Interfaith Hunger Coalition Postpones March Meeting

Kurt Rager

Because of health concerns related to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the steering committee of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition has postponed our next gathering, originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 24. We are working with our featured presenter, Kurt Rager, director of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico, to reschedule the event later this year.

In addition to updates from Kurt about LAM-NM's legislative agenda for this year, we were also scheduled to review other legislative initiatives related to hunger. A representative from New Mexico Appleseed was scheduled to tell us about House Bill 10, which eliminated co-pays for school lunches and breakfasts for many low-income students.

This brief summary contains a couple of updates to the legislative summary sent on March 5, including an appropriations request for nonperishable food products for New Mexico food banks, and a correction to the item on child care assistance. (The original intent was to eliminate co-pays, but the allocation was insufficient to do so).

Responding to the Outbreak
We are tracking initiatives designed to ensure that the crisis response does not prevent anyone from continuing to have access to food. One major concern is that the closure of schools would leave students who rely on subsidized or free school lunches without access to food.  (This week, authorities announced that all schools in the state would be closed  for three weeks, starting on March 16)..

Local authorities are considering measures to ensure that children continue to have access to food. And  local agencies are doing what they can to assist in this effort. "Roadrunner Food Bank will continue food distributions at school sites as long the schools have staff that can continue them during the closures," said one food bank administrator. "Things are moving fast and new variables are happening every hour it seems. But, right now, our plan is continue distributions of food where we have partners that are willing and able to continue."

At the federal level, Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico is one of three legislators who introduced the Ensuring Emergency Food Security Act. Advocates around the country are asked to contact their federal representatives to support this initiative. (See Graphic Below).



Partner Events Postponed or Cancelled
The following events organized by or on behalf of our endorsing congregations or organizations have been cancelled or postponed.

March 13-14 (Postponed, Date TBA): What needed gifts do faith communities bring to climate action? A retreat with Dr. Larry Rasmussen hosted by New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, First Congregational Church. Friday: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday: 9:00-12 Noon. Sliding scale donation according to means $10-$50 (no one turned away).

March 14 (Cancelled): Bread for the World-New Mexico Offering of Letters, Saturday, March 14, All Saints Lutheran Church, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon. Here is more information.

March 28 (Cancelled): Circo for Community and Justice. Support the New Mexico Conference of Churches, enjoy music by the Peace Pipes and celebrate the awarding of the annual Turquoise Award to an outstanding community leader. At St. John's United Methodist Church. Get Tickets: $35 for individuals, $300 for table of 10.

No Announcement Yet on the Following Events (Watch for Updates)
April 4: Pull for the Pantry. A rowing and fitness fundraiser to benefit The Storehouse. Orangetheory Albuquerque Fitness -Westside. 6361 Riverside Plaza Ln, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87120. You can also “Pull for the Pantry” by forming your own team. Invite friends and family to sponsor you, and join us at Orangetheory Fitness to row 5 meters for every dollar you raise. Donate or Form a Team

April 21-23: 10th Annual Farm to Cafeteria Conference, hosted by National Farm to School Network and Farm to Table in New Mexico. Albuquerque Convention Center. More information here    Register now

June 24  Annual New Mexico KIDS Count Conference, hosted by New Mexico Voices for Children

An Enthusiastic Pitch for Three Sisters Kitchen

Three Sisters Kitchen is an ambitious project to create a space for people to come together to cook, eat, test new recipes, develop new food businesses, teach and learn from each other. It is one part café, one part test kitchen, one part dining room and one part classroom. And, though many have come through with support, input and funding for Three Sisters, Bennett is now largely running the whole operation herself...Just about everyone who hears about the kitchen wants to get involved somehow. from Article in Weekly Alibi

Sarah Haynes, Anzia Bennett

Corn, squash and beans...Three agricultural products that support each other's growth when you plant them together. That concept reflects the mission of Three Sisters Kitchen in Albuquerque.

 
Anzia Bennett, director of the emerging project, was the featured presenter at The Interfaith Hunger Coalition's bimonthly meeting in January. 

Rather than post a recap of her  comments to our group of about 20 people gathered at First Presbyterian Church on January 23, I will include a couple of excerpts and a link to her terrific interview with Robin Babb of the Weekly Alibi.

"As she walks me through the soon-to-be under-construction space at 109 Gold Avenue SW, Bennett’s enthusiasm for the possibilities of Three Sisters is obvious—despite the dozens of times, I suspect, she’s given this same pitch to others. Her unflagging energy, no doubt, has come in handy during the long process of planning and executing the project."

She hopes to have a soft opening for the space sometime in the spring or early summer of this year, but acknowledges that progress has been a lot slower than she wanted. “I wanted to open last year,” she says, “but between planning, permitting and finding funds for all the kitchen equipment and staff …” she winces. It’s not an uncommon predicament for many business owners in Albuquerque, nonprofit or otherwise.

Bennett welcomes financial donations from individuals and foundations to the project, particularly to acquire the expensive kitchen equipment needed for the test kitchen. However,  one thing she really wants is cookbooks (as well as lightly used aprons, dishes, and cooking tools).  If you would like to donate one of these items or host a fundraiser, send an e-mail message to Anzia Bennett (anzia@threesisterskitchen.org).

