June 2014 Health


The Rise of the ‘Good Food’ Movement


BY KHALIL ABDULLAH DETROIT – About two years ago,


the W.K. Kellogg Foundation made a gutsy call to convene its 2014 food and nutrition conference in Detroit. Even then, declining


economic fortunes


and subsequent social disruptions dominated most of the narratives about the city’s future.


Yet, the wisdom of selecting the


Motor City as the host site for this May’s Harvesting Change Food and Community


Gathering


out last week as more than 650 food advocates from Hawaii,


was borne Alaska,


and the lower 48 gathered to share knowledge and information about the “good food” movement.


“I’m a give you compost the only way a poet and emcee can give it to you,” boasted Detroit-born spoken-word artist Kidiri Sennefer, one of conference’s first speakers. He then launched into a rap that examined the politics of America’s eating habits, fast-food


addictions and corporate


food-systems dominance. Sennefer’s day job is compost


manger of D-Town Farm, ensuring enriched soil for the vegetables and fruits grown on the now seven-acre enterprise inside Rouge Park, Detroit’s largest public park.


The farm is a project of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, a grassroots organization. Its mission is to improve the nutritional


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


The Hampton Roads Messenger 7


Sovereignty the Main Course at Good Food Movement Conference


and dietary options for city residents through good food.


Conference attendees ranged


from farmers and farm workers to urban gardeners, restaurant workers, policy analysts, and nutritionists.


Betti Wiggins of the Detroit Public


Schools Office of School Nutrition said her office has received great support, some through the network of relationships past conferences afforded her. She said the city is attaining its goals of bringing healthier foods to


school children, particularly through its lunch program.


“I’m proud to say we’re a big fat success,” she exclaimed, noting that Detroit’s lunches now exceed USDA standards and the school system’s progress and achievements have been nationally recognized by good food advocates, including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Wiggins encouraged attendees to also visit “our 77 school gardens, our two-acre farm” which contribute to the school system’s


aggregate of locally grown food. She said her office has plans to add another 30 acres at a high school as a resource.


Importantly, Wiggins pointed out, the school system, at 22 percent, has exceeded its goal of drawing 20 percent of its food from farms and gardens in and around Detroit and that benchmark will continue to be raised. In addition, 16 new permanent staff positions have been added as a result, a glimpse of the potential of how sourcing locally grown and GOOD FOOD PAGE 11


primary care close to home & health insurance enrollment


Our Mission Southeastern Virginia Health System, (SEVHS) provides high quality, comprehensive, affordable


health care and wellness services to all.


Operating for over 35 years, the Southeastern Virginia Health System (formerly PICH) is the premier community based health care initiative in Hampton roads for the insured, uninsured and under insured.


Now Accepting New Patients


East End Physicians 1033 28th Street


Newport News // 757.952.2160


48th Street Physicians 4714 Marshall Avenue


Newport News // 757.380.8709


Stoneybrook Physicians 15425-H Warwick Boulevard Newport News // 757.874.8400


Victoria Boulevard Physicians 3130 Victoria Boulevard Hampton // 757.952.0180


Main Street Physicians 157 N. Main Street, Suite A Suffolk // 757.925.1866


Town Center Physicians 10980 Buckley Hall Road Mathews // 804.725.9191


Virginia Beach Family Medical Center 940 General Booth Boulevard, Suite A Virginia Beach // 757.425.3610


Chesapeake Community Health Center 490 Liberty Street


Chesapeake // 757.228.1288


We Offer Community Dental Services Newport News // 757.928.3810 Suffolk // 757.942.1280


www.sevhs.org SVHS YourPlaceAd_10x7.75_Messenger.indd 1 5/28/14 1:44 PM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16