A Commitment to Nonviolent Change

Catholic Archdiocese Supports Santa Fe's Proposal to Tax Sugary Drinks to Fund Early Childhood Programs

Wikimedia Commons

The Santa Fe City Council recently voted to put a sweetened beverage tax of 2 cents per ounce to a vote by city of Santa Fe residents in May. The tax, if passed by voters would invest in Pre-K education for children in Santa Fe, closing a funding gap for parents who are not always able to afford Pre-K.

(Santa Fe-based food activist and author Mark Winne expressed his own thoughts about the food movement and soda taxes in a blog post on March 8, 2017).

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, which has jurisdiction over Santa Fe and Albuquerque, came out in support of the soda tax. Here is a statement released by the archdiocese.

(April 19) The Archdiocese of Santa Fe endorses the proposed soda tax by the City of Santa Fe in order to fund early childhood programs. New Mexico ranks number one in the United States for children living in poverty and second highest for children living in hunger. Because of the New Mexico State Senate’s lack of action to fund early childhood programs, municipalities are left with few choices.

The soda tax is a good attempt to address the dire conditions in which our children are living. In good conscience, we cannot let our children stagnate in the plight they are in, with some of the worst wellbeing outcomes in the nation. Until the New Mexico State Senate passes the constitutional amendment for early childhood, municipalities must seek funding for essential programs.

The very same business associations that opposed the constitutional amendment for early childhood, which is not a tax, now oppose a tax to fund these children's programs. The business associations leave no option. We must put our children first. If the State fails to address this, then we commend municipalities for taking action to address the wellbeing of our children.

Santa Fe Proposes to Tax Sweetened Beverages to Fund Early Childhood Education

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The next time you buy a bottle or a six-pack of Coke or a Pepsi at a grocery store in Santa Fe, you might be helping to fund early childhood education in the City Different. The Santa Fe City Council recently voted to put a sweetened beverage tax of 2 cents per ounce to a vote by city of Santa Fe residents in May. The tax, if passed by voters would invest in Pre-K education for children in Santa Fe, closing a funding gap for parents who are not always able to afford Pre-K. Santa Fe would be joining the municipalities of Boulder, Berkeley and Philadelphia, the Navajo Nation, and the country of Mexico in imposing a tax on sugared beverages.

Mayor Javier Gonzales estimates the soda tax would raise about $10.6 million a year. However,  Santa Fe's daily newspaper  The New Mexican  points out that the estimate appears to be much higher than revenue estimates in other cities that have approved similar taxes. Regardless, Gonzales believes the revenues would enable the city to send 1,200 more 3- and 4-year-olds to early education programs at no cost to their families.

There is some opposition to the tax. a coalition called Better Way for Santa Fe & Pre-K suggests that the tax is regressive and harmful to certain businesses. "It’s a tax that places a larger share of the tax burden on Santa Feans least capable of paying it. Stores and restaurants in Santa Fe would be hurt by this tax. They’d have to pass it on to customers, many of whom will shop and eat outside city lines to avoid the tax. That will cost people who work here their jobs and income," says the organization.

Conversely, The Santa Fe Food Policy Council and other organizations offered public testimony in support of the tax.

In a recent blog post, author and food activist Mark Winne noted that raising funds for Pre-K is just one part of the equation. The other important aspect of the proposal is health and nutrition.

"As I look at this flurry of soda taxing activity around the nation, I have to ask myself, why are we suddenly emboldened to take on Coke, Pepsi, and the nation’s other sugar pushers? Do we want to raise municipal revenue, reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, or really improve human health?"

"The evidence on the deleterious health effects of sugar is virtually ironclad. When a 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola contains 65 grams of sugar, and health experts tell us that we shouldn’t consume more than 50 grams per day (25 grams being the more desirable level); when our obesity and overweight rates have risen two- to three-fold since 1994 due in large part to an overconsumption of calories, a disproportionately large share of which are derived from beverages; and when dental caries, diabetes, and host of other human illnesses are linked to the overconsumption of sugar, we shouldn’t have to waste any more time making the case against sugar."

Read Winne's full piece, entitled Should the Food Movement Embrace Soda Taxes?  

