Post-SYFAS 2010: Building the Southern Network February 8, 2010

Hey, friends!

A huge thank-you to all of the brave SYFAS-goers that traveled through all sorts of weather to attend the conference.  We were so lucky to be surrounded by over a hundred activists from across the Southern states (and a few Mid-Atlantic-ers).

For those that were unable to attend the conference, we will be sharing as much media as possible.  The keynote, as well as photos from throughout the conference and several presentations should be shared.  Photos will be available to view as they come from our volunteer photographers on our Flickr.

The conference was a success, especially in the sense that we will always be working to make it better and more inclusive.  We have a lot of feedback to sort through, and we always welcome more.  We had a wonderful time but we also know that we can always improve!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and we move forward into a Real Food South!  If you have any organizations, suggestions, feel free to share.  We’re building this together and I can’t wait to see what happens.

-Elena

Meet our amazing keynote for SYFAS 2010– Anna Lappé January 13, 2010

On Friday night at the Southeast Youth Food Activist Summit of 2010, we are proud to say that the Small Planet Institute’s Anna Lappé will serve as our keynote speaker.  Anna’s work spans across social justice, environmental issues, food politics, globalization, and so much more.

She’s kind of a big deal–and we’re so lucky to have her.

Anna is a renowned author with inspiring and engaging works like Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet, Diet for a Hot Planet, was a contributing author for Food, Inc., and much more.  She’s behind Take a Bite Out of Climate Change, has been featured in the New York Times, Oprah’s O Magazine, FoxNews, Vibe Magazine, NPR’s Dine Rehm Show, has spoken at dozens of universities…and did I mention she’s coming to SYFAS?

I hope you’re as excited as we are to see her–register now for SYFAS at http://syfas.org and guarantee your spot!

See you in Chapel Hill!

REGISTRATION OPEN for SYFAS 2010! December 30, 2009

Mark your calendars!  FEBRUARY 5-7, 2010, the Real Food Challenge and students like you from across the South are coming together for a convergence!

February 5-7th 2010 the Real Food Challenge (http://realfoodchallenge.org) will be hosting the second annual Southeast Youth Food Activist Summit (SYFAS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  SYFAS will bring together over a hundred and fifty young activists and students from Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas.  Through the conference, youth will learn about sustainable food issues, engage students in activist trainings, and build a movement toward a just and sustainable food system.  Students and young people will come together for educational seminars, professional panel discussions, peer networking, activist workshops, and community dinners. Activities including a community garden caucus, organizing with farm workers, learning about art as an activist tool, and how to start a Real Food campaign on campus.  SYFAS 2010 will emphasize several themes integral to the youth food movement including youth empowerment, equal access to Real Food, and social justice issues relating to food production.  Through SYFAS, The Real Food Challenge hopes to grow the youth movement for Real Food and cultivate responsible and sustainable eating and dining practices in colleges, universities, and high schools across the Southeast.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR SYFAS 2010!

Check back here to the SYFAS Website for updates and details!

ArtFOOD in Blacksburg to Raise Money for Real Food Challenge; Calling for Submissions November 14, 2009

ArtFOOD to be held in Blacksburg, Virginia this January.

Project Winterfood: Art for winter foods in Richmond, Virginia November 5, 2009

It’s getting cold.  And there’s still good food around!  Who cares?  Project Winterfood.

From our friendly neighbors:

Project Winterfood is a visual exploration of the spinach, apple, and sweet potato to heighten awareness of local foods that are in season and available during the winter in Virginia; to promote the practicality and benefits of local food; and to reach out to all types of people in the Richmond community to share and preserve the culture of food.

We are looking for artists to donate work for an exhibition at 1509 W. Main, and Gallery 5 to help raise funds to support local non-profits. Entries may be in any medium—print, painting, sculpture, animation, video, sound, fashion, photo, etc—as long as it features the spinach, apple, or sweet potato.

Entries accepted through November 24. Entries may be dropped off in the drop-box in Pollak room 332 (Graphic Design office), located at 325 N. Harrison St. on the VCU Monroe Park Campus. Please include your name, contact information, title of piece, and a 75-word artist’s statement (optional).

If you do not live in the Richmond area and are unable to drop off your work, but would like to contribute, please contact us at info@winterfood.org. Likewise, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.winterfood.org.

