Last Thursday, Dr. Jen Kern, Executive Director of Border Queen Harvest Hub (BQHH), welcomed Roger Thurow, renowned American author, journalist, and activist. A former foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Thurow was in Sumner County meeting with Border Queen Harvest Hub members as part of the research for his next book.
Thurow, accompanied by his wife Anne, a photographer, spent the day interviewing several members of the BQHH network, including Amy Bachman of Bachman Farms, Brad Kuehny of Kuehny Family Farms, and Kimmy Hagar of Hagar Farm to Home. The couple also toured the new Border Queen Commercial Kitchen, located inside the Sumner County Economic Development branch office in Caldwell.
“Talking with Roger reminded me of why we started the harvest hub in the first place,” said Kern. “To build bridges between the people who grow our food and the people who need it most.”
Discussions with local producers offered valuable insight into how the region is addressing food distribution through the Border Queen Harvest Hub. Thurow, who recently served as a senior fellow for global agriculture and food policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, is widely known for his work exploring the politics of world hunger. During his visit, he shared copies of his latest book, Against the Grain, which examines how farmers around the world are “transforming agriculture to nourish the world.”
Much of Thurow’s career has centered on global hunger. He spent two decades reporting from Europe and Africa, and his series on famine in Africa—co-written with journalist Scott Kilman—was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting.
Speaking with a small group of locals, Thurow reflected on his years covering world events, including his time in South Africa when anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison after 27 years of incarceration. Thurow traveled with Mandela, witnessing firsthand the end of apartheid and South Africa’s historic transition to democracy.
More recently, Thurow has served as a Scholar in Residence at Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences in Auburn, Alabama. Upon accepting that appointment, he said, “My greatest hope is to inspire the next generation and fuel their passion for ending hunger around the world.”
Thurow’s next book will explore hunger issues that hit closer to home—examining why some Americans experience food insecurity and hunger amid national abundance. His upcoming work aims not only to illuminate the problem but also to highlight innovative solutions.
“His goal was to meet people involved in feeding others and learn about their successes, challenges, and ideas for improving access to good food,” said Kern.