A Donation-Based Benefit Dinner for Food Karma in #ABQ

Dig & Serve is teaming up with Food Karma (a not-for-profit ‘pay as you feel’ community food concept) to throw a donation-based benefit dinner party. The dinner will be locally sourced with the usual Dig & Serve surprises and only the best quality!

In keeping with the Food Karma vision, there will be NO SET PRICE for this dinner. We trust that once you hear our goals and mission, it will inspire you to donate. Donations will be accepted at the event and 100% of your tax-deductible donation will go directly to Food Karma.

We Dig Food Karma
A FUNDRAISING DINNER
Sunday, March 19, 2017  7pm
Albuquerque
No set price. “Pay as you feel!" donation-based (tax deductible).
BYOB
Appetizers
5 Locally Sourced Courses
Live Music

RSVP HERE
SELECT EVENT: Sun Mar 19, ABQ - "Join the guestlist"
USE CODE: wedigkarma

GET YOUR SEAT

* Exact location to be emailed to ticket holders 24 hours prior to event
**This event is contingent on us booking 40 seats. In the event that we do not book to capacity, the event will be cancelled and we will notify ticket holders no later than Saturday.

FUNDRAISING GOAL
Our goal is to raise $5,000 at this event for Food Karma.
We only have enough spaces for 40 guests! Hope to see you there.

What is Food Karma / Karma Cafe?
Food Karma is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization in Albuquerque. Their mission is to provide access to healthy food for everyone, regardless of their financial situation or otherwise. There are NO SET PRICES and the concept is based on a "pay as you feel" model. Donations from those who can afford a meal, go to help others who cannot. Eat Well. Do Good.

Holiday 'To Do' List

Not sure where this list originated, but it was posted in the Facebook group Meet, Pray, Love, which is based in the United Kingdom.

Karma Cafe Offers "Pay as You Feel" Thanksgiving Meal

Karma Cafe, a nonprofit restaurant that operates on a "pay as you feel" system, invites the public to sample its special Thanksgiving menu! The restaurant, operated by Food Karma, is open today, Thursday, November 24, from 1100 am until 7:00 pm. The cafe is located at 1617 San Pedro Dr. NE at San Pedro Center.

"Stop in for a cup of hot cider or chill with us in our cozy cafe. Everyone deserves a hearty meal on Thanksgiving! Let's give thanks that we can join as a community and share delicious food with each other." say the restaurant owners.  Here is the menu:

The Concept of Pay as You Feel
So how does the "pay as you feel" work?  One person's donation goes toward another person in need of a delicious meal. "When customers are asked to pay what they feel their food is worth, they are given the opportunity to contribute to a world where honesty, respect, generosity, and kindness rule," say the Food Karma owners.

The current Karma Cafe site opened its doors just last week, serving breakfast and lunch between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm, Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays).

On the menu are your good 'ole favorites: Breakfast Burritos, Market Omelettes, and Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches with Sourdough bread made by La Quiche Bakery!

Also included on our menu this week are Pecan French Toast, Grilled Sage Butter Chicken, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, and a Fresh Greens Salad with Feta cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette.
The menu will change weekly on Tuesdays according to what ingredients are available.

Downtown Growers Market
While the brick and mortar site on San Pedro is fairly new, Food Karma has operated at the Downtown Growers Market for several summer and fall seasons, offering breakfast burritos, blueberry crepes, caprese omelettes and other delicious menu items.

At the Late Fall Market this past Saturday, Nov. 19, Food Karma features Grilled Sage Butter Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots to pay-as-you feel customers. 

To stay connected with Food Karma invites you to Like its page on Facebook and to follow the Karma Cafe on Instagram.

How Much for that Breakfast Burrito? Whatever You Want to Pay

The menu at  Downtown Growers Market

"When customers pay what they feel the food is worth, they are given the opportunity to contribute towards a world where respect, generosity, trust, equality, freedom and kindness rule." -

One of the new food stands at the Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market this year is Food Karma, a not-for-profit food service that places a high value on promoting on using local ingredients for food. The menu choices are wholesome, locally sourced and available to customers for whatever price they want to pay.

Wade McCollough,founder of Food Karma, borrowed the concept from the Australian based non-profit business Lentil as Anything, which is also the source of the quote at the beginning of this post.

