This October 24 will mark the first-ever nationwide Food Day, part of a larger movement to change the way Americans eat and think about food. Food Day aims to bring together people from across the food movement, from foodies, locavores and sustainable agriculture supporters to public health and obesity prevention champions and food security advocates.Food Day identifies five key areas demanding attention and action:
- Reduce diet-related disease by promoting healthy foods
- Support sustainable farms and cut subsidies to agribusinesses
- Expand access to food and end hunger
- Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms
- Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
Food Day’s partners include Michael Pollan, Alice Walker, Marion Nestle, the American Public Health Association, Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, the Community Food Security Coalition, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the National Farm to School Network, the National WIC Association, the Prevention Institute, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. You can find out more about Food Day by visiting FoodDay.org and following Food Day on Facebook.
When it comes to [Food Day] events, imagination is the only limiting factor. We hope for fun, diverse, and action-oriented events in every corner of the country.Tuttle suggested activities ranging from throwing block parties featuring healthy, sustainable foods, convening community forums about national and local food system priorities, and hosting farmers markets in food deserts.
– Jennifer Tuttle, Food Day campaign organizer
What do we want Food Day to look like here in Wisconsin? Which people and organizations should we engage? What activities and press can we generate around Food Day? How can we make Food Day bigger than one day?
UPDATE: The CDC will host a teleconference with Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, to discuss “Food Day: An Opportunity for Health Officials to Educate and Advocate.” The teleconference is scheduled for May 12 at 12:30PM CST. Please contact Mary Pesik at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for more information about joining the teleconference.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteWe should contact REAP Food Group, because I am sure they will be on-board with this event. They also usually have creative ways of engaging the community.
Ask local chefs if they would be willing to contribute to this event by competing in a local/sustainable cook-off. Here is an example of a successful cook-off with local-sustainable products:
http://www.reapfoodgroup.org/programs-events/burgers-and-brew
Promotional Activities: set up a small table at the Dane County Farmers Markets to be used for volunteer sign up for Food Day, as well as a mailing list to keep people updated on events surrounding Food Day.
Go to Dane County Farmers Market to see if any Farmers would like to host activities that allow kids to see where food comes from. Snug Haven Farm of Belleville, WI offers specializes in growing spinach year round. They offer tours of their farm by appointment.
This all may be too grassroots but hope it helped!
-Natalie
This is so exciting! I hope Wisconsin's Food Day is the biggest in the country and that lots of communities participate. I have a few ideas:
ReplyDelete- hold an event in your town, school, farm, church or workplace to celebrate local food and a great harvest
- gather volunteers to collect locally-produced foods to donate to food pantries or kitchens
- use Food Day as a kickoff to change vending and food procurement policies in local government agencies
- encourage a local restaurant to highlight locally-produced foods on the menu for a week (or longer!)
- work with your local media to do a story or a series about the health, environmental and economic impacts of the local food economy
What are your ideas??
Thanks Karen for bringing this to my attention! We would definitely like to do something here in Outagamie County to promote Food Day - I will keep you posted as our ideas develop :)
ReplyDeleteI love the suggestions about engaging local chefs!
Gotta say I love the clean design of their logo.
ReplyDelete