Food-lovers Unite!

We all are called to celebrate the first annual Food Day this Monday, October 24th. Brainchild of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, this nation-wide celebration is following Earth Day’s successful model and asking people across the U.S. to be more conscious of their food choices in an effort to revamp the American diet.

Food Day organizers are encouraging people with even a little bit of sustainability and healthy food know-how to host events that will educate their local communities on how and why to choose “healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.”

Partners include similarly-focused national non-profits such as Slow Food USA, Food Alliance, the Chef’s Collaborative and The Food Project, plus profit-based organizations such as Epicurious.com and The Cooking Channel which couple a love for food with the ability to inspire change.

Boston, of course, has been quick to respond. Get involved by joining one of the great Boston-area events listed after the jump, and celebrate in community as Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Tom Menino officially declare October 24th “Massachusetts Food Day.” We all can do our part.

FOOD DAY EVENTS

Friday, October 21st
The Harvard Food Law Society in Cambridge will hold a TedX conference on Food Policy. The conference will explain the legal and policy approaches to increasing the availability and demand for healthy foods, and how that relates to public health. 8:45 am- 3:45 pm.

Saturday, October 22nd
Sodexo at Clark University will join Hunger Free Worcester at the YMCA REC for a food festival featuring local food vendors, healthy recipes, children activities, farmers, international cuisine, music and dance. On Monday the 24th, Sodexo will host a “Clark Dining Services Food Day” with local food and wellness exhibitors, a local sustainable mean and a film screening.

FOOD DAY! Monday, October 24th
The documentary Food Fight by Chris Taylor will be screening at the Museum of Science, 3pm, followed by a panel discussion that will include the Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture , the CEO of Community Servings, and Boston’s Stuff Magazine’s Food Editor. Admission is free.

Later in the day, Harvard Law School will take a turn screening Food Fight, followed by a discussion with director Chris Taylor. $5 admission, Austin North.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino will speak at Tufts University about the his outlook on the future of food systems in Boston. 1pm -2pm. Sackler Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, First floor Auditorium, 145 Harrison Ave, Boston Campus.

The Boston Food Swap is hosting a community-sourced potluck Monday evening at Space with a Soul in South Boston. The BFS is asking participants to contribute to their multimedia journal, which will serve as a creative resource and inspiration for Bostonians looking to adapt their eating and food buying routines. The best dishes with the best stories are eligible to win prizes, and the money will go to The Food Project and Lovin’ Spoonfuls Food Rescue.

Boston-area restaurants, including Legal Harborside, EVOO, Union Bar and Grille, Rialto, Summer Shack, Sel de la Terre, BiNA Osteria and Blue Ginger have pledged to participate in Food Day with dishes featuring sustainable goods that support local farming and fishing endeavors. Check out the ever expanding list under “Find an Event” on Foodday.org.

Nutrition expert Dr. Walter Willett from the Harvard School of Public Health and award-winning cookbook author Nina Simonds will explore recent issues in public health and nutrition in combination with a demonstration in Asian cooking and wine pairings at Boston University, 6-8pm. The $40 fee covers cost of food and includes a copy of Simonds’ book, Spoonful of Ginger.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources will be launching the new Massachusetts Gleaning Network. (Gleaning occurs after farms have been harvested, or on farms where it has not been profitable to harvest, and is the process of collecting left-over crops.) In the past, many Massachusetts farmers have expressed their desire to glean, but cite a lack of time and resources to do so. The Massachusetts Gleaning Network will serve as a liaison between these farms and volunteers, service agencies and food banks, in the effort to put the good food to use. On October 23rd, Commissioner Scott Soares will take part in a gleaning event in Worcester County. On October 24th, elected officials will attend a gleaning event in Suffolk County.

Check back in with foodday.org throughout the week as more and more universities, restaurants, chefs, nutritionists, farmers and teachers add their Food Day events. Or, even better, if you have a great idea for an event, sign up to be a host!

Whether you can attend a sponsored Food Day event or not, the CSPI and partners are asking you to celebrate by keeping in mind:

The principles of Food Day

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

HAPPY FOOD DAY, EVERYONE!

Featured photo is the work of local Boston writer and photographer Brian Samuels. View his work at A Thought for Food and Brian Samuel’s Photography.