Today throughout Los Angeles concerned folks are joining together to take part in Food Day, a nationwide campaign to improve the health of Americans by reducing diet-related diseases such as diabetes, expand access to healthy food and improve America’s food system. The recently formed Los Angeles Food Policy Council (full disclosure – I am a member) , founded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and chaired by his Senior Advisor on Food Policy, Paula Daniels, are coordinating a series of events and policy efforts to make Los Angeles a “Good Food” region for everyone. This is about Health and Food Access/Justice.
Keep reading for a list of activities…
LIST OF ACTIVITIES
Monday, October 24th
Morning
· La County Celebrates With Healthy School Breakfast Cooking Demonstration: Local chefs and LA County health officer Dr. Jonathan Fielding will prepare a healthy breakfast from the new LAUSD meal program menu for elementary students in the second-largest school district in the nation. Dr. Fielding and the chefs will speak with students about the importance of breakfast for a great start to the educational day. This is part of ongoing promotion of the new LA Unified menu that includes nearly 80 new and healthy menu items.
Location: Gulf Avenue Elementary, 828 West L St, Wilmington, CA 90744 Time: 8:30am
· La Cienega Farmers’ Market Nourish Life Screening: Saturn Street Elementary School will screenNourish Life DVD for students during breakfast hour.
Location: 5360 Saturn St, LA 90019 Time: 7:00am
· The Santa Monica Farmers Markets will organize a food drive at all 4 markets to collect canned food for donation to the Westside Food Bank. Longtime participating farmer, Daisy Tami, who is experiencing a lengthy hospital stay, suggested a food drive as a way to give back to the community. They plan to hold the drive on October 24, November 24 and December 24 to underscore the need for food throughout the year. In addition, they will ask donors to sign on to the California Healthy Food and Farm Petition.
· Enrich LA, volunteers, and students at Point Fermin Marine Science Magnet Elementary in San Pedro will revamp their edible garden.
Location: 3333 Kerckhoff Avenue, San Pedro Time: 9am-12pm
· Cal State LA’s Student Dietetic Association will educate fellow students on healthier choices and REAL food! Booths with food games (with real food prizes), lists of healthy food choices at eateries on campus, information on supporting CSAs near campus, education on the realities of factory farming, a food drive to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, raffles, prizes, and more!
Location: 5151 State University Drive, 90032 Time: 10:00am
· Student Dietetic Association will host a table passing out menus from local restaurants and food samples. They will advertise the healthier options at local Malibu restaurants and have a few recipes on display for students to try out.
Location: 24255 Pacific Coast Highway Time: 11:00am-2:00pm
- Santa Monica College will kick off Sustainability Week with this celebration of the first-ever national FOOD DAY! Come with office-mates, colleagues, students, friends, club members. Bring a picnic or dish to share. Enter the Best Dish Contest in one or more category: Best dish with locally-grown ingredients Best vegetarian Best vegan Best organic Best expression of cultural heritage! Find out about SMC’s new ORGANIC LEARNING GARDEN and Global Citizenship Council’s FOOD JUSTICE PROJECT SMC. We’re building a community where no one is hungry and everyone has access to good, fair, healthy food.
Location: 1900 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica Time: 11:15am
- LA County Department of Public Health will support local partners in promoting Food Day events by promoting activities on their Choose Health LA website: www.choosehealthla.com/eat-healthy/foodday/
- California Healthy Food & Farm Petition: Another key Food Day action individuals and organizations in California can take is to sign the California Healthy Food & Farm Petition. Over a dozen California-based organizations have joined forces to gather tens of thousands of signatures from citizens on a petition urging California’s decision makers to stand up for healthy food and farm policies by October 24. Petition link: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5902/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8337
Afternoon
· Occidental College will offer a variety of presentations and activities on campus, including presentations from the South Central Farmers and Food Forward.
Location: JSC Quad, 1600 Campus Road, LA 90041 Time: 11:30am-1:30pm
· An Apple a Day at Border Grill Downtown LA: Border Grill will give a farmers market apple from Windrose Farm to all guests, along with info about Food Day and the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.
Location: 445 S. Figueroa Street, LA 90071 Time: 11:30am
· California Center for Public Health Advocacy will host its annual awards lunch at L.A. Live. Guest speakers include Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Individual tickets are $150.
Location: LA Live, 900 West Olympic Boulevard, LA 90015 Time: Noon-2:00pm
· Food Day at USC- Free sandwiches and salad provided by Green Hut Cafe along with student performances and good times in McCarthy quad.
Location: University of Southern California Time: 12:00-2:00pm
· Food Day the RootDown LA Way! Stop by the Ralph Bunche house to see how we get folks to eat their veggies! RootDown trains local youth to grow, cook, and create micro enterprises with our own homegrown produce!
Location: 1221 E. 40th Place, LA 90011 Time: 3:30pm
· Loyola Marymount University faculty, workers, and students will join together to discuss why workers in all levels of the food production chain deserve better treatment, and why it is essential to include workers when discussing the sustainability movement. After listening from experts in the field and workers’ testimonies, panelists will call the audience to action so that they can bring awareness to this issue not only on-campus, but in our greater Los Angeles community.
