Episode 26: Nancy Matsumoto: Reaping What She Sows, The Maternal Art of Stewardship
© Jennifer Rowsom
Nancy Matsumoto has lived an extraordinary life. From a young age, her love for writing and storytelling led to an accomplished and wide-ranging career as a journalist and author. Ever curious, she has never limited herself to a single subject.
Although much of her work has focused on food and culture, Nancy has also written about sake, childhood nutrition, and her family’s history, including a moving book of translated poetry based on her grandparents’ writings during their internment as Japanese Americans in World War II.
Her latest book, Reaping What She Sows, takes readers on a journey through a distinctly female lens, offering insight into how care, leadership, and creativity can shape a more just and sustainable food system. Deeply researched and beautifully told, the book follows inspiring women working in agricultural reform in the American South, coffee and cacao production in Belize and Guatemala, regenerative mezcal making in Mexico, and beyond.
For our final episode in the Only a Woman series, Nancy reflects on how the stewardship of our food systems is deeply maternal and shares the lessons we can all learn about nourishment, resilience, and change.
You can go to her website where there is a link to buy her book and more information about previous articles and writing. She is also on instgram @nancymatsumoto and substack.
To learn more about Nancy and her work, please check out these links:
Art and the Creation of a Resilient Japanese American Spirit
The Yeast Hunters: Revitalizing Japan’s Ancient Sake Tradition