EATER MEETS FARMER: "Getting Started"

The KCFC is pleased to welcome our new guest blogger Stephen Flanery and his series entitled Eater Meets Farmer. Stephen is a human resources extraordinaire by day and a gardener by night. He is a Kansas City native, a cat lover, and an avid reader of Edwin Way Teale. Join us periodically as Stephen explores what it means to eat local and organic.


by Stephen Flanery

Welcome to the Kansas City Food Circle’s new weekly blog topic, Eater Meets Farmer. Each installment in this series will be a manifestation of the KCFC mission: The Kansas City Food Circle connects eaters with local, organic food in order to promote a sustainable food system in the Kansas City region. This blog is about starting a conversation. It’s about stretching ourselves. It’s about offering resources and information that will assist us in our local, organic food journey.

First, let me tell you a little something about me. I was a gardener from an early age. I began by helping my mom tend her large garden of vegetables. I loved to harvest wild mulberries and gooseberries. Now I have a small garden of my own where I grow some of my favorite vegetables and herbs. I love to shop at the farmers' markets, and I enjoy cooking. Mostly, I just love food. The local, organic food movement became a passion of mine when I realized my food decisions affect people and wildlife around the globe. I see food decisions as not only a personal health issue, but also an environmental issue and a social justice issue. I believe what I eat says a lot about who I am.

With this blog I’d like to talk about why local and organic is important and about what we can do to foster a more sustainable food system in Kansas City. I’m hardly an innovator, but rather, I follow in the footsteps of countless eaters and farmers who have come before me. So what do I have to offer? I have some ideas, I have a little knowledge, and I have lots of passion.

Now you know how I became interested in local and organic. How about you? What got you started on local and organic?

And join me next time as I ask: WHY LOCAL?

GOING GREEN! at JCCC - THURSDAY - 4/16/2009

Earth Day - GOING GREEN! 2009

Story by JCCC Student Environmental Alliance

JCCC Students Celebrate Earth Day

10:30am - 3pm CST - THURSDAY - 4/16/2009

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Johnson County Community College’s Student Environmental Alliance will celebrate Earth Day with Going Green 2009 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST, on Thursday, April 16, in the Commons Building Corner Lounge and Courtyard. The event is free and open to the public. Students will be promoting awareness of environmental issues, ideas and actions.

Participants include the JCCC’s Student Environmental Alliance, Kansas City Food Circle, Great Plains Clean Energy Alliance, Lakeside Nature Center, Johnson County Environmental Department (Solid Waste Management, Air Quality, and Household Waste), Sierra Club, Root Deep Urban Farm, Burroughs Audubon Society, Smart Car, Johnson County Transit, Ride Share/Mid-America Regional Council, JCCC’s bookstore, JCCC’s dining services sustainability subcommittee, Locally Grown JCCC Community Supported Agriculture, Heartland Habitat for Humanity, S.O.5 Initiative, JCCC’s interior design student association, Motor Heads Scoot and Cycle and Heartland Tree Alliance.

Guest speakers include John Schmidt from The Land Institute, Jill Crawford from Bridging the Gap, Jay Antle from JCCC’s sustainability committee, William Nana from S.O.5 Initiative and Mary English from the Climate Project.

Music will be performed by Glass Axe, Bobby Yarsulik and Adam Blackwood in the courtyard.

For more information, contact Lydia Blackwood, president, JCCC’s Student Environmental Alliance, at 785-393-2967.

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http://www.SEAJCCC.org/