Funding a non-profit
McCollough's dream was to build a permanent facility (or as he called it a brick-and-mortar restaurant) based on that concept.So he started a campaign on Kickstarter, a fundraising site for non-profits, to raise the funds needed to cover the cost of the endeavor.

"We set a goal of $50,000 to fund our restaurant start-up but fell $45,369 short of our funding goal.," said McCollough. "We were a bit ambitious, sure, but timidness never got anyone anywhere!"

So on to Plan B, which was to develop a much simpler version of the project: a mobile community-based food organization and catering operation.  The goals of the operation are still the same, only without  an actually physical facility to serve patrons. And not only that, Food Karma has become quite involved in community events. "Since the end of our Kickstarter campaign, we have been involved in many charity events like the Roadrunner Food Bank annual Souper Bowl, two events for New life Homes (a subsidised community housing program), and "Street Fair" food days," said McCollough "These events have all been supplemented by our market vending and catering program."

Wholesome food, not profits
While it is important to get some return on its investment to keep the operation going, Food Karma does not put a high priority on making a profit. (And there are likely some people who give generously). Instead, the focus is on the quality and the wholesome nature of the food.  "Food Karma takes a fresh look how we go out to eat," said McCullough. "It challenges and creates new ideas about how we source our food, supporting local growers and producers to build a stronger food system."

"Furthermore, it makes us take a fresh look at how we treat our fellow human beings, within OUR local community, and how we can improve these social connections," the organization/business says on its Web site," said the Food Karma founder.

'Shouldn't you hide the money box?'
The concept of providing wholesome food over making a profit has met some skepticism among some of  patrons of Food Karma at the Downtown Growers Market at Robinson Park. McCollough relates an anecdote about what happened on the second day of the market this season. While the Food Karma staff was busy cooking and chatting with patrons, their backs were turned to the box where patrons place whatever money they wanted to pay for a meal.

A patron came up and told McCullough, "You better move this where you can keep an eye on it, someone is going to snatch it and run away!"  McCollough  smiled, said "Ok, thanks", and returned to cooking. A few seconds later, the gentleman moved the money box to a place where the thought was more secure.  McCollough thanked him for his good intentions, but also pointed out,  "If someone feels the need to steal our box, then I guess they need the money more than we do." With his jaw dropped he replace the box and continued through the line."

And then there is the story of the first day of the Kickstarter Campaign last fall, when Food Karma hosted , Friday Pie Day, for people to pay whatever they wanted for a piece of pie. "You're going to go out of business damn quick! No one is going to pay," said a person who attended the event.  McCullough explained the concept of Food Karma,whose goal was not to actually make any money but to feed as many people as possible. "Still stuck with his negative thoughts, he shrugged and began to walk away," said Mc Then he stopped, turned and said, "I'll take a piece of pie". Here is a video of the Friday Pie Day.


Catering your event
The stand at Robinson Park is available only one day a week on Saturdays during the summer and early fall. But Food Karma is around throughout the year. Perhaps you can hire them to cater an event. "Meetings, Conferences, Parties or Community Events, we will bring our best to your table!," the promotion for the catering operation says. But  the non-profit also emphasizes its mission, even with the catering operation. "Food Karma's goal and mission is to provide healthy meals for those in our own community who may not have resources to frequent, healthy food."   Click here  for more information

Simplicity

Even Socrates, who lived a very frugal and simple life, loved to go to the market. When his students asked about this, he replied, "I love to go and see all the things I am happy without."

-Jack Kornfield
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry Vi

Enlightened Eating: A Blessing that Extends Through Your Entire Meal

Have you ever been so hungry that the instant you get your food, the first instinct is to go into devour mode?  Many of us do not necessarily "inhale" our food, but we do focus on addressing those hunger pangs.

Jay Michaelson, author of  the book God in Your Body, urges us to treat our food with reverence. In an article entitled Eat Your Way to Enlightment, Michaelson offers us a set of a meditation guidelines to go along with this practice borrowed from the Buddhist tradition and adapted into Kabbala tradition of Judaism.

Michaelson points out that the practice is now widely taught among the people who gave the world the bagel & shmear. "But more than almost any other practice I teach, it works for people of any or no religious background, and with a lot or no meditation experience. Admittedly, it's not quite instant enlightenment -- but it is a taste of the World to Come," said Michaelson.

