About Food Day
Food movement leaders are gearing up for the second annual Food Day, the nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food. More than 2,300 events took place across the country on the first Food Day in 2011, and organizers intend for Food Day 2012 to be another great success. Held on October 24 each year, Food Day brings together organizations and individuals working on food issues as varied as hunger, nutrition, agriculture policy, animal welfare, and farmworker justice.
Food Day in the District
D.C. is a crucial center for awareness and action around food. So it is not surprising that the city embraced Food Day 2011 with dozens of events. This year, organizers aim to focus on healthy food access, health disparities, sustainable agriculture, the farm-to-table concept, and other key issues through events in every ward. Groups such as DC WIC, American University and Gallaudet University, the DC Farm to School Network, the newly formed DC Food Policy Council, DC Central Kitchen, the Capital Area Food Bank, and many others are planning to take part. For a list of activities being planned, visit www.foodday.org to find events in your area and register your own Food Day events!
To learn more about getting involved, please email Food Day national Project Coordinator Catherine Kastleman at ckastleman@cspinet.org.
Food Day’s 2012 national advisory board includes author Michael Pollan; nutrition authorities Walter Willett, Kelly Brownell, and Marion Nestle; filmmaker Morgan Spurlock; and Rodale, Inc. CEO Maria Rodale, among others. American Public Health Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farm to School Network, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and Slow Food USA all participate in Food Day, as do many local and state health or agriculture departments.
Food Day 2012 events planned in DC as of September 14, 2012
Please send additions to ckastleman@cspinet.org or register a public or private event on the map.
1. Food Day national marquee conference at the U.S. Capitol
At its national event at the U.S. Capitol, Food Day 2012 brings together organizations and individuals for an opportunity to discuss some of the most pressing food and health issues facing the country. The organizations underwriting the 2012 marquee event include leading national groups working on issues as varied as hunger, nutrition, agriculture policy, animal welfare and farmworker justice. The audience is mostly Food Day national partner organizations and Advisory Board members, congressional staffers, D.C.-area organizations and activists, community members, students, and journalists.
The program of the event is being developed, but will include opening addresses, a keynote speech (Food Day Advisory Board’s Honorary Co-chairs, Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Tom Harkin have been invited), The Atlantic’s Corby Kummer as a moderator of one of the panels, and a reception before or after the even
WHEN
October 24, 2012, between 6 pm and 8:30 pm
WHERE
United States Capitol Visitor Center (250-person auditorium)
CONTACT
Lilia Smelkova, lsmelkova@cspinet.org
2. Food Day at National Education Association’s Seasons Cafe
On Food Day 2012, the Seasons Cafe at the National Education Association (NEA) will be serving a special menu of local, organic, and healthy foods to celebrate the occasion. In addition to a tasty new menu, we will have healthy food cooking demonstrations, a Food Day information table, and a raffle for a Farm to Table gift basket.
Note: Seasons Cafe is located in the Atrium of the NEA building, and is open to the public daily from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.
WHEN
October 24, 2012 at 11:30am
WHERE
National Education Association’s Seasons Cafe
1201 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
CONTACT: Lisa Creighton, LCreighton@nea.org
3. Celebrate Food Day with the DC Food Truck Association!
The popular DC food trucks will be clustered at various locations on Food Day (Wednesday, October 24) to provide freshly prepared food to District workers:
Department of Employment Services
Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road Northeast
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
9th and G Streets Northwest
20th and Virginia Streets Northwest
Virginia Street between 20th and 21st Streets Northwest
L’Enfant Plaza
7th Street and Maryland Avenue Southwest
4. Chefs as Catalysts for Change: What’s on Your Plate? (Private event)
DC’s chefs are leaders in the food industry. They have the power to directly affect food trends, and guide the public’s palate. “Chefs as Catalysts for Change” is a panel discussion moderated by Ann Yonkers of freshfarmmarkets.org, held on October 22nd, from 3-6p, in the Navy Memorial Heritage Center. It is an opportunity for DC’s chefs to learn about the issues surrounding the food supply – how they can make sustainable choices in the kitchen, and what GMO’s and pesticides mean for the future of food. This event is by invitation only.
