Are You Hangry??

Last Week We gathered on the shore of Lake Michigan to talk about what it meant to Be "HANGRY".      We had some good food (Using the Grow Method of course) We hung out with friends and family, and we made some (might I say awesome) T-shirts.    Fun was had by all.     

I know what you are thinking.   What is HANGRY.     I was first introduced to the word last year.   Basically it is a merger of hungry and angry.  It is usually used to describe the feeling you have when you haven't eaten in a while and you start getting a little grumpy because your blood sugar is low and your body is telling you to go find some food.   I really like this word and it is fun to use, but after playing with the definition of hungry and angry I came up with this definition 

han-gry adj: 1. a feeling of displeasure or hostility caused by a need for food: 2. hunger causing a negative change in emotion; 3. anger due to lack of fertility

This is the precise definition of the world today.   So I guess I am Hangry.   What about you?

WHATS WITH THE RED BUCKETS

So what does the word integrity really mean?

This weekend I participated in two Chicago food events that from their titles sounded similar but ended up being very different.

The first event, Cultivate, was sponsored by Chipotle to market their Foodwith Integrity program with family activities, a live band, interesting food and well designed exhibits. There were thousands of people in attendance and at any given time there were perhaps a hundred people standing in line to see an exhibit of Chipotle’s sustainable agriculture and animal welfare programs. I thought it a bit odd that people would get so excited about the living conditions of pigs, but then I realized that the people standing in line had a little motivational nudge because after walking through the exhibit a stamp would be awarded that would eventually lead to a free burrito.

The second event that I attended was a rally put on by the Coalition ofImmokalee Workers (CIW) that used music and theatre to bring awareness to the human rights issues of agricultural workers in Florida. I learned about the CIW’s Fair Food Program to solicit corporations to sign an agreement to ensure fair pay and humane working conditions for tomato pickers.

Sounds like food with integrity, right? Well, it just so happens that CIW was holding their rally right outside of the entrance to the Chipotle event to raise awareness to the fact that Chipotle has not signed the agreement (Subway, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Whole Foods and Trader Joes have all signed). The purpose of the CIW rally was to raise public awareness and to encourage Chipotle to further their leadership in the sustainable food movement by signing the agreement that would provide transparency and accountability to wages and working conditions.

Chipotle’s Cultivate event was fun, easy and comfortable. It assured me that by eating at Chipotle I was doing my part and no further action or sacrifice was needed. But the CIW event was different. I shook hands with people that work in near slave like conditions so that I can pay a little bit less for my tomatoes. I was presented with information on the working conditions of agricultural workers in the US that made me uncomfortable with the source of my food.

And although I actually had more fun at the CIW event because it was so intimate and authentic, I left with much more than a fun experience. I left with a connection to a new group of people and with a conviction to pay more attention to the integrity of my food choices. 

For more info about the CIW rally see the Just Harvest blog post about the event (I borrowed their pic to help spread the word)

Alicia F.

GROW Method: Buy Local

Buy Local

The GROW method, in five concepts, supports a better food system by empowering you the citizen to build a healthier food industry. One of the first facets is…Buy local. It’s easier than it may seem. Not everything is made or grown in China! Whether its cheese from the up north or corn from the farm stand down the road, Illinois hosts wide markets to support local families. If you are a suburbanite, city-dweller, or neighbor of farmers, you make an impact when you buy food. There are farmers markets everywhere in Illinois to buy local. In fact grocery stores like Jewel-Osco and Whole Foods label where their foods come from for shoppers o support local. We make a conscious decision to buy from Wisconsin or Argentina. In buying local, we support families who make a living off of supplying food to any size population. 

 Whole Foods Naperville Signs

The GROW method also employs efforts to address issues like climate change. When buying local, we reduce carbon foot print. In reducing the emissions that come from shipping food from cross country or across the world we can change the increasingly fragile atmosphere. When possible, buying directly from farmers benefits their family and at the same times protects the environment. The best part is, you can get to know who makes your food! Dinner tastes more delicious when you know who grows your food. 

What to look for on products from abroad

While we make our best efforts to buy local, we can always promote facets of good business. If there is a special treat that comes from China, Bolivia or anywhere else, check to see if it is a Fair Trade product. This ensures ethical business practices that support local farmers across the globe. We may never meet these farmers, we may not even know where their location is on a map, but we can support them by supporting good business practices.

When we buy local, we share our table with farmers. Together we reduce the overwhelming pressure that farmers face based on the nature of their business, influence of big government and shortages due to climate change.  

How simple is it to buy local?

• Check out this website for Illinois Farmers Markets
• Visit FamilyFarmed.org  to keep up on the latest local events that support farmers
• Try new local foods you have never tried before using some recipes on our Pinterest page!

If you have more ideas or want to tell us on how YOU are Buying Local, let us know chicago.oxfamactioncorps@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates @chioxfamaction. Remember, together, we can all make a difference.

-Megan Nakra

Logan Square Farmers Market

On Sunday we spent time at the Logan Square farmers market, talking to local farmers and market goers about the GROW Campaign and the  GROW METHOD.  First off, I would like to tell you all that if you have not been to the Logan Square market, you are missing out.  Even during the rain there was a steady stream of people eager to buy their fresh local produce, hang out with friends, and sign on to Oxfam's pledge to build a better food system.  

My favorite moment of the day was when a local farmer from Sandwich, IL (50 miles southwest of Chicago) came up to us to learn about what we do.  We proceeded to tell him about Grow and the Grow Method, but I could tell that his attention was not on us.  He was reading the TABLE FOR NINE BILLION (one of our handouts that summarizes the Grow Campaign).  He looked up at us with an expression on his face that I couldn't quite place, and said, "This is it, this is right on,  if we can do this, we will be on our way!"

And that is when I realized what the look on his face was.  It was a look of Hope, a look of Relief, a look of Somebody is on my side.  We continued to talk about food, crop diversity, and commodity prices.  He never did come out and say thank you to Oxfam for the wonderful work they do, just as I never thanked him for doing what I believe to be one of the most important jobs.  But in that conversation we both understood, and were given reassurance that we are all in this together, and if we can just  GROW, 

"we will be on our way".

-A. Farag