Joan Dye Gussow Day

Village of Piermont, NY honors a local food and nutrition leader on Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! One year ago today, I launched this Eat Right Here newsletter on Substack. In it I share ideas for how we all can help transform the food system. I include my insights on the power of engaging with local growers, makers, and sellers of food.

Thanks to all of you who found your way here and who took the time to read my posts over the past year. Your comments have meant so much to me.

Today I want to share something about someone who has meant much to many in the food world. Joan Dye Gussow, who was described in her New York Times obituary as a “pioneer of local eating,” died on March 7, 2025. A collection of tributes organized by Civil Eats called her “the matriarch of local, organic food, whose revolutionary perspective framed the way we think about food systems.”

The announcement from Teachers College Columbia University, where Joan taught for nearly 50 years, states, “She was at the forefront of advocating for the long-term sustainability of the global food system and emphasized connecting consumers and schools with local farms to support agriculture and engage in critical dialogues about food system sustainability.”

To me she was also a mentor for nearly four decades, a friend for just as long, and a critical sounding board and source of inspiration. She opened my eyes to what she referred to as the “before the swallow” considerations of everything we eat. Her course , Nutrition Ecology, which I took in the late 1980s was transformational. Her students became truly woke to the critical economic, political, health and ecological dimensions of nutrition, food and food systems.

Today, in honor of Joan and her legacy, the Village of Piermont’s Mayor, Bruce Tucker, and the Piermont Civic Association released the following Proclamation:

Proclamation

WHEREAS, Joan Dye Gussow, a distinguished resident of Piermont, New York, was a pioneering nutritionist, educator, environmentalist, and author who profoundly influenced the local and global food movements; and​

WHEREAS, Dr. Gussow, often referred to as the "matriarch of the eat-locally-think-globally food movement," advocated for sustainable agriculture and emphasized the intrinsic connection between food systems and human health; and

WHEREAS, her seminal work, The Feeding Web: Issues in Nutritional Ecology (1978), presciently addressed the environmental and health implications of industrialized food systems, inspiring future generations of food thinkers and activists; and

WHEREAS, as a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. Gussow educated and mentored countless students, instilling in them the values of ecological awareness and nutritional integrity; and

WHEREAS, in her beloved Piermont home, she cultivated an organic garden that served as both a personal sanctuary and an educational space, as well as founding the Piermont Community Garden, embodying her commitment to living in harmony with nature and fostering a sense of Community; and​

WHEREAS, Joan served on the Piermont Village Board as Trustee for two terms; and

WHEREAS, Joan Dye Gussow passed away on March 7, 2025, at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy of environmental stewardship, educational excellence, and community engagement;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bruce Tucker, Mayor of the Village of Piermont, and the Piermont Village Board of Trustees, do hereby proclaim Earth Day, April 22^nd, “Joan Dye Gussow Day" in honor of her extraordinary contribution to our community, and as a role model for all citizens, exemplifying the spirit of giving and community involvement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Village of Piermont to be affixed this twenty second day of April, 2025.

Bruce Tucker, Mayor, Village of Piermont

Joan with Dan Barber, Fred Kirschenmann, and Wendell Berry at Stonebarns in 2015. The occasion was the inaugural Fred Kirschenmann lecture that featured Wendell Berry in honor of Fred’s 80th birthday. (Photo credit: Donna Prizgintas, Executive Chef at DonnaLonna Kitchen)

To Joan on Earth Day, I miss you. Rest in peace dear friend.