CONTACT: Kathy ONeill, kathyoneill@mac.com
5. Breakfast Brain Food for Kids with Tea with Mrs. B and Teaism! (Registration required)
Tea with Mrs. B, a beloved children’s tea room in Bethesda and McLean that teaches kids modern manners in the most entertaining fashion, has partnered with Teaism, a collection of critically acclaimed teahouses that serve simple, healthy foods, and of course, tea, to offer kids a very special way to celebrate the 2012 Food Day movement! For the most important meal of the day, Mrs. B and her friends at Teaism will engage children in a lively discussion about healthy breakfast choices and demonstrate how to create a colorful breakfast parfait. Layering yogurt, fruits, and other healthy ingredients, kids will learn the benefits of starting the day off right. A not-to-be-missed Food Day event, light manners coaching and hands-on activities are sure to be a hit with parents too! To register for the morning event on Sunday, October 21, contact Tea with Mrs. B at 202-448-2930.
6. Compassion Over Killing – internal private event with employees:
COK office will hold a private, internal vegan food sampling and leafleting with literature on plant-based eating in their office. They are also happy to support any volunteers who want to hold Food Day events with a veggie focus—if you get in touch with COK their team can provide guidance and support.
CONTACT: Elena Johnson, ejohnson@cok.net
7. Slow Food DC:
For Food Day (Week) they are planning the Second Annual Snail of Approval award party on Sunday, October 28. The Snail of Approval is Slow Food’s way of honoring food producers committed to good, clean, fair food through sustainable authentic practices. http://www.slowfooddc.org/snail-of-approval/. This is a private event.
CONTACT: Kathryn Warnes, kathryn@slowfooddc.org
8. Universities planning Food Day events:
- George Washington University
- American University
- Georgetown
- George Mason
- Howard
- Catholic
- University of Maryland
9. Busboys and Poets restaurant on 14th and U will be holding a screening of the film “In Organic We Trust” on Food Day, in conjunction with Food Muse Media. Contact Marsha Weiner for more information at ContentMaven@comcast.net.
10. Anthony Lombardo of 1789 Restaurant in Georgetown will be holding a special Food Day dinner at the restaurant on October 24. He will also be helping out with a demonstration at a WIC clinic in Anacostia. Contact: <lombardoa82@gmail.com>.
11. The DC State Fair, in conjunction with the Barracks Row Fall Festival, will be co-promoting as a Food Day event. Contact Rhea Kennedy: <rhea@thedcstatefair.org>.
12. There will be an event at the Ward 8 Farmers Market at the ARC, including a presentation of a Food Day proclamation by councilmember Marion Berry’s Chief of Staff. Contact: Michael Segal, Executive Director of the market, ward8fm@gmail.com.
13. A Well Fed world is planning a tabling event in Dupont circle and also an event to showcase a vegetarian diet . Contact: Dawn Moncrief, dmoncrief@awfw.org.
14. DC Farm to School week is now Growing Healthy Schools Week! Sam Ullery is going to put the Food Day logo on all the farm to school promotional materials and record all the chef and garden activities in the school. They will post the photos on their website under the title ”Food day celebration” and they will also use Food Day materials in the school throughout the week. Contact: Sam Ullery, sam.ullery@dc.gov.
15. Dreaming out Loud Farmers Market is planning a Food Day themed Farmers Market. Contact Chris Bradshaw, Market Manager: chris@dreamingoutloud.net
16. District of Columbia Public Schools will be holding a district-wide recognition of Food Day. Contact: Jeff Mills, Nutrition Services Director.
17. Chefs Cooking Demo with the WIC
LOCATION: TBA
TIME: TBA
18. Columbia Heights Farmers Market
LOCATION:Columbia HeightsCivic Plaza
Date & TIME: TBA