When we say grace or say a blessing before a meal, we tend to go on to conversations with our dining companions. And that is natural. Michaelson's practice gives us a chance to offer our blessings throughout the entire meal when we eat by ourselves or to offer an extended blessing when we share food with others.

"Very simple practice -- not much Kabbalah, not many moving parts; just waking up to the body, to fulfill the injunction of v'achalta, v'savata, u'verachta (you will eat, you'll be satisfied, and you'll bless) with the same intensity our ancestors might have had. I like to think of it as the prerequisite for authentic blessing," said Michaelson.  (This is another way to practice  what Rabbi Min Kantrowitz told participants at the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue's Spring Colloquium in Albuquerque in March).

Eight Steps to Mindful Eating
So where do you start? Michaelson tells us how.
"Begin by selecting a piece of food. A bit of fruit or vegetable is good, though I often teach this practice with a potato chip -- really, almost anything works. Take a moment to focus on the object before putting it in your mouth."

And then we are prompted to use the Kabbalistic map of the four worlds to assist us with the practice. The descriptions that follow are abbreviated.  Read the entire article to get the full eight steps.

•  First, on the level of the body, you might feel the food with your fingers, or just gaze at it with focused attention. What does it feel like, or look like?
• "Check in" next with the heart. What desires do you have? Are you hungry? Nauseated? Thankful?
• On the plane of the mind, consider for a moment all of the people involved in bringing this food to you. Farmers, truck drivers, factory workers, storekeepers -- there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose labor created the simple occasion of this food arriving in this moment.
• And, on the level of the soul, consider all the conditions necessary to have created this food. The four elements of fire (sun), water, Earth, and air; the genetic information in the plants (or animals), which I see as part of the Divine wisdom (chochmah).
• Then -- finally! -- place the food in your mouth. Before chewing and swallowing, experience the tactile sensations of the food on your tongue, the tastes, the feeling of the mouth watering.
• Then, bite into the food and chew, trying to omit any automatic movements. When chewing, know you are chewing.
• Swallow after the food has been thoroughly chewed, probably twenty or thirty times (don't bother counting; it's not a quiz).
• As your tongue cleans your mouth after this mindful bite of food, try to maintain the attentiveness that you've cultivated; don't let it be automatic.

Feeding the Community with Food that Would Have Gone to Waste

"We actually waste 40 percent of the food that we produce in our country.  Forty percent of the food that is grown or produced is never eaten by anyone... And there's a huge impact of all that food waste on the environment, it's a waste of natural resources. You think about the water that it took to grow that food, and the fuel it took to transport it.  There's a huge need to recover that  food.  And that is one of the big roles that Roadrunner plays... We're taking food that would have ended up in the landfills, would have ended up as an environmental burden, and getting it to people who can eat it.   -Melody Wattenbarger, President and CEO, Roadrunner Food Bank, Albuquerque (during panel discussion following screening of A Place at the Table)

The Campus Kitchens Project was born out of a need to address the problem of food waste while providing university (and some high school students) with a service project.  The project is currently in place at 33 schools around the country, and organizers would like to expand participation.

"We partner with high schools, colleges and universities to share on-campus kitchen space, recover food from cafeterias and engage students as volunteers who prepare and deliver meals to the community," said the Campus Kitchens Project.  "Student volunteers develop partnerships, plan menus, run cooking shifts, organize drivers, garden, glean and teach nutrition education to children and families. They keep track of all of the paperwork (so we know everything’s being done safely), organize fundraisers, develop curriculum and recruit new students to get involved. They accomplish an incredible amount of work every day."

So how can your campus participate? The first option is to participate in a webinar sponsored by Universities Fighting World Hunger  this coming Wednesday, July 31,  at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Register Here for the session.  (Add UFWH on Facebook: Universities Fighting World Hunger and Twitter: @ufwhdotorg for updates on The Campus Kitchens Project and more)

If you are unable to participate in teh UFWH webinar, contact The Campus Kitchens Project directly.  You can start by reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions and then filling out the Getting Started Form   

And check out this video with more information.

