Think of the last time you saw something that pissed you off enough to do something amazing about it. Maybe it was a long grocery line or a bumper sticker for the Tea Party, or maybe it takes a humanitarian crisis like Haiti to really get your adrenaline going.
For me, it was orange chicken.
A year ago, I found out that UC Berkeley's first national fast food chain, a Panda Express, was slated to open its doors adjacent to the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement. Like Slow Food in reaction to a McDonald's next to the Spanish Steps in Rome, we rose to the occasion.
For most participants, the Northwest Real Food Youth Convergence really started during the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 12, when folks set out on the long trek to Missoula, Montana. Some carpooled from as far away as Seattle or Boulder, or from Portland via school bus. We took advantage of travel time wisely: homework, napping, making new friends, and of course, dance parties.
At right: Despite long distances traveled, the convergence brought together a super motivated group, shown here doing a rowdy closing circle: “Now step towards the center with a big Yee-haw!” “YEEEEEHAAAWWWWW!!!!”
As newcomers arrived the University Center at the University of Montana Friday evening, waves of energy came over the registration table as people approached and left donning their fanciful nametags. We kicked off Friday night with a comfortable, delicious meal of potpie and roasted vegetables, followed by some fast paced mixers where everyone bounced around providing goofy facts.
Saturday morning started bright and early: we awoke from our church slumber party to bumble towards the fresh brewed coffee smells in the UM University Commons. After breakfast, the group woke up and broke up to fill the abundant array of workshops, including "What is it and how are they run: Co-ops 101," "A Chicken on a Tractor? Exploring the problems, purpose, and practices of the Whitman College Organic Garden and its Chicken Tractor Project," and "Organizing a Real Food Campaign." During time between workshop sessions, students networked, shared ideas and laughed. There was no shortage of fun or energy throughout the day!
On February 12-14, over 200 students from 35 campuses gathered in Santa Cruz, California, for the third annual Strengthening the Roots: Food and Justice Convergence. The convergence brought together a diverse group of students – from aspiring farmers to animal rights activists to campus dining employees – who were committed to creating a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. This event empowered high school and college students to actively engage in their campuses and local communities by providing them with leadership skills, successful models and case studies, and a broader network of activists and allies.
The Real Food Challenge, in cooperation with the Bioneers Youth Initiative and Just Us for Food Justice, will be leading a food and farming focus track for young people at the 2009 Bioneers Conference. This is going to be an awesome opportunity for Real Food representatives to work and network with other young leaders in the food justice and sustainability movement from around the country. The program will take place from October 15th through the 19th. For more information regarding the Bioneers Conference and the Youth Program go to the Bioneers website (http://www.bioneers.org/).
Partial scholarships and free housing are available for all who attend this event- however, space is limited to 10 people! You’ll only have to pay $65 for registration plus travel to the event!
If you have any further questions please email Anand Parikshak (pariksha@reed.edu) or Alli Reed (alli.a.reed@gmail.com) and they'll get back to you asap!
On August 13-16, over thirty students from five different states gathered in Santa Cruz, California, for the Real Food Challenge West Coast Leadership Training. During this training, students discussed issues around sustainable agriculture and social justice, enhanced their leadership skills, and made new friends and allies. Most importantly, these students developed plans to revolutionize their campus food systems by launching real food campaigns this fall.
The training participants spent four days learning, cooking, eating, and dancing together in the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, the first organic grange in the country. The participants represented a diverse range of experiences – from student government officers to organic farmers to farmworkers’ rights advocates – and they shared their skills and knowledge in order to build the national student movement for real food.
In the picture: Takashi Yogi, the rental manager of the Live Oak Grange, describes the history of the Grange and their programs to support family farming and sustainable agriculture.
From July 11th-14th, a group of students gathered in Ames, Iowa, for several days of powerful workshops and discussion at the Real Food Challenge’s Midwest Leadership Retreat. The training brought together students from Portland, OR to Jacksonville, FL (and plenty from the heartland!) to learn and share skills for launching real food campaigns on their campuses this fall.
For four days the team camped out in a Unitarian Church, cooking, eating, learning, and sleeping together. For some it was their first introduction to the Real Food Challenge, while others brought more experience organizing for real food to the table.
The group got deep early with a workshop about confronting oppression and generating power for positive change, themes that continued and propelled discussion through the weekend. Together they examined what it meant to organize.