Roberta Montoya and Joy Dinaro

Bread and Blessings Project
Bennett's presentation was a perfect complement to an earlier mini presentation from Roberta Montoya, who manages the Bread and Blessings project at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown Albuquerque. '

The Interfaith Hunger Coalition has begun a new feature at our monthly meetings, which is to showcase the work of one of our endorsing congregations.

Montoya gave a great history of how the community came together to help create the project, including donations of services and expensive equipment needed to set up a special kitchen for Bread and Blessings. Through the project, the parish and volunteers from various faith communities around Albuquerque offer a restaurant-style meal every Sunday afternoon. While most of the clients are members of the homeless community, low-income working families and individuals are often among those who are served. The main entre is often pasta, but desserts appear to be a favorite. "The clients like sugar," noted Montoya. 

Nominate Someone for Local Food and Farm to School Awards

2016 Award Recipients Photo: Seth Roffman for NMFACP

The Third Annual Local Food & Farm to School Awards celebrates partners in New Mexico who are actively fostering innovative initiatives around our local food economy.

The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council envisions this awards program as a catalyst to further connect and network individuals, organizations, and institutions engaging in this work, as well as a tool to leverage political and media support for local food and farm to school work happening across the state. The NMFAPC is asking YOU to help us elect the recipients of this year's awards.

Once all nominations are received, a NMAFAPC review committee will select the awardees, and they will be honored at the 2018 Food & Farms Day and School Nutrition Day at the Capitol, January 23rd, by the New Mexico School Nutrition Association President, Shelley Montgomery, and New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council members. Awardees will be invited to a celebratory lunch following the ceremony, and also will receive media recognition for their great work.

Please review the guidelines and criteria below before filling out the form.

Guidelines:

• Deadline to submit nomination: Friday, December 22, 2017
• Announcement of awardees: week of January 8, 2018
• The awards ceremony will be held in conjunction with Food & Farms Day and School Nutrition Day at the Roundhouse on January 23, 2018
• If you have any questions about the awards event, please contact Kendal Chavez at kendal@farmtotablenm.org or (505) 470-5748.
• For more information about Food & Farms Day or School Nutrition Day contact Pam Roy at pam@farmtotablenm.org or (505) 660-8403.

Criteria/Evaluation Metrics:
All categories will be evaluated with a lens of justice and equity, a commitment to land and culture, innovative and creative approaches to complex problems, and a clear investment into New Mexico's eaters, farmers, and local food allies of the future.
There are five categories for this year's awards:

• Farmer of the Year
• Teacher of the Year
• Support Organization of the Year
• School Food Service of the Year
• Farmers' Market of the Year 

Nominate Someone

Growing the Local Food Economy

State Auditor Tim Keller and Three Sisters Kitchen invite you to a presentation on
How Government Spending Can Grow the Local Food Economy

June 16, 2017 from 11am to 1pm
South Valley Economic Development Center
318 Isleta Blvd SW  (map)
Albuquerque, NM 87105

Featuring a panel of experts from New Mexico's governmental agencies and local food industry:

Josue Olivares, South Valley Economic Development Center
Pamela Roy, Farm to Table
Henry Rael, McCune Foundation
Anna Martinez, New Mexico Corrections Department
and more

All are welcome,

RSVP to justine.freeman@osa.state.nm.us

Santa Fe Food Activist 'Disinvited' from Arizona Conference

The anti-hunger and community food security folks in New Mexico are quite familiar with author and activist Mark Winne. He speaks his mind, and he challenges us to look at the big picture (and sometimes urges us to examine our preconceived notions). He has spoken out on topics like food deserts, community food systems, class-related disparities in our approach to nutrition, and the incomplete and inadequate approach to addressing hunger in New Mexico.

Given his expertise in community food systems, it was a natural step for our neighbors in Arizona (specifically the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance) to invite Winne to address the Arizona Food Summit. (Sharon Thornberry, rural communities liaison for the Oregon Food Bank and a member of Bread for the World board directors, was also invited to speak at the summit).

A few weeks after the invitation was issued, Winne was disinvited from his speaking engagement. But it wasn't the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance that made this decision. It was the Arizona Department of Agriculture . He tells us why in a post in Mark's Food Policy Blog. Here is an excerpt followed by the link to the full post.

On February 23rd, I received an email from Tim Thomas of the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance asking me to speak at the Arizona Food Summit on April 28th. I enthusiastically accepted the invitation and participated two weeks later in a lengthy planning call with other speakers and conference organizers. I even bought an airline ticket for Phoenix.

On April 12th, I got a call from Laura Oxley, a staff member at the Arizona Department of Agriculture, one of the Food Summit’s sponsors. Speaking in a trembling, but practiced bureaucratic voice, Ms. Oxley told me that I was officially disinvited from speaking at the summit. According to her, some of my website’s industrial agriculture and GMO references over the past few years had offended the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association, the Arizona Farm Bureau, and her department’s director. She told me that one of the cattleman was a “third-generation rancher, and the department’s director is a fifth-generation rancher…and they think that your presence at the summit would be divisive and prevent some members of Arizona’s agriculture sector from attending.”

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