· Crescent Heights Elementary School will screen Nourish Life DVD for students during breakfast hour sponsored by Model Neighborhood Program.
Location: 1661 South Crescent Heights Blvd Time, LA 90035 Time: 3:00pm
· La Cienega Farmers’ Market Poster Contest: The Model Neighborhood Program is sponsoring a contest at Saturn Street Elementary School. Using what students learn at our farm-to-school nutrition program, Fresh Fruit On Friday, students will design posters to promote why it is a good idea to try new healthy food items on the LAUSD menus. Winners receive gift certificates to our farmers’ markets.
Location: 5360 Saturn St, LA 90019 Time: 3:00pm
· Marvin Elementary School will encourage students to try new LAUSD Menu and fresh fruit by organizing a LAUSD menu poster contest, skits, and DVD screenings.
Location: 2411 South Marvin Avenue, LA 90035 Time: 3:00pm
· The La Cienega Farmers’ Market will host a screening of Food Inc for the teachers, administrators and classified staff members at Marvin Ave Elementary School. Following the movie, there will be a discussion as well as a catered reception and they will be installing and displaying a pop-up art show provided by curator,Participant Media, from the Lexicon of Sustainability. These photographs will be displayed alongside student poster contest winners. Location: 2411 South Marvin Avenue, LA 90035 Time: 3:30pm
· Food Day Event at Pomona: Pomona College food service workers will join with university students to prepare and cook a local sustainable afternoon meal (Pappardelle with Ricotta and Swiss Chard) using ingredients from the Pomona College Organic Farm and local farmers market. In addition, participants will engage in a discussion about food security and sustainability on and off campus. Sponsored by UNITE HERE Local 11, Workers for Justice, Pomona Students for Environmental Activism and Responsibility (PEAR)and the Pitzer Eco Center. Speakers at the event will include Bob Gottlieb, co-author of the book Food Justice and Director of the Urban Environmental Policy Institute, and Frank Douglass, a Yale University cook and recently-elected New Haven Alderman.
Location: Walker Lounge and Walker Beach, Pomona College Time: 4:00pm
· The UCLA Maternal and Child Nutrition Leadership Training Program will be holding a screening of”Forks Over Knives” with discussion to follow afterwards. Location: UCLA Center for Health Sciences Room 13-105, 10833 Le Conte Ave, LA Time: 3:00pm
Evening
· Community Market Conversion will host a healthy food cooking demo, followed by a Zumba class at Las Palmas Carniceria in South LA. The demo is free and the Zumba class is $2. The whole program is in Spanish.
Location: 2712 South Central Ave, LA 90011 Time: 5:00pm
· The Hollywood Farmers’ Market & The Farmer’s Kitchen will host a screening of Vanishing of the Bees at the historic Montalban Theatre in Hollywood in honor of the 1st annual Food day. The evening will feature local dishes prepared by The Farmer’s Kitchen, wine from the Beverly Hills Cheese Shop, honey tasting from local beekeepers, live music, and film screening. Tickets are $25.
Location: 1615 North Vine Street, LA 90028 Time: 5:45pm
· Food Forward will organize a fruit pick in Granada Hills. Food Forward reconnects people with people – through food – by bringing together volunteers and neighbors to share in the gleaning and distributing of locally grown food from private homes and public spaces which is then used to help feed the hungry. Sign up for a pick here: http://foodforward.org/events/. They will also have a booth at Occidental College on Food Day.
Location: Granada Hills Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
· Canele in Atwater Village will host a three course farmer’s market inspired meal for $35 per person on October 24. They cover their costs for the night and everything else goes to benefit Food Day.
Location: 3219 Glendale Boulevard, LA 90039 Time: 5:00pm
· BLD Restaurant will prepare a local farm-to-table family style prix fixe dinner, featuring all local farms, wineries, and breweries. Dinner includes wine and costs $45. Dinner without wine costs $34. BLD will donate a portion of their proceeds to the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.
Location: 7450 Beverly Blvd, LA 90036 Time: One seating at 7:30pm
Other Food Day Events Celebrated Throughout October (October 21-29)
· Friday, October 21: Homegirl Café has launched “Street Eats” in their back lot mini-farm, featuring grilled tacos and tortas inspired by produce from our Homegirl Farms. “Street Eats” will be available every Friday.
Location: 130 W. Bruno St., LA, CA 90012 Time: 11am-2:30pm
· Friday, October 21: Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Campaign for Fair Food: Join Florida tomato pickers and their student, faith and community allies in a mile-long march from a Monrovia Trader Joe’s store to the nearby corporate headquarters. Participants will gather outside of Trader Joe’s at noon, then march east on Huntington Dr. to the corporate offices. There, farmworkers will lead a creative action calling on Trader Joe’s to support human rights for the men and women who harvest the tomatoes sold in its stores. For additional information about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Campaign for Fair Food, visit www.ciw-online.org.
