To cut back on the amount of email sent to our valued constituents, Our Kitchen Table is now sending a monthly e-newsletter instead of a weekly email blast. The December issue went out today. If you did not receive it, the content is posted below. If you’d like to be added to our email list in order to learn about our upcoming, free events and the work we are doing in Grand Rapids, contact us today!

OKT cooking coaches share healthy eating strategies 

OKT cooking coaches, Toni Scott, Alynn Guerra, Marcia Carothers and Isis Love have been staying very busy sharing healthy eating strategies not only with OKT constituents but also parents and students at various Grand Rapids Public School’s buildings, residents of Liz’s House and patrons of Molina Healthcare, Family Network Pantry and Gilda’s House. Ms. Guerra holds her sessions for Spanish-speaking groups.

Each Cook, Eat and Talk event demonstrates how to prepare an easy, affordable, nutritious, in-season menu option. While participants enjoy tasty samples, the cooking coaches take them through a four-page lesson journal, in Spanish and English, that inspires dialogue on making healthier food choices and introduces food justice principles.

All of our cooking coaches are food gardeners, as well. Toni grew up gardening and grows her own food as part of a healthy eating plan that helps her deal with MS. She spends a lot of time cooking healthy alternatives for her family, neighbors and congregation. Marcia and Isis are both dedicated vegans and bring a vegetarian flair to the dishes they share. Alynn is a print-maker by trade. Much of the work she creates at her Red Hydrant Pressstudio addresses food justice, environmental justice and other justice issues.

Food justice series continues Dec. 12 & 19

A dozen or so community members have come out for the first two sessions of OKT’s food justice series, The Food Justice Movement: Moving Forward. The group, which includes OKT constituents, people from the Grand Rapids Food Co-op Initiative, Access of West Michigan and Calvin College has enjoyed great conversations. We are excited to see these folks delving into the issues of food justice and looking for ways to incorporate it into their work and lives.

Please join us for weeks three and four of this free series, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday Dec. 12 and 19  at Garfield Park Lodge, 334 Burton St. SE 49507. The first two sessions covered food justice definitions and how the current food system came to be. Session three will address, Why food justice is about overcoming racism, sexism consumerism and other “-isms.” Session four’s dialogue will encompass What the Food Justice Movement is doing to create a better world and defining our part in it, here in Grand Rapids.

Reading material for the class will include the book Our Food, Our Right and the OKT Food Justice Series. You can view the PowerPoints and handouts from sessions one and two on OKT’s website. Please email OKTable1@gmail.com to let us know you are coming!

Place your bulk whole foods order by Dec. 9

Bridge Cards are accepted for your food order!

The Southeast Area Farmers’ Market offers monthly opportunity to purchase bulk whole foods, e.g. dry beans, whole grain flours, nuts and seeds, pasta, rice and more. Items are ordered from Country Life Natural Foods, a supplier to Michigan food co-ops.   View the entire PDF Catalog here. If you’d like to place an order, email it to Christina Flier,  SEAFM@OKTjustice.org by Dec. 9. Pay at the pick-up, Dec 21 at Garfield Park Lodge, 334 Burton St. SE 49507.