Rosie Branson Gill shares food philosophy

Director of 18 Reasons outlines her philosophy on food dynamics before heading to new pastures The new operation will continue under the name 18 Reasons, but one key element of the old 18 Reasons won't be coming along: the nonprofit's director since 2010, Rosie Branson Gill. [...] for the last three years, she's dedicated herself to teaching the art, economics and politics of food to Bay Area residents across the economic spectrum. With catchphrases such as sustainability, localism and seasonality, and concerns over fair wages for workers and farmers, animal welfare, the industry's carbon footprint and nutrition, the political environment that has grown around food might just be as intimidating as the conceptual art movement. In a recent conversation, Branson Gill talked about demystifying the jargon, bringing families back to the kitchen table and making smart food choices with which consumers can live. Red wine smells like red wine without hints of strawberries and after notes of caramel and coffee (laughs). [...] there are a lot of people who can't afford to shop at Bi-Rite, or just feel that the message of the San Francisco market as well as other specialty grocers is too highfalutin' for them. How do you support both sides of the equation: pay the producer or farmer a fair wage and keep the prices low for customers? For someone with a limited income, it's a big risk to buy something new that their kids might not like. How do you try new ingredients - sometimes pricey ingredients - on a fixed income?