Santa Barbara Food Day Celebration
The public is invited to attend a free Food Day celebration at Community Action Commission (CAC) of Santa Barbara County’s Back Door Deli from 11 am to 1 pm on Wednesday, October 24, featuring local farmers and chefs, food demonstrations, free healthy samples, raffle prizes, garden tours, a composting demonstration, and activities that inspire people to “eat real”.
The local event, which is part of a national campaign launched by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), will bring together organizations working on hunger, food access, public health, sustainable agriculture, and environmental stewardship. Representatives from the Foodbank, Orfalea Preschool Food and Healthy Habits Initiative, Santa Barbara Master Gardeners, Network for a Healthy California, Promotores de Salud, Sol Food Kitchen, Environmental Education for the Next Generation, Organic Soup Kitchen, Harvest Santa Barbara, Center for Infinite Health, and Birke on the Farm will be on hand to talk to visitors.
“Food Day is a fun way for all of us to learn more about health and nutrition. We invite community members to come out to the Food Day celebration and join the conversation about access to healthy, affordable, sustainable food,” said Fran Forman, CAC’s Executive Director.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) serve as honorary co-chairs of the national Food Day advisory committee. Locally, Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Doreen Farr have co-sponsored a resolution declaring October 24 Food Day in Santa Barbara County and Dr. Takashi Wada, Public Health Department Director, will deliver opening remarks at the Food Day celebration.
The five priorities of Food Day are: promote safer, healthier diets; support sustainable farms; reduce hunger; reform factory farms to protect the environment; and support fair working conditions for food and farm workers.
“The celebratory aspect of Food Day will help bring people in, but we want people to go away from Food Day events inspired about how they can change their diets for the better or how they can organize to solve food-related problems in their communities,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, who founded CSPI 40 years ago.
Santa Barbara’s Food Day celebration is jointly sponsored by Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC) and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. All proceeds from CAC’s Back Door Deli support CAC’s Healthy Senior Lunch program, providing healthy meals to over 600 low-income and homebound seniors throughout Santa Barbara County each day. For event information call 805-964-8857.