Mark your calendars!
Wednesday December 2, 2009. 7-10 PM
1509 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23220

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The theme of the event is three specific types of seasonal winter produce:
I. Sweet potatoes
II. Apples
III. Spinach

 

At the event there will be a fascinating exhibit of local artwork based on these three foods. All artwork will be for sale, and proceeds will go to benefit non-profit partners who are working to make a positive difference in our community!

At the event you will also find…
→ sample & tasting booths with recipes using the three themed ingredients
→ community partners to answer questions & share stories
→ music, entertainment, and more!

Artwork will also be displayed and on sale at Gallery 5 from December 4th-31st.

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E-mail us for more information: info@winterfood.org

 

Views from the University of Central Florida’s Garden October 29, 2009

“Feast” your eyes on this, courtesy of Lisa from UCF.

Go to our Flickr for more (link on the bottom of the right sidebar) and here.

Florida PowerShift 2009 October 27, 2009

This past weekend, this Virginia girl “braved” the 85+ degree weather (in late October!) to join hundreds of young people convening in Orlando, Florida on the University of Central Florida’s campus over environmental issues and climate change.  The conference was PowerShift but on by the Energy Action Coalition–you may remember the national installments in 2007 (at University of Maryland), and 2009 (Washington, DC) (We even had one on my very own campus at Virginia Tech in 2008; there have been several other past regional ones as well).  This year, PowerShift was all about regional summits.  In the South, we had them in Appalachia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Florida.

My weekend was packed with good food and good people.  I gave three presentations, all centered around food (how to eat “real” on a college budget, how to get “real” food in your dining halls, and educational and activist strategies to get students caring about food on campus).

I met a lot of great people and was graced with a tour of University of Central Florida’s expansive (and delicious, occasionally spicy) organic community garden.  There are tons of new photos on the Flickr, check it out (link on the right sidebar).

We started a lot of great conversations around food, and Florida students voiced their opinions, fears, concerns, and hope for university food in the Sunshine State.  With cases of modern-day slavery, students in Florida are in tune with human justice issues.  With diversity and an incredible growing seasons, Florida youth are aware of thier potential.

On behalf of Real Food Challenge, we are excited to work with you to get real food on campus and begin your just food legacy.

Joel Salatin to Speak at Radford University Monday, October 19 October 14, 2009

Joel Salatin, farmer featured in the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan will be speaking in Heth 014 at Radford University in Radford, Virginia on Monday, October 19th at 7pm.

CFSC Conference: Networking our way to a Real Food South October 12, 2009

Where I am spending my weekend: Iowa.

Iowa?  That’s not in the South.  Not even close.  But I spend my time in Des Moines Saturday, Sunday, and Monday networking with people from across the United States (and even world) concerned with food security.  And it came up again and again: students are a key part of the equation to bring about change in our food system.  We want it clean, we want it fair.  We want it real.  It’s time to show our university, our community, our country that this is what we want.

Since campus is your community, campus is the place to start.

Contact us today.  We’ll help you out however we can.

Love,

-Elena “still in Iowa stealing ideas for the South” Dulys

College Sustainability Report Card – How Food Measures up October 7, 2009

via David Schwartz, central organizer for RFC –

“

COLLEGE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT CARD
http://www.greenreportcard.org

* More than four in five schools buy food from local sources. An impressive 83 percent of the schools devote at least a portion of their food budgets to buying from local farms and/or producers.

* Nearly two-thirds of the schools have a community garden or farm on campus. Campus community gardens and farms are maintained by 61 percent of the schools.

* Approximately nine in ten schools offer fair trade coffee and other food items. Fair trade coffee and other fair trade food items are available at 91 percent of the schools.

* Over half of the schools compost food waste. Pre- and postconsumer food waste composting programs exist at 55 percent of the schools.

* Schools are offering food to match different dietary needs and preferences. Vegan options are offered on a daily basis at 83 percent of the schools.

* Two-thirds of the schools have instituted trayless dining programs. Sixty-seven percent of the schools have reduced their energy and food waste by eliminating trays in their dining facilities.

* The average grade for the Food & Recycling category is “B.” For a summary of grade distribution for this category, please refer to the chart on the right.

“