Massachusetts Food Day

Food Day is a nationwide grassroots campaign for healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food that has served as a jumping off place for many around our state to celebrate and educate their community with regards to our local food system. MA organizers have reached out to me to ask if Food Day is still being celebrated and the answer is YES.

Food Day is still being celebrated by many across the Commonwealth, and our country, yet the coordinating office, Center for Science in the Public Interest, based in DC, was not able to secure funding for their staff or materials.

One thing is true, the hundreds of organizers who created events, shared information, taught cooking to old and young alike, advocated for policy change and so much more, did so because they cared about their community, not because they had pins and posters to give out !

That said, the 6^th Annual FOOD DAY is a month away and you can now reach out to others in your community, workplace, place of worship, and schools/campuses to host an activity to highlight what is important to you within our local food system.

• What do you want to share or teach?
• What can you highlight or change regarding your local food system?
• How can you and your peers make a fun, easy and informative event/activity that can strengthen community networks as you focus on a healthy and sustainable food system for all of residents in your community?

Across Massachusetts last year, over 600 events were created and hosted by individuals and organizations working to make our food system more sustainable, accessible and healthier. Some events lasted a few hours, some days and a few were month long. Activities were small and large; the key was the education, communication and information-sharing initiated across the state with neighbors, students, families, co-workers and clients.

Listed below are a few Ideas for the activities you could plan:

• MA schools will take the “Eat Real” 2015 challenge (over 450 schools did last year!)
• Film screenings in your living room, work, local college
• “Sourcing local challenge” within your organization
• Cooking demonstrations and food education workshops
• Host an “Apple Crunch” with community groups or at your office
• Farm tours and community activities with your local farmer
• Health center staff members and businesses hosting local food potlucks
• Food system forums at local community centers
• College campus organizing-dozens of campuses participated across MA!

For those of you who “do this every day”, it is an opportunity to broaden your reach, to create larger networks and to build on your current work. You can still visit the national website at www.foodday.org for more information; you can use the logos, materials, etc. for your celebration.

Thank you for all you do on Food Day and every day!