Hacking the Farm Bill

Computer hackers are mostly feared and misunderstood individuals. But the vast majority aren't trying to get to your bank accounts or steal your identity. Here's new about a group who are trying to make things better.

Every five years, The Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that shapes our food and farming landscape, comes up for authorization and a "hackathon" - a gathering of computer programmers who lock themselves in a room to tackle epic projects - brought together sustainable food advocates with computer programmers interested in helping them build tools to make this complex bill "digestible" for the average individual.

Various tools came out of the gathering. First prize went to the "FARM BILL of Health," a series of visualizations about the difference in support for fruit and vegetable crops versus commodities in the bill. Second place went to Meatlessly, a mobile app to promote Meatless Monday by allowing people to find, share, and submit recipes, places, and feedback about their progress.

Although only a honorable mention, here's one of my favorites below; a graphic designed to illuminate meat production and industry consolidation.