Monday June 9: Cook, Eat & Talk,
6 – 9 p.m., Sherman St. Church,
1000 Sherman St. SE.
Our Kitchen Table’s Cooking Coach, Toni Scott, has been cooking up a healthy storm throughout the community. Don’t miss your chance this month to learn more about cooking healthy, easy and inexpensively for your family. This month’s menu includes Purple Cabbage Salad and Carrot Juice.Toni is leading a fun cooking demo, tasty sampling and a chat about eating and living healthy.
Great Lakes Green Chemistry Network Michigan Green Chemistry Clearinghouse
3 p.m. EDT MONDAY, JUNE 9 2014
Who’s in Danger? Race, Poverty, and Chemical Disasters: The case for Green Chemistry and Environmental Justice
Featuring MICHELE ROBERTS, Environmental Justice and Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, & RICHARD MOORE, Los Jardines Institute
More than 134 million Americans live in the danger zones around 3,433 facilities in several common industries that store or use highly hazardous chemicals.The people who live in these chemical facility vulnerability zones are disproportionately Black (African American) or Latino. The U.S. experiences several serious toxic chemical releases every week, including the August, 2012 explosion at the Chevron refinery in Richmond, CA that sent 15,000 people to hospitals seeking treatment, and the April,2013 fertilizer storage facility explosion in West, TX that killed 15 people and leveled an entire neighborhood.
In a typical year, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board screens more than 250 high consequence chemical incidents involving death, injury, evacuation, or serious environmental or property damage—and these are only the very worst incidents. It’s time to implement the most effective strategies that reduce and eliminate avoidable chemical hazards whenever possible, and adopt a comprehensive set of policies to protect workers and communities.
Communities that already bear the brunt of industrial pollution will also bear the greatest harm from a chemical disaster—making chemical safety and security a central environmental justice issue of our time.
Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/899925249
Grand Rapids Urban Forest Project Workshop
MONDAY|JUNE 9, 2014|6:30 AM–9:00 PM
This class is free for Friends’ members. You can become a Friend for a minimum donation of $5 at the event.
Space may be limited. Please RSVP to Lee Mueller at 616 389 4687 or LEE.MUELLER@FRIENDSOFGRPARKS.ORG
The event will be held on June 9th from 6:30-9p at City of Grand Rapids Commission Chambers, 9th floor of City Hall.
On Tuesday evening, OKT cooking coach, Toni Scott, led a cooking demo for the Southgate Block Club at Grace Church, 100 Buckley SE. In addition to teaching the very engaged audience how to prepare vegan braised greens and grits, Toni enlightened folks about food justice, the harmful nature of foods containing GMOs and the OKT food growing program. She also shared her personal journey of addressing the symptoms of MS (multiple sclerosis) through healthy nutrition.
Though located just outside of Hastings in Barry County, Sandhill CSA farm is delivering shares to the Grand Rapids area beginning June 13. For $300, shareholders receive a healthy portion of organic produce every week through the end of October—and shares are still available. Farmers, Scot Miller, Jenn Seif, and Ron Irvine, also offer meat and poultry shares for an additional cost. A Seeds of Justice “sowing group,” Sand Hill CSA serves as working group of Grand Rapids’ Institute for Global Education (IGE).
Like most CSA (community supported agriculture) farms, Sand Hill uses the proceeds from shares bought in the spring to cover the costs of growing. CSA shareholders get more than good food, they become educated about healthy eating habits and become part of a more sustainable food system.
Snowy was born on Sandhill CSA early spring.
Unlike other CSAs in the area, Sandhill has a specific focus on food justice. Ten percent of their produce is given away to families with income challenges. Their long-range goals include being able to provide free food shares to these and other people in Barry County who have limited access to healthy foods. Also, the farm hopes to be able to mentor micro-farm start-ups throughout Barry County.
For information or to purchase a 2014 share, contact Farmer Scot at sandhillcsa@gmail.com or (269) 792-9183.
Last night’s 2nd Women of Color Convening laid the foundation for important dialogue about food justice. The community members present shared their keen insights into the current food system’s role in denying people of color equal access to healthy foods, hence, promoting under-nutrition and disease in their communities. Facilitator, Lila Cabbil, president emeritus, Rosa Parks Institute, guided the dialogue. These kinds of conversations are evidence that change is not merely coming, it is already here.
” I really enjoyed the OKT’s Women of Color /Food Justice event last night. I am excited about all that I learned and I’m anxious to attend more events. I am still sharing the information I learned.” Gloria, attendee
Take four minutes to look at some good food news from around the state.
Photographer Matthew Fowler recently shared these photos he took at OKT’s April 23 Women of Color Convening. Thank you, Matthew, for documenting this fantastic evening with Bryant Terry, Lila Cabbil and more than 100 community members! The Second Women of Color Convening takes place this Thursday, May 29, from 6 – 9 p.m. at Madison Square Church Community Room, 1441 Madison SE, Grand Rapids 49507. Don’t miss out!
Lila Cabbil engaging the audience at the first Women of Color Convening, April 23.
Our Kitchen Table
invites you to the
2nd Women of Color
Convening
6 – 9 p.m.,
Thursday, May 29,
Madison Square Church
Community Room
1441 SE Madison Avenue,
Grand Rapids, MI 49507.
Cooking demo and dialogue on food justice facilitated by Lila Cabbil, president emeritus of the Rosa Parks Institute .
WAIT! Does that say “VEGAN”? I’m not vegan! No worries! Good cooking and good eating involve many different preparation methods! With diet-related diseases increasing in our communities, vegetarian and vegan options–even some of the time–can help us make meals healthier for ourselves and our families.
Limited seating. RSVP to events@oktjustice.org or 616-206-3641. We look forward to cooking with you!
Our Kitchen Table 