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National Young Farmers Coalition’s Lindsey Shute receives EatingWell Magazine’s 2017 American Food Heroes Award
Shute, one of ten award recipients, wins for her work supporting young farmers
HUDSON, NY (Aug. 22) — Lindsey Lusher Shute, the Co-founder and Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), has been named one of EatingWell magazine’s top ten 2017 American Food Heroes for her work supporting young farmers. The magazine announced its inaugural list in its September/October edition.
“It is a great honor to be included in this list of change makers whose efforts are so critical to the success of food and agriculture in our nation,” said Shute. “I look forward to working together with all parts of our community on the upcoming farm bill so we can secure a healthy food system for all Americans.”
Receiving the award with Shute were the following food leaders: José Andrés, Chef and Owner, ThinkFood Group; Lee DeHaan, Lead Scientist, Kernza Domestication Program, The Land Institute; Tim Joseph, Founding Farmer & CEO, Maple Hill Creamery; Bob Moore, Founder, President & CEO, Bob’s Red Mill; Denise Morrison, President & CEO, Campbell Soup Company; Ron Shaich, CEO, Panera Bread; Bren Smith, Executive Director of GreenWave and owner of Thimble Island Ocean Farm; Betti Wiggins, Office of Nutrition Services, Houston Independent School District; and Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy, Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Lindsey Lusher Shute: a lifelong champion for young farmers and ranchers
An Ohio native, Shute first developed her love of farming on her grandfather’s land in the rolling hills of Appalachia. Shute and her husband now own Hearty Roots Farm, a 900-member CSA in the Hudson Valley of New York. As Executive Director of NYFC, she has grown the organization from a few volunteer farmers to a nationwide network with 36 chapters in 26 states and a grassroots base of over 120,000 supporters.
Shute has edited and authored ten reports for NYFC, including the soon-to-be-released 2017 National Young Farmers Survey, which outlines the challenges being faced by young farmers and a strategy to help them succeed.
The author of Farmland Conservation 2.0: How Land Trusts Can Save America’s Working Farms and a New York Times op-ed, “Keep Farmland for Farmers,” Shute launched a national land access campaign that has engaged hundreds of land trust professionals in protecting the nation’s working farmland.
A regular speaker on farm issues across the country, Shute was recognized as a “Champion of Change” by President Barack Obama. She was a recipient of the Glynwood “Harvest Award,” and in 2017 was named among “20 Food Leaders Under 40” by Food Tank.
Shute holds a M.S. in Environmental Policy from Bard College, where she delivered the Distinguished Alumni lecture, and a BFA from New York University.
The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) is an advocacy network of farmers fighting for the future of agriculture. Visit NYFC on the web at www.youngfarmers.org, and on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
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