Oxfam Hunger Banquet @2013 IMPACT Conference

On Saturday, February 23, the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps and Oxfam America hosted a Hunger Banquet as part of the 2013 IMPACT Conference, held at the University of New Mexico Student Union Building. New Mexico FoodCorps was a cosponsor of the event.

The more than 100 participants--comprised of college students from all over the U.S.--were divided into three categories. The 15 percent in the high-income tier were served a sumptuous meal (pasta shells and salad) and sat at tables with nice tablecloths. The 35 percent in the middle-income section sat on chairs and a simple meal of rice and beans.  And the 50 percent in the low-income tier sat on the floor and helped themselves to small portions of rice and water.  Here is the full Hunger Banquet script from Oxfam.

There was very good discussion from all three groups.  But as one person from the lower-income group noted, all the students in the room came from a middle-class bacground, so it was difficult to really get the big picture.  I still feel privileged eating this rice because I didn't have to work for it.

One participant in the middle-income group noted that despite the protein from the beans, he group was not getting a well-rounded nutritious meal.  A meal of rice and beans still leaves people at the edge.  There were no fruits or vegetables.

And there was the expected reaction from the upper income group.  This is a very humiliating experience, said one person.  Another noted,  I tried giving some salad to one of my friends in the lower-income group, and she didn't feel right taking it.

The participants then heard from me on how to follow up on their experience, mainly through advocacy. I told them about Bread for the World and other groups engaged in advocacy.  One of my props, a t-shirt from ONE, was very popular.  It reads: Actions Speak Louder.

Here are more photographs from the event.

Lowest income group sits on the floor

Middle income sits on chairs

High income sits at table

Amelia Pedini from  New MexicoFoodCorps was co-moderator

Jasmine McBeath from NM Oxfam Action Corps was also an MC

Adam Casados from NM FoodCorps

Oxfam Hunger Banquet in Albuquerque Rescheduled to February 2

New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps has rescheduled its Hunger Banquet to Saturday, February 2. The event had originally been scheduled for Saturday, January 19.  

The time and place is still the same:
St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church 
425 University Boulevard NE
6:00-8:00 p.m.

(If you're interested in attending and want more information, contact nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com) 

New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps Invites you to a Hunger Banquet

Saturday, January 19 

St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church 
425 University Boulevard NE
6:00-8:00 p.m.

The Hunger Banquet can be very effective with groups of adults or children to simulate the imbalanced distribution of food in our world. Participants represent various countries around the globe and receive a meal that corresponds to that country’s economic status. 

At this interactive event, the place where you sit, and the meal that you eat, are determined by the luck of the draw-just as in real life some of us are born into relative prosperity and others into poverty.

(If you're interested in attending and want more information, contact nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com)  

The List Should Be "45 Things You Can Do to Help Fight Hunger"

Many of us like to put together lists.  It's fun to find a common thread in activities, subjects or places that have something in common.  (Anyone for the Top 10 Lamest Members of the Justice League,  the Top 10 Uses for Hot Peppers or the Top 25 Urban Legends?)

The culinary site, The Daily Meal, has created a list entitled 44 Things You Can Do to Help Fight Hunger in America.  The list is comprehensive, but is lacking one very important action: Speaking Out for those who are hungry.  There is no suggestion that we engage in advocacy, and this is a major oversight.   Really, we should change the list to 45 Things You Can Do to Help Fight Hunger.

I also want to suggest a modification for the number 1 suggestion, which is "Skip a Meal" an action proposed by the New York City-wide Skip Lunch Fight Hunger Initiative.  You're asked to bring a sack lunch one day a year (instead of going out for lunch), and then donating the proceeds to City Harvest in New York City (or the appropriate organization in your community).  A better suggestion, in my opinion, would be to skip lunch altogether (more than once a year) and then donate the proceeds.  The hunger pains would put you, even for a short period, in solidarity with someone who has to go without food.  That would be a true fast.

Still, there are many very good suggestions about various activities that a person could take.  Here is a  slide show

Here are three that apply directly to me:

29. Buy Fair Trade Stuff
The Hunger Site is an online activism website that sells fair trade items, including seasonal home décor, African products, and everyday goods, to benefit participating charities like Feeding America, Millennium Promise, and Mercy Corps. Proceeds are split between the organizations and go toward fighting hunger in more than 74 countries around the world.

