes to changing our reality by changing our perception of the hands, hearts and faces in the food movement." -Malik Yakini, executive director, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network

"Natasha Bowens brings us two critical reminders: the potential and pitfalls of 'a movement' in any singular form; and the importance of vision and determination in doing truly groundbreaking research. The Color of Food represents the best kind of research―inspired and independent, a project of deep listening and unbounded sharing. Our task is to cultivate the questions she scatters, in a rich and colorful light." ―Philip Ackerman-Leist, author, Rebuilding the Foodshed and director, Masters in Sustainable Food Systems, Green Mountain College