EcoChat Covers Organics on March 8th - Join the Discussion!

With Spring on the horizon, America's farmers are gearing up for a prosperous summer season. But as new products gain visibility and the growing organic food movement shifts consumers' spending habits, many are wondering how agriculture will be affected in the long run.

Five leaders in American agriculture will be joining the Chicago-based webshow EcoChat Monday March 8th for a discussion about sustainable food systems and the future of American agriculture. They include:

@FAMILYFARMED

Jim Slama is a social entrepreneur as the Founder and President of FAMILYFARMED.ORG. He's currently gearing up for the 5^th annual Family Farmed Expo at the University of Illinois at Chicago March 11-13.

@MPAYNKNOPER
Michele Payn-Knoper is the founder of two popular, weekly moderated Twitter chats, #agchat and #foodchat. She speaks professionally about agriculture, food, nutrition and social media as the voice behind CAUSE MATTERS CORP.

@FAIRFOODFIGHT
Barth Anderson is the chief blogger at FAIR FOOD FIGHT, a social networking site dedicated to connecting eaters, growers, and sellers of fair, sustainable food. He brings twenty years of experience in natural foods to the discussion.

@CORNFEDFARMER
Brandon Hunnicutt is a 4th generation Nebraska farmer specializing in corn, soybeans, and popcorn. He's beginning his 13th year on the land and enjoys playing a little Wii with his kids every now and then.

@FOLLOWNATHAN
Nathan Winters spent five months traveling the country on a bicycle to meet America's farmers. He documented this amazing trip at FOLLOWNATHAN.ORG and is currently writing a book about this adventure.

In addition to discussing the future of American agriculture, the show will take questions from viewers about any food-related topic and provide practical advice to consumers about how to engage in their local food communities.

"We want to empower consumers by educating them about the value of different produce options and connecting them with food producers in our country," says host Alicia Ontiveros, "Yes, there are farmer's markets, but there are also co-ops and other models of community supported agriculture that many people don't know about."

Viewers can tune-in on Monday, March 8th, at 8PM CST by visiting ecochicago.blogspot.com and keep track of additional shows by following Eco on Twitter: @ecochat.