Guess when the official FOOD DAY is coming? Oops, it's TODAY!!

[Guest guest]

Here's what's going on, sorry about the short notice!

Celebrate local food during Food Day Oct. 24

Minneapolis events encourage folks to eat and cook more fresh fruits, vegetables

and healthy whole grains, support local farms

Oct. 21, 2011 (MINNEAPOLIS) On Oct. 24, folks in Minneapolis and across the

country will gather at Food Day events to both learn about and advocate for

local food. Food Day is an opportunity to get Americans cooking healthy,

delicious meals for their families again and encourage people to eat more fresh

fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains—and support the local farms that

produce them. The City of Minneapolis' Department of Health and Family Support

(MDHFS) is sponsoring numerous Food Day events throughout the City.

Corner Store events

As part of its efforts to promote and expand the Minneapolis Healthy Corner

Store Program, the City is working with four current partner stores to promote

Food Day. Activities will include sales on fresh produce and distribution of

mini tote bags to the first 200 customers at each store. For more information,

please contact Aliyah Ali at (612) 673-3861.

Shabelle Grocery

2325 E. lin Ave.

Lowry Food Market

2325 E. lin Ave.

Neighborhood Grocery

814 E. lin Ave.

Onestop Gas Station

1604 W. Broadway Ave.

Food Day Forums at Minneapolis charter schools

Minnesota Internship Centers (MIC) will host viewings of the films " Supersize

Me " and " Food Inc. " to students at all four sites. Students will participate in

a discussion about the films and how food impacts health. They will also take

the opportunity to talk about school lunch and menus with staff. Each school

will have a local food lunch on Friday, Oct. 28.

" Supersize Me "

Unity

2507 Freemont Ave. N.

11:15 a.m.

U-Tec

1313 5th St. SE.

12:15 p.m.

Sabathani

310 E. 38th St.

1 p.m.

" Food Inc. "

East site

300 Industrial Boulevard NE.

Noon

Augsburg Fairview Academy, at 2504 Columbus Ave. S., will incorporate healthy

cooking and taste testing into all health classes during Food Day. They will use

the opportunity to discuss nutrition, healthy local foods and their school meals

and menus. All health classes will be participating in healthy cooking

demonstrations throughout the day. Contact Reuben Meillier at (612)

673-2672 for more information about these school projects.

Valuing Our Individual Cultures through Engagement (VOICE) event

Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 34th and Park Avenue, 5:30 p.m.

Members of the African American Community, including VOICE participants, and

United Methodist church members, will gather to discuss:

· Re-education on food and culture

· Organizing grocery store out-reach, re-educate about food choices and

healthy options

· Organizing more intergenerational cooking classes

· Promoting local church-based community gardens and farmers markets for

the black community

A food demonstration will be conducted and organic produce will be donated by

Sisters of Camelot so participants can try the food demonstration recipes at

home. KMOJ radio host Clarence will broadcast his Community Health

Dialogue program live at the event from 6:30-7 p.m. Contact Sarabia at

(612) 673-3863 for more information.

Making it Better and Homegrown Minneapolis Displays at U of MN Food Expo,

Coffman Memorial Union, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Making it Better seeks to bring people together through stories of Minneapolis

residents who are working to make their communities healthier by increasing

access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities. During the month of

October, those that are making changes in their community, schools and worksites

are asked to submit their story of how they are making it better for a chance to

win prizes and potentially be featured in a new Making it Better advertisement

debuting in January 2012. Stories will be collected at the MIB Display at the

Food Expo. Homegrown Minneapolis is a citywide initiative expanding our

community's ability to grow, process, distribute, eat and compost more healthy,

sustainable, locally grown foods and will also be featured at the Expo. Contact

Klingler at (612) 673-2910 for more information.

Local Food Resource Hubs

The Local Food Resource Hubs Network is holding its first annual fall gathering

of approximately 600 members on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the University Research and

Outreach Center 2001 Plymouth Ave. N. at 5:30 p.m.

The Local Food Resource Hubs Network is designed to improve residents' access to

the seeds, tools, education and connections needed to grow food successfully.

The project is increasing residents' food growing, preparation and preservation

competencies, improving health through increased access to fresh fruits and

vegetables and more physical activity, improving the environment through

increased composting of organic waste and decreased food miles traveled and

improving community connectedness. It is a community and economic development

strategy that uniquely benefits the health of people in Minneapolis by

increasing overall access to healthier, sustainable, and locally grown food.

The Local Food Resource Hubs Network is a collaboration between the City of

Minneapolis, Gardening Matters, other organizations and residents. This project

is funded by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support (MDHFS)

through Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) to reduce obesity by

supporting healthy eating and physical activity strategies in Minneapolis. For

more information, please contact June Mathiowetz at (612) 673-2027.