Food Stars: 15 Women Stirring Up the Food Industry

by Ellen Mahoney

Food is a great unifying force on Earth.

Not only do humans need food to survive, it also gives structure to our days, offers dining and recreational opportunities, provides employment, and speaks to important societal issues such as food security, hunger, and nutrition.

Women and food make a dynamic duo. These 15 hardworking, innovative, and accomplished women have made great strides in the field of food, whether it’s coming up with meals for astronauts to eat in space, operating a 20-acre farm, hosting a food podcast, or fighting for food rights.

Women have always been instrumental in providing nourishment for their families and communities, and they are often at the forefront of this ever-changing global industry.

These 15 women are stellar in their food industry roles as farmers, chefs, food activists, food storytellers, and food scientists.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Food

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2022

About the author

Ellen Mahoney is the author of "Nellie Bly and Investigative Journalism for Kids" published by Chicago Review Press in 2015. She is also the co-author of "Earthrise – My Adventures As an Apollo 14 Astronaut," penned by the late Edgar Mitchell and published by Chicago Review Press in 2014. Her upcoming book, "Gandhi for Kids: His Life and Ideas" will be published August 2016. As a journalist and author, Ellen has written for adults as well as young readers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Human Development from Syracuse University, and a Master of Science in Education from USC. In addition, she teaches in the Department of Journalism & Technical Communication at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and has taught writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and through the Lifelong Learning program with the Boulder Valley School District. She worked as a staff writer/Imagineer for the Walt Disney Company and has produced radio pieces for the BBC “Science in Action” show, KGNU Community Radio, and KRCC (Radio Colorado College).

Reviews

[Sara Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book giving the stories of 15 women and how they are involved in the food industry. I liked that it was from all different areas: on the farm, in the kitchen, food activist, food for thought, and science and food. It was interesting to see that most people did not originally think that they would be part of the food industry but how life helped them find their way and lead them to following what they found out was their true calling.

[Hannah Monson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to food, where it comes from, how it’s produced, and the women who make it happen. While labeled as a Young Adult book, I felt that the tone leaned younger towards tweens rather than teens. The short biographies interspersed with food terminology will surely inspire many aspiring chefs, most especially girls, who will see a variety of ways to bring food to people and use their talents to improve the food landscape.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen Mahoney interviewed fifteen pioneering women who are working to transform the food industry, whether as farmers, chefs, activists, writers/filmmakers, journalists, or scientists. This book shares their truly fascinating stories. Included in the lineup are a Navajo podcaster, vegan cookbook author, seed specialist, pastry chef, and professor of food science at Harvard. The twists and turns of each woman's life to follow her own food-focused passion would be inspirational for any young person trying to figure out how to pursue their own life dreams - and to adult readers as well. Few nonfiction books for young readers are based on original, primary source research; the material Mahoney gleaned from her interviews is a treasure trove of wisdom about both the many facets of food in our lives and the importance of having faith in our vision of what we want our lives to be. Seed farmer Petra Page-Mann told Mahoney that "seeds are living links in this long line of everything that has been and everything that will be," calling seeds "beautiful love letter from the past." Mahoney ends the book with this tantalizing question for readers: "Now, what will you plant and grow for your own life?" A worthy question, indeed.

[Sorbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Bought this as a gift, started reading it and couldn’t put it down. Not only does the book introduce young readers to timely topics – everything from the International Space Station to sustainable farming and food chemistry – but the interviews of women farmers, chefs, scientists, and more show that the road to a successful and rewarding career is not always straight forward. We need more books like this to get young people thinking creatively about their career paths. The author’s fun, lively writing style makes this book accessible to all kinds of readers.

[Sarah Kercsmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wandered by this book on a shelf at the library and was like “hmm…sounds intriguing.” I appreciated the division of the book into a chapter about each individual so I could read just one at night (before falling asleep!). I also liked how the book focused on everything from farming to cooking to food science. All in all, a good read. I learned a lot.