Press Release – Food Day Kalamazoo

From a Food Day Kalamazoo press release….

Kalamazoo Celebrates Food Day in a Big Way

Event calls attention to local resources and celebrates national campaign with healthy, affordable food for all

Kalamazoo, MI – Today, hundreds of Kalamazoo residents will celebrate the first national Food Day locally with a kick-off at Tabitha Farm Urban Homestead & Community Garden Open House and dozens of events across the city, including a reading of an official proclamation by Mayor Bobbie Hopewell at Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative. Local signatures are being collected in support of national and local Food Day priorities.

“Food Day is an opportunity to celebrate real food and the growing movement to fix the food system. I’m thrilled that hundreds, if not thousands of people have already joined in celebration and to fix the food system”, Local Coordinator Will Sprague said.

Food Day is a national campaign to draw attention to celebrate healthy, affordable foods produced in a humane, sustainable way and to fix the food system by:

* Reducing obesity and diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

* Supporting sustainable family farms and cutting subsides to huge agribusiness

* Ending urban and rural “food deserts” by providing access to healthy foods

* Protecting the environment and farm animals by reforming factory farms

* Promoting children’s health by curbing junk-food marketing aimed at kids

Locally, Kalamazoo citizens will advocate for:

* Whole Food curricula within the public school system

* Support of the Fair Farm bill and a redefining of the GIPSA rules

Local growers have provided fresh ingredients to many of these events. Many of these local growers signed up months in advance to contribute their produce as well as discuss the importance of sustainable agriculture to all attendees.

“We were exited to hear about the creation of Food Day many months ago and are happy to provide our produce,” said a local grower. “This is not just a day-long event, but an opportunity to make a permanent change that supports a more sustainable and healthy future.”