In the tradition of Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma, an extraordinary investigation into the human lives at the heart of the American grocery store What does it take to run the American supermarket? How do products get to shelves? Who sets the price? And who suffers the consequences of increased convenience end efficiency? In this alarming exposé, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on this highly secretive industry. Combining deep sourcing, immersive reporting, and compulsively readable prose, Lorr leads a wild investigation in which we learn: • The secrets of Trader Joe’s success from Trader Joe himself • Why truckers call their job “sharecropping on wheels” • What it takes for a product to earn certification labels like “organic” and “fair trade” • The struggles entrepreneurs face as they fight for shelf space, including essential tips, tricks, and traps for any new food business • The truth behind the alarming slave trade in the shrimp industry The result is a page-turning portrait of an industry in flux, filled with the passion, ingenuity, and exploitation required to make this everyday miracle continue to function. The product of five years of research and hundreds of interviews across every level of the industry, The Secret Life of Groceries delivers powerful social commentary on the inherently American quest for more and the social costs therein.

You Can Save Thousands a Year on Your Grocery Bill Without Cutting Coupons Imagine grocery shopping once-a-week or less, eating healthier, and having more free time—all while saving money. Sound too good to be true? For the Economides family, it’s a reality, and it can be yours too. What could the average family do with an extra $3,000 a year? America’s Cheapest Family® shows you strategies, tips, tools, and tricks in Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half, so you can achieve huge savings year after year. It’s a fact, the Economides say, saving money on groceries is one of the quickest ways to start making a positive difference in your family’s financial future. And these tips and strategies can work whether you’re shopping for seven or for one. Spend less time shopping and cooking Get more bang for your grocery buck Plan meals for picky eaters and busy schedules Discover kitchen tools that streamline meal preparations Learn many ways to eat out or eat in and save big Turn your freezer into a money-making machine Endorsements: "Many people think that it's impossible to reduce your grocery bill by 50%. But you can. Steve and Annette Economides provide step-by-step instructions in "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half." Tools that are practical and easy to follow. No special shopping or cooking skills required. Anyone can see a surprising reduction in their grocery budget if they follow the Economides' methods. And, best of all, the savings begin right away. You don't need to finish the whole book to benefit. You'll find money-saving ideas that you can put to use in the first chapter, and every chapter thereafter. Normally I advise people to check books out of the library and save the cost of the book. But this is one do-it-yourself guide to lower grocery bills that you'll want to have on your bookshelf or kitchen countertop." Gary Foreman, Publisher, The DollarStretcher.com “If you are eager to save on groceries, but don't always have the time to clip coupons, this book is for you! It’s perfect if you're interested in more ways to cut costs, reduce waste, and get organized. This is an awesome book for the novice or the skilled cook.” Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper—editors of LivingOnADime.com and authors of “Dining On A Dime Cookbook” “I've known Steve and Annette for several years and they definitely live what they believe. If you're serious about spending less money at the grocery store, this book offers some practical ways to achieve your goal. When it comes to stretching your dollar, I know of no one with more experience than Steve and Annette.” JJ Heller—Singer/Songwriter

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.

Cost, chemicals, and convenience are the main concerns about food. Food costs are high because of expensive processing, packaging, advertising, spoilage, and pilferage. Harmful food additives are used for food processing. Some occur naturally; others get into food accidentally. Wise shopping and home made food reduces the amount of additives consumed. Home made convenience foods save money and are easy to prepare. Little equipment is needed for home made convenience food; a blender should be the most basic tool. Suggestions and techniques are given for saving food and energy costs. Recipes are included for breads, breakfast foods, yogurt, cheese, lunches, salads, dinners, snacks, beverages, soups, and pet foods. A discussion of natural additives includes suggestions for safe additives, additives to avoid or cut down on, and places to shop for suggested ingredients.

The Year without a Purchase is the story of one family's quest to stop shopping and start connecting. Scott Dannemiller and his wife, Gabby, are former missionaries who served in Guatemala. Ten years removed from their vow of simple living, they found themselves on a never-ending treadmill of consumption where each purchase created a desire for more and never led to true satisfaction. The difference between needs and wants had grown very fuzzy, and making that distinction clear again would require drastic action: no nonessential purchases for a whole year. No clothes, no books, no new toys for the kids. If they couldn't eat it or use it up within a year (toilet paper and shampoo, for example), they wouldn't buy it. Filled with humorous wit, curious statistics, and poignant conclusions, the book examines modern America's spending habits and chronicles the highs and lows of dropping out of our consumer culture. As the family bypasses the checkout line to wrestle with the challenges of gift giving, child rearing, and keeping up with the Joneses, they discover important truths about human nature and the secret to finding true joy. The Year without a Purchase offers valuable food for thought for anyone who has ever wanted to reduce stress by shopping less and living more.

The New York Times–bestselling author “digs deep into the world of how we shop and how we eat. It’s a marvelous, smart, revealing work” (Susan Orlean, #1 bestselling author). In a culture obsessed with food—how it looks, what it tastes like, where it comes from, what is good for us—there are often more questions than answers. Ruhlman proposes that the best practices for consuming wisely could be hiding in plain sight—in the aisles of your local supermarket. Using the human story of the family-run Midwestern chain Heinen’s as an anchor to this journalistic narrative, he dives into the mysterious world of supermarkets and the ways in which we produce, consume, and distribute food. Grocery examines how rapidly supermarkets—and our food and culture—have changed since the days of your friendly neighborhood grocer. But rather than waxing nostalgic for the age of mom-and-pop shops, Ruhlman seeks to understand how our food needs have shifted since the mid-twentieth century, and how these needs mirror our cultural ones. A mix of reportage and rant, personal history and social commentary, Grocery is a landmark book from one of our most insightful food writers. “Anyone who has ever walked into a grocery store or who has ever cooked food from a grocery store or who has ever eaten food from a grocery store must read Grocery. It is food journalism at its best and I’m so freakin’ jealous I didn’t write it.” —Alton Brown, television personality “If you care about why we eat what we eat—and you want to do something about it—you need to read this absorbing, beautifully written book.” —Ruth Reichl, New York Times–bestselling author

Food Freedom is an experiment in the gift economy and we offer it to you on a donation basis. Please visit https://www.robingreenfield.org/shop/foodfreedom/ to learn more and order a copy! *** Ten years ago, Robin Greenfield awoke to the destruction of the industrial food system. Since then, he has been deeply exploring the food we eat, often through immersive activism, which led to one of his most burning questions: could he step outside of the food system completely and grow and forage 100% of his food? In Food Freedom, he shares his adventures of living without grocery stores or restaurants. Nothing packaged, processed, or shipped; not even multivitamins, supplements, or spices. Within the city of Orlando, Florida, he turned lawns into abundant gardens, with a biodiversity of over 100 plant species. He foraged 200 species of plants and mushrooms from nature, experimenting with food as his medicine. Follow Robin on an emotional journey as he explores: - Growing and foraging to deepen his connection to local food and establish a relationship of reciprocity with the land - The industrial food system that likely brought you today’s meal - How communities are taking back control of their food and creating food sovereignty - How you, too, can grow your own and forage to gain food freedom The good food revolution is not a lonely path. Millions have embarked on the journey and are waiting for you to join them. Question your food. Uncover the truth. Liberate yourself through relationships with our plant community! 100% of profits, after book distribution, are donated to Gardens of Liberation, supporting Indigenous and Black-led food sovereignty initiatives.