Location: 604 W. Huntington Dr. Time: 12pm
· Friday, October 21: SEE-LA’s Echo Park Farmers’ Market will celebrate their five-year anniversary on Friday, October 21st, in conjunction with Food Day.
Location: Parking Lot #663 on Logan Street, south of Sunset Boulevard Time: 3:00pm-7:00pm
· Saturday, October 22: The Los Angeles Dietetic Association will provide the East L.A community with basic nutrition information and BMI assessments for the general public.
Location: East L.A Civic Center, 4801 E. Third Street, LA 90022 Time: 9:00am-2:00pm
· Saturday, October 22: The LA Community Garden Council is organizing its fifth annual Gathering of Community Gardens on October 22 at the Loma Alta Park in Altadena. It’s a free educational and networking conference that connects gardening activists across Los Angeles County with local resources, inspiration and food growing fun!
Location: Loma Alta Park/Altadena Community Garden, 330 Lincoln Avenue, Altadena Time: 8:00am-4:00pm
· Saturday, October 22: Sylmar Farmers Market at Los Angeles Mission College will be having a Fallfest beginning with the sponsoring of a field trip from MEND in Pacoima which will bring in EBT, WIC and SNAP recipients to shop for farm fresh produce. All farmers will have recipes for the produce they are selling. There will be a healthy cooking demo by Marva Marrow of 7th Heaven Gourmet who will be using pumpkin and other easy and affordable ingredients. For kids, there will be pumpkin painting, Halloween cookie decorating, a Halloween Costume Contest and Parade, and Healthy Trick or Treating at each vendor. There will be a Calfresh representative to pass out information and answer questions.
Location: 13356 Eldridge Ave., Sylmar Time: 10 a.m – 2 p.m.
· Saturday, October 22: California Dietetic Association/Los Angeles District will reconnect with the land and explore what nature has to offer. Nance Klehm travels the United States to bring her knowledge of urban foraging and the health benefits of local foods to enthusiastic learners.
Location: VA Greater Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, LA 90073 Time: 10:00am
· Saturday, October 22: The Garden School Foundation will celebrate fall at the 2011 Harvest Moon Festival. Enjoy gourmet hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and music benefiting the Garden School Foundation! Tickets are $40.
Location: The Barn Studio, 1660 Stanford Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm
· Sunday, October 23: Food Day South LA: Join South Los Angeles residents, Community Health Councils, CRA/LA, and Thomas Edison Middle School among others in fighting the growing obesity epidemic by attending our Food Day LA event! There will be healthy food cooking demos with Network for a Healthy California, a soda exchange for a healthy food option led by Hunger Action L.A., physical activity demonstrations, and much more! Admission: Can, bottle or liter of soda.
Location: Florence Firestone Service Center, 7808 S. Compton Ave Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm.
· Sunday, October 23: Food Forward will organize a fruit pick in Sylmar. Sign up for a pick here:http://foodforward.org/events/.
Location: Sylmar, CA Time: 9:30am- 12:00pm
· Sunday, October 23: LCF Community Harvest- A group of local volunteers, with the support of theCommunity Center of La Canada Flintridge, will be harvesting fruit from several La Canada Flintridge residences for the Foothill Unity Center’s food distribution program in Pasadena. This event is currently full, but the program is ongoing and year-round.
Location: La Canada Flintridge Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm
· Saturday, October 29: The Watts Healthy Farmers’ Market will host a variety of food, health, and community-related activities to celebrate Good, Equitable, and Accessible food in Watts, and kick-off a new program promoting the health of the Watts community. The Watts Healthy Farmers’ market is the latest to joinWholesome Wave’s national Double Value Coupon Program network with support provided by Kaiser Permanente. Through the Double Value Coupon Program, shoppers can get twice the dollar amount in fresh, local produce at the market while supporting the local economy and increasing farmers’ revenue. The day will include cooking demonstrations, Zumba classes, and free pumpkin decorating for families!
Location: Ted Watkins Memorial Park (103rd and Central Avenue) Time: 10:00am-2:00pm
· Saturday, October 29: The UCLA/ USC Center for Population Health and Health Disparities (CPHHD) is pleased to announce the grand re-opening celebration on October 29th of YASH La Casa Market in East Los Angeles as part of the Food Day LA Celebration. Join East Los Angeles residents, LA County representatives,UCLA School of Public Health, Public Matters, Nathan Cheng Consulting, Esteban Torres High Schoolyouth, and other East LA community organizations in launching the Proyecto Mercado Fresco of East Los Angeles which is funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). As part of the celebration, Proyecto MercadoFresco will have presentations by L.A. County Board of Supervisor, Gloria Molina, Paul Simon, MD, Director, L.A. County Office of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, UCLA, members of the ELA Rotary Club, VELA, and the Pan American Bank. We will also have VELA food samples, live music, performances and video screenings by students of the East Los Angeles Renaissance Academy (ELARA), information booths. Food giveaways and prizes to be given out.
Location: YASH La Casa Market, 3968 Hammel Street, Los Angeles Time: 10:00am-12:00pm