Farmers Market Beans (and social change)

Last month I had the opportunity to attend two amazing conferences:  one on farm-to-school education and another on hunger and obsesity.  I don't know about you, but the amount of scary statistics out there overwhelms me.  52% of fourth graders in the United States now qualify for subsidized lunch?!  1 in 3 children in the United States is obese?!  In United States over the last 30 years, the prices for vegetables and fruit have increased 120% while soda has only increased 20 - 40%?!  The U.S. is now raising the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to diet-related diseases?!  All I can say is Holy. Crap.

If this bums you out as much as it does me, I think it's time to make a change.  There are a lot of messages out there about how to fix our food system and I think it's natural for us to feel overwhelmed.  But, the reality is that change starts with us.  I was inspired by one of the speakers at the conference, Ellen Gustafson, founder of The 30 Project and Change Dinner. I appreciated her message that we can make an impact each and every day and the place to start is our dinner table.

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