Over 50 college campuses so far are participating in Food Day scheduled for October 24. Students across America are already dreaming big about how they will transform campus food and brainstorming ways to get Mark Bittman to cook their entire campus a 5 course meal. Here at the RFC, we are excited to see so much enthusiasm and participation after just a few short weeks, but we can't help but ask: what about the other hundreds of college campuses? There must be tons of students dying to see local food in their dining halls so what's stopping them from signing up?
In case you are part of that group wondering if it is worth your valuable time and a good use of your refined organizing skills check out this list of reasons why your campus should be involved in Food Day:
1. You've had enough of rotten veggies in the salad bar and Mystery Meat Mondays.
The word is out. Real Food Challenge co-founders David Schwartz and Anim Steel have been awarded a the highly competitive Echoing Green Fellowship--a seed fund for emerging social entrepreneurs.
This award is yet another testament to the growth of our movement and a wholesale endorsement of the RFC's innovative strategy--training the next generation of real food leaders while creating a major market shift in university food spending, $1 billion in 10 years.
With a background in economic development, Anim saw food and agriculture as a way to make a difference in both the US and Ghana, where he was born. David grew up in inner-city Boston where he witnessed great disparities in rates of diabetes, obesity, and access to healthy food. The pair met at The Food Project (also 1992 Echoing Green funded organization), a nationally recognized program that empowers youth through sustainable agriculture. Together with Tim Galarneau, Amie Frish, Rowan Dunlap, they brought together the team that created the Real Food Challenge.
Only with the incredible leadership of hundreds of student leaders across the country, and the generous support of our funding partners is this vision becoming a reality.Together we are changing the food industry and building a truly healthy, fair and green food future.