20. Blog About Hunger
WhyHunger just launched a new partnership this year with a group of food bloggers committed to the fight against hunger. The program, called Bloggers Without Borders, supports organizations that work to address the injustices of our food system. The team uses their ability to raise awareness in the blogging community to help further the goals of food-related organizations. Read more about what part you can play here.

5. Take a Walk
Some 2,000 communities across the country participate in CROP Hunger Walks each year, raising funds for local hunger-fighting organizations and agencies, as well as international relief efforts. With more than 1,600 walks a year, there are plenty of chances to get involved and work toward their cause of "Ending Hunger One Step at a Time." Credit: CROPHungerWalks

Farming in the 505: Interviews with Merchants at the Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market

Today is Saturday.  And you know that that means. The Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market!
(There are still a few Saturdays to enjoy the market before closes on Nov. 3).  If you've been here, you probably know that this market at Robinson Park is a great place to buy local apples, eggplant,,  sweet corn, lemon cucumbers, yellow and red tomatoes, Padrón peppers, eggs, onions, garlic, honey, artisan chocolates, Brazilian limeade, almond croissants, breakfast burritos, and much more.

It's also a great place to meet up with friends and family. And the merchants enjoy being here. This great video from Marchuleta Productions, Farming in the 505, includes interviews with some of the area growers who sell their fruits and vegetables at the market.  The video was originally posted El Grito de Nuevo México

 

NY Times Food Columnist Mark BIttman: Let's Change the Food 'Non-System'

Mark Bittman

I think I've been given 1/2 hour and I'm going to use it...to talk about food safety and public health problems; land, water and air pollution; food shortages and spiraling food prices; tortured animals and chemical-laden food; antibiotic abuse and a antibiotic-resistant diseases; world hunger; local hunger; fertilzer runoff, phosphate shortages; species extinctions; global warming; chronic disease, spiraling health care costs...I probably could go a little bit longer.

All of these crises...can find at least part of their causes in our food non-system.

The time has come for governments and perhaps more important citizens to act to rationalize the system of food production...Our governments are largely and increasingly beholden to corporations. Because they rarely act unless they are pushed. They're often coming down on the wrong side of important issues. For example, we continue to subsidize industrial agriculture at a time when sustainable is not only needed to counter poverty and environmental destruction, but has demonstrated its effect. We're in the process in cutting funding to the FDA at a time when food safety issues are as important as they have ever been.

We're discussing cutting funding to the world's neediest at a time when we should be increasing it. When three out of seven people are malnourished, we could in fact argue that 50 percent of the human race isn't eating well enough. It's hard to say that there's a food system in need of fixing. It's more like bringing order to chaos. Don't get me wrong. We've unquestionably seen progress, as many of you know from your work.

But there are really two ways to approach the global problem of our food non-system. One is to say that we have to ramp up production to feed the world, and that's the argument that we hear so often. This is the common corporate and sadly governmental solution to every problem: produce more. Yet one could easily argue that producing more is what has gotten us into so much trouble, environmentally and even economomically. In fact, we produce too much...As many of you know we produce enough calories to feed everyone, and we're already in trouble.

And let's not blame coming generations for shortages. Poor people do not use a disproportionate amount of resources. Rich people do.

We need to produce based on need, rather than on potential sales. We need to produce intelligently, efficiently and fairly. We need to produce real food using sound agricultural methods.

And we need to get that food to real people.  We all know that our problem is not one of supply but of distribution.

But we also know that it's an issue of fairness, of justice, of responsibility.

The issue isn't economic, it's moral.

Excerpts from an address by New York Times food columnist and blogger Mark Bittman at a dinner hosted by Bread for the World and Ireland's anti-poverty organization Concern Worldwide on Monday, June 13.  The event was part of the 2011 National Gathering.

UNM School of Law Presents Jeremy Seifert's "Dive"

UNM School of Law, Envi­ron­men­tal Law Soci­ety & the Stu­dent Bar Asso­ci­a­tion Present ‘DIVE’ a film by Jeremy Seifert

Thurs­day, March 24 at 7 p.m. 

UNM School of Law, 1117 Stan­ford NE, room 2401.

