My pal Ben over at The Nation just sent me over their new monster food issue -- it's in-depth and fantastic, and a must-read for anyone interested in where food intersects with politics and the future of both. I'll let him round up who and what's in it:

• A forum on food democracy with Alice Waters (Chez Panisse), Dan Barber (Blue Hill), Grace Lee Boggs, Dave Murphy and LaDonna Redmond.

• Alice Waters: School lunch reform is the best way to teach democratic values.
• Dan Barber: The campaign for food democracy needs to start with boning knives and cast iron skillets.
• Grace Lee Boggs: How Detroit came to see vacant lots not as blight but as opportunities to grow our own food.
• Dave Murphy: People are beginning to understand the connection between our stomachs and our common destiny.
• LaDonna Redmond: To engage a broader audience, food-justice activists need to change their language.

• Raj Patel and Eric Holtz-Gimenez on the Gates Foundation's flawed approach to ending hunger in Africa.
• Dayo Olopade on DIY urban gardens in New Orleans.
• Anna Lappe on emerging "dining hall" activism.
• Habiba Alcindor on a community farming revival in one of America's poorest counties. (With slideshow.)
• Michael Pollan on the lasting impact of food and farming visionary Wendell Berry.
• John Nichols on crucial food safety legislation pending in Congress.
• Brent Cunningham reviews several current books about famines and food shortages, challenging the good-food revolution to move beyond its evangelical phase.
• Plus, Katha Pollitt on Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia, and Ten Things You Can Do to Start a Community Garden, a primer from Walter Mosely and the Editors of The Nation.

It's fascinating, smart, and well-written. Have at it.