About Us
Food Democracy Now! is a grassroots movement initiated by farmers, writers, chefs, eaters and policy advocates who recognize the profound sense of urgency in creating a new food system that is capable of meeting the changing needs of American society as it relates to food, health, animal welfare and the environment.
As such, we are dedicated to advancing the dialogue on food, family farm, environmental and sustainability issues at the legislative and policy level. We understand the dynamic interplay between today’s industrialized agricultural system and its impacts on human health and well-being, health care costs, rural communities and the environment. We advocate for policies that encourage sustainable, humane, organic and natural food systems.
We seek to transform today’s system by advancing best practices in food production, animal husbandry, conservation of natural resources, renewable energy and soil preservation. Through these efforts we hope to stimulate local food systems, promote rural economic development, encourage a new generation of farmers and respond to the growing public demand for wholesome, fairly-produced food. We will also support candidates who advance this vision and who embrace common sense policies that respect our nation’s air, water, soil, livestock, food workers, consumers and family farmers.
We hope that you will join us in this national movement to implement real and significant change in our nation’s food, agricultural and environmental policies.
Thank you for your support.
Founders
A little bit about the founders and who we are:
David Murphy
David is the founding director of Food Democracy Now!, a sixth generation Iowan and an advocate for sustainable agriculture. In 2007 he organized the Iowa Farmers Union Food and Family Farm Presidential Summit where five of the six Democratic candidates pledged their support to help save family farm agriculture and laid out their plans to create a more sustainable future for rural America.
David returned to Iowa from Washington DC over two years ago when a 4,800 head hog confinement was proposed less than a half-mile from his sister’s farm in Dickinson County. Since that time he has worked in a variety of capacities, including state coordinator, lobbyist, finance chairman and campaign manager for a congressional primary race.
David’s work has taken him all over the state — he put over 40,000 miles on his car in 2007 alone — where he is regularly called upon to address town hall meetings about the environmental, economic and human health consequences of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Most recently he has worked as a freelance writer and consultant to nonprofits and businesses looking to incorporate sustainable concepts into their everyday business practices. He lives in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Paul Willis
Paul still lives on the farm where he grew up, in Thornton, IA about 100 miles north of Des Moines. Paul’s passions have always included animals and taking care of the land. It is this passion that led him to join the Peace Corp where he worked as the Young Farmers Club Organizer for the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture. During his tenure, he grew the club’s membership to over 10,000.
In 1995, Paul was looking for a way to market natural “free range” pigs when he met Bill Niman. Paul wanted to revitalize traditional hog farming in the Midwest at a time when economics forced many farmers to sell out or turn to factory/confinement hog growing. Niman Ranch offered the opportunity to raise pigs the humane, old-fashioned way and these outdoor-raised pigs quickly became a favorite among Niman Ranch customers.
Today, Paul manages a network of over 500 family hog farmers. In addition to managing the Niman Ranch pork operation, Paul still raises 2,500 Farmers’ Hybrid hogs with his wife, Phyllis, and business partner, Jon Carlson, on the Willis Free Range Pig Farm. He also grows his own non-GMO soybeans and organic alfalfa and oats which are used for feed and bedding.
Aaron Woolf
Aaron is the director and producer of the critically acclaimed film, King Corn, his sixth feature documentary. Aaron’s last three films have aired nationally on PBS and look into the human consequences of government policy. In 2000, Woolf directed Greener Grass: Cuba, Baseball, and the United States, a WNET-ITVS co-production that received a Rockie Award.
In 2003, he directed Dying to Leave: The Global Face of Human Trafficking and Smuggling, which won an Australian Logie Award for best documentary series, aired as a two-hour special on the PBS series Wide Angle, and was screened at the State Department and the United Nations.
Aaron’s films have been broadcast worldwide and he has presented work and spoken on agriculture and immigration policy at numerous institutions including Stanford University, Yale, UCLA and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He is the founder of Mosaic Films Incorporated and holds a Masters degree in film and communications studies from the University of Iowa. In 2007, Woolf opened Urban Rustic, a Brooklyn NY grocery specializing in locally-sourced and organic foods.
Lisa Stokke
Lisa has worked on creating a local food system in Northern Iowa for over a decade and is considered valuable resource when it comes to sourcing local foods and connecting consumers with farmers who produce goods sustainably. She is a Slow Food leader in Clear Lake, Iowa and has worked to educate Iowans regarding the abundance and healthfulness of local, organic and sustainable food for individuals and institutions.
During the past five years Lisa has organized dozens of events, including the Clear Lake Annual Earth Day Organic Lunch showcasing local and organic food, farmers and opportunities for her Northern Iowa community.
As the mother of four children, Lisa spends a lot of her energies ensuring that they have local and sustainable food choices and a healthy, organic diet. She supported President-Elect Obama through the caucuses and also the general election as a precinct captain and volunteer. Lisa looks forward to the approaching change in administration and is hopeful that our new president will ensure the implementation of policy changes so that her children have a sustainable future in America.