The group also took two trips. The first was to Onion Creek Farm, where farmer Joe Lynch was happy to see a hardy group of volunteers pulling weeds and clearing fields after a week of near non-stop rain. The second trip was to Marshalltown, IA, where the students visited a meatpacking plant (shown right), the site of 2007 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. There the group heard testimony from former employees about the inhumane work conditions and the resulting health problems in their community. Former workers Rosa, Benny, and Ramona, and local activist and researcher Diego, pictured, gave the students a chilling litany of abuses committed by the company as well as their fight to get these abuses recognized and redressed. Despite an increasingly tense environment for immigrants, a recent victory saw more OSHA oversight and accountability for Swift managers.
The Marshalltown crew also took the Real Food Challenge group on a tour of their latest project--C.O.M.I.D.A.--a new program at the local community college to provide residents a bilingual certificate class in sustainable agriculture. Graduates, many of whom are immigrants with rich agricultural backgrounds, are rented subsidized plots to grow food for market, with the end goal of becoming independent growers themselves. In the photo: Real Challenge students listen to Ramona Lopez (center) explain her vegetable garden.
This summer, the Real Food Challenge invites all young activists concerned with agriculture, nutrition, social justice, climate change, sustainability, and the health of our communities and economy - to join us at a Real Food Student Leadership Training. Former participants will tell you that this is an incredible opportunity to get recharged with amazing new skills, friends, and resources--everything you need to make real change in your community.
This summer, close to 100 students from all parts of the country will attend one of three RFC Leadership Trainings. Equipped with new skills and connections, we will be at the forefront of a vibrant and diverse national youth movement, getting real about organizing for real food.
Get to know other youth who are passionate about real food and learn how to think more strategically about your campaigns on campus. At the Real Food Midwest Training you will:
Connect to a national student movement and develop your potential to be a leader
Create a plan for your school to take the Real Food Challenge, directing more dining dollars toward real food
Build essential organizing skills
Develop relationships with other youth who are doing similar work
Join Students for Sustainable Agriculture in celebrating...
Keepin it REAL FOOD Week! May 26th-29th, 2009
Working together towards educating the campus community in a more socially just and ecologically balanced approach to our food system.
Dine with Dignity Campaign -Movie Screening Tuesday, May 26th - 5:45-7:00pm Immokalee: From Slavery to Freedom Live conversation with a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) UC Davis Coffee House - Southwest Dining Room Free popcorn from the Student Farm…
Take the REAL FOOD taste test! Wednesday, May 27th - 11am-1pm UC Davis Coffee House – outside of the hot food area
Take action this fall for Real Food Now! Join thousands of students on hundreds of campuses across the country—including student farmers, fair trade and farmworker rights advocates, local food champions, and climate change activists—as we act for a more just and sustainable food system. Students—from Hawaii to New Hampshire—will organize protest potlucks, community teach-ins, and real food roundtables to highlight the need for real change in campus food.
For most participants, the Northwest Real Food Youth Convergence really started during the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 12, when folks set out on the long trek to Missoula, Montana. Some carpooled from as far away as Seattle or Boulder, or from Portland via school bus. We took advantage of travel time wisely: homework, napping, making new friends, and of course, dance parties.
On February 12-14, over 200 students from 35 campuses gathered in Santa Cruz, California, for the third annual Strengthening the Roots: Food and Justice Convergence. The convergence brought together a diverse group of students – from aspiring farmers to animal rights activists to campus dining employees – who were committed to creating a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. This event empowered high school and college students to actively engage in their campuses and local communities by providing them with leadership skills, successful models and case studies, and a broader network of activists and allies.
The training participants spent four days learning, cooking, eating, and dancing together in the 
The group also took two trips. The first was to Onion Creek Farm, where farmer Joe Lynch was happy to see a hardy group of volunteers pulling weeds and clearing fields after a week of near non-stop rain. The second trip was to Marshalltown, IA, where the students visited a meatpacking plant (shown right), the site of 2007 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. There the group heard testimony from former employees about the inhumane work conditions and the resulting health problems in their community. Former workers Rosa, Benny, and Ramona, and local activist and researcher Diego, pictured, gave the students a chilling litany of abuses committed by the company as well as their fight to get these abuses recognized and redressed. Despite an increasingly tense environment for immigrants, a recent victory saw more OSHA oversight and accountability for Swift managers. 
The Marshalltown crew also took the Real Food Challenge group on a tour of their latest project--C.O.M.I.D.A.--a new program at the local community college to provide residents a bilingual certificate class in sustainable agriculture. Graduates, many of whom are immigrants with rich agricultural backgrounds, are rented subsidized plots to grow food for market, with the end goal of becoming independent growers themselves. 