Inspired by a curios­ity about our country’s habit of send­ing food to land­fills, the award-winning doc­u­men­tary fol­lows Seifert and friends as they dump­ster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage recep­ta­cles of Los Ange­les’ super­mar­kets. In the process, they sal­vage thou­sands of dol­lars worth of good, edi­ble food – result­ing in an inspir­ing doc­u­men­tary that is equal parts enter­tain­ment, guer­rilla jour­nal­ism and call to action.

A dis­cus­sion of the legal, moral and prac­ti­cal issues raised by the film fol­lows the screening.

For more infor­ma­tion, con­tact John Ver­heul or call (505) 231‑1665. 

Here is a clip from CompellerFilms

March 17: "Obey the Speed Limit Day" on the Lenten Carbon Fast Calendar

What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone asks you what are you commemorating today?  Many of us would say St. Patrick's Day.

But today, March 17, is also "Obey the Speed Limit Day" on the Lenten Carbon  Fast Calendar developed by the Conference Leaders of Religious Institutes (NSW)

Here is today's entry.

March 17:  Show reverence for life and for the Earth today by obeying the speed limit when driving. The faster you drive, the more gasoline you burn per mile. You also increase your risks of causing an accident, injuring yourself or others.

There are suggested actions for every day of the Lenten season, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  The calendar for 2011 is targeted to people who participated in the 2010 Lenten Carbon  Fast, but is also easy to use for those participating for the very first time.

There are some actions related to food and social justice.  Consider this entry.

March 14. Be aware of your food waste this week. Look for opportunities to avoid discarding food by planning well and eating leftovers.

March 19: Purchase more mindfully today. Seek out manufacturers who use organic and sustainable materials and who respect thei workersʼ rights.

April 2: Look to purchase locally grown food today. Grocery shop at your nearest farmerʼs market. Not only are you reducing CO2 emissions by buying local food, itʼs fresh and tastes great!

View the full Lenten Carbon Fast Calendar

A Summit in Santa Fe on Hunger, Sustainability and Organic Food

One World Everybody Eats.

That's a powerful statement and a powerful name for a non-profit organization/foundation.   The group has scheduled its 2011 summit for Santa Fe for January 15-17.  Before I tell you more about the summit, perhaps you would like to know more about the organization.

The One World Everybody Eats foundation is an outgrowth of One World Cafe in Salt Lake City, Utah. The concept began when owner Denise Cerreta in mid 2003 had an epiphany to serve organic food, let people choose their own portions and let them price those portions themselves. Since then, she's gained local, national and world-wide notoriety for her pay as you go prices, seasonal no menu organic cuisine, living wages, minimal food waste and healthy meals that are within everyone's reach,  Read More

Here is their vision statement:

• We are dedicated to eliminating world hunger.
• We are dedicated to serving local,organic, unprocessed food.
• We are dedicated to feeding and including all members of our community.
• We are dedicated to eliminating waste in the food industry.
• We believe that we can trust our customers to be inspired, honest and fair in their exchange of money and/or time for the fresh, local, organic food we prepare both mindfully and in a heartfelt way each day.
• We will keep believing ...

The Conference
Our friend Mark Winne, Santa Fe anti-hunger activist and author of Closing the Food Gap and Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners and Smart Cookin' Mamas, will be a featured speaker for the Sunday session at 11:00 to Noon. In fact, the main portion of the conference, which will be held at La Fonda Hotel, is on that Sunday.  You can attend Mark's talk free of charge. 

The Saturday night session on 'Breath for Peace' and meditation by David Hirtz is also open to the public.

If you are interested in opening a community kitchen or in The One World Everybody Eats movement, you can register for the conference by dropping an e-mail message to Denise Cerreta, denisecerreta45@yahoo.com or community@oneworldeverybodyeats.org

For full schedule, click here to go to home page and then on Summit 2011 on the upper left-hand corner and then (scroll down)

Discover the Relationship between Food and Spirituality

The Center for Action and Contemplation invites you to a class on Mindful Eating.  Explore the relationship between food and spirituality and discover a variety of practices for eating more sustainably, as well as the barriers we face in doing so. 

The class will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Mennonite Church, 1300 Girard Ave. NE (between Indian School Rd. and Lomas)  Suggested Donation $10 

Call (505) 242-9588 ext. 134 or e-mail pswanson@cacradicalgrace.org to reserve a spot.