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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
4.05.2006 ET
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Thousands Embrace Earth Dinner
New Meal Tradition Connects Us to Where Food Comes From
(CSRwire) LaFarge, Wisc. - As America heads towards its 36th celebration of
Earth Day on April 22nd, a new meal tradition that connects us to where
our food comes from is being celebrated in restaurants, farms, schools,
socially responsible businesses, non-profits and family homes from San
Francisco to New York.
"Last year, in two months over 16,000 people visited the Earth Dinner
website and downloaded Earth Dinner creativity cards," said Theresa
Marquez, the organic food pioneer who founded the Earth Dinner to help
people see the link between our food and our environment, "This is an idea
whose time has come."
Called the "Earth Dinner," family and friends are encouraged to come
together at least once a year and know the"story" behind their food.
These thoughtfully prepared meals are like a traditional Thanksgiving Day
feast, but specifically feature foods that are locally grown and
organically or sustainably produced. Participants learn every food's
story, how it was produced, where and by whom as well as the role food
has played in the lives of everyone gathered around the table.
"Seventy percent of the earths resources are used in the production of
our food. We can protect the earth with every bite we take," said Marquez.
Use Celebrity Chef Recipes for Your "Earth Dinner"
It's easy to host an Earth Dinner, thanks to the tips offered at www.earthdinnner.org. The site
features special menu guides and regional recipes by five celebrity chefs,
including Greg Atkinson (Pacific Northwest), Bruce Sherman (Midwest), John
Ash (California), Robert Stehling (Southeast) and Gordon Hamersley
(Northeast), as well as a list of restaurants hosting public Earth Dinners
in cities nationwide. These chefs and restaurants are all members of Earth
Dinner partner Chefs Collaborative, a national organization of chefs and
other food community professionals dedicated to advancing a more
sustainable food supply.
"Earth Dinner Creativity Cards" are available to use as a free-form dinner
table game. Written by award-winning author Douglas Love (www.douglaslove.vom), each of the 49
cards in the deck sparks stories about the foods and people we love, and
inspires new thinking about the foods we choose every day. For planning
tips, sample Earth Dinner cards, recipes, or to purchase a collectors
edition of the deck, visit www.earthdinner.org.
The Earth Dinner cards come in four suits:
"Fun Facts" is great for kids and asks questions like "who invented
the fork?
"Storytelling" asks guests to share memories, such as the first time
they tasted a food they picked themselves.
"Imagination" makes players turn on their creative thinkinge.g.,
pretend youre an earthworm running for public office!
"Inspiration" digs deeper, encouraging participants to explore their
personal links to nature, hope and deeper food issues.
Visit www.earthdinner.org to
download free samples of the cards, or to purchase a full deck ($10).
Organic Valley, the organic farmers cooperative which is presenting
Earth Dinner, will donate all proceeds from the sale of Earth Dinner cards
to the Organic Farm Friends Foundation, a program fostering a strong
connection between rural organic farmers and urban communities.
Earth Dinner: A Tribute to Farmers
Each of the foods served during an Earth Dinner provides an opportunity to
talk about its origins; a family recipe book; a local organic farm; a
backyard garden. Cooks try to use local ingredients, so foods are fresh
and flavorful, and to do their best to find out about where the food came
from and how it was grown.
"Making the effort to really know where our food comes from gets us in
touch with the farmer, the real force behind the food we eat," said
Marquez, who also serves as Consumer Affairs Director at Organic Valley www.organicvalley.coop, the
organic farmer-owned cooperative committed to re-awakening the connection
between organic farmers - the people who produce food with careand their
urban neighbors, the people who depend on quality food for their well
being.
The Earth Dinner is supported by a broad-based coalition of organizations
including Beyond Pesticides, Bioneers, Chefs Collaborative, Childrens
Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), Earth Day Network, Earth Pledge,
EcoEducation, Ecotrust, Environmental Working Group, Heifer International,
Om Organics, Slow Food USA, Social Venture Network, The Organic Center, and
Waterkeeper Alliance.
Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer-Owned
Organic Valley Family of Farms is Americas largest cooperative of
organic farmers and is one of the nations leading organic brands.
Organized in 1988, it represents 750 farmers in 22 states and realized a
record $245 million in 2005 sales. Focused on its founding mission of
keeping small and mid-sized farmers farming, Organic Valley produces 200
organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads,
creams, eggs, produce, juice and meats which are sold in supermarkets,
natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. For more
information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop.
NOTE TO MEDIA: For media samples of the Earth Dinner Cards, interviews
with organic farmers or Earth Dinner Founder Theresa Marquez, photographs
or B-roll, please contact Sue McGovern, sue@mcgov.com, tel. 781 648 7157.
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