Bringing children accurate knowledge about how their food is grown is the goal of Feeding Minds Press, a new children’s book publishing venture from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The new publisher’s first book will be “Right This Very Minute,” written by award-winning author Lisl Detlefsen. It is scheduled for release in January 2019.
“‘Right This Very Minute’ is the perfect book to launch this exciting new project,” said Christy Lilja, executive director of the Foundation. “It’s a great story and tells kids that every minute of every day, someone, somewhere, is working to bring food to their table.”
Detlefsen, also the author of “Time for Cranberries,” is delighted that “Right This Very Minute” has found a home at Feeding Minds Press.
“Living on a family farm has made me passionate about writing agricultural stories for kids,” Detlefsen said. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a new company that is devoted to the accurate depiction of modern farming and the dedicated people who grow our food.”
Award-winning illustrator Renée Kurilla will illustrate the book.
“I’m so thrilled to be working with Feeding Minds Press on their new venture!” Kurilla said. “We’re making an important book that is such a great reminder of all the hard work that goes into making the food on our plates.”
The Feeding Minds Press logo uses a book, plate, and smiling face to bring the topics of food and literacy together.
“Right This Very Minute” is scheduled for publication in January 2019, in time for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention.
“Every year we work with publishers to find books that support our mission,” said Julia Recko, director of education outreach for the Foundation. “It’s become more and more difficult to discover books that meet our specific needs. We feel this is the next logical step in educational outreach.
“Feeding Minds Press will have a very specific editorial focus,” Recko said. “We want books that show the relevancy of modern agriculture. The stories will show farmers using technology to better grow crops and livestock. We’ve already looked at some stories and we’re excited to move forward.”
Feeding Minds Press intends to regularly publish new titles and plans to accept submissions for new books that bring modern agriculture to life.
“We will publish two-to-three books per year,” Recko said, “depending on the manuscripts we receive and the needs of the Foundation. We will also create accompanying educational resources to make these books easy to use in classrooms. We’re excited at the prospect of bringing great books to families and educators.”
More information about Feeding Minds Press and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture can be found at feedingmindspress.com. Email inquiries may be sent to info@feedingmindspress.com.