"Eat In, Act Out" Week: August 1-7

International Eat In, Act Out Week
A Global celebration of local, healthy food and communities

August 1st-7th 2005, fill-up your picnic basket with fresh, local ingredients and join us! Join hundreds of thousands of people across the province of BC and the world to celebrate the 1st International Eat In, Act Out Week.

Initially launched by the non-profit organization, The Food Project (www.thefoodproject.org), Eat In Act Out Week is a series of events happening worldwide to promote local, healthy food and communities...a week to celebrate our local economies, our rural communities, and recognize the magnificent work of our local farmers and food producers- globally.

Eat In Act Out refers to using local food, cooking food yourself instead of eating fast food or take out, and taking action to positively change our food system. Through Eat In Act Out Week, The Food Project hopes to:

1) Encourage everyone in our communities to eat locally and think critically about their food choices

2) Build a sustainable food system where everyone has access to affordable healthy food

3) Highlight the capabilities and importance of youth in this movement

4) Engage youth in positive forms of social activism

5) Strengthen its connections, and build the movement by working together on an international event

**Here’s a perfect, low-maintenance, fun, social event for community garden associations, neighbourhood associations, co-operatives, non-profits, families, and citizens across BC***

August 1st-7th, organisations across BC will encourage their members to fill-up their basket with fresh, local ingredients, cook a tasty meal, and bring friends, family, and neighbours to their favourite park, farm, or community garden for a socially-responsible picnic...imagine town wide, citywide picnic celebrations of our urban, sub-urban, and rural food-producing communities- across the province of BC.

And, watch-out for the green ribbons! At markets in Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, and Abbotsford, teams of dynamic volunteers will be distributing green ribbons for people to wear August 1st-7th, to catalyse province-wide conversation about the importance of eating locally and supporting our local growers.

Please, spread the word!

*In BC, this pilot initiative is being made possible by the Vancouver Food Policy Council (www.vancouver.ca/foodpolicy), Oxfam Canada (www.oxfam.ca), the Association of BC Farmers’ Markets (www.bcfarmersmarket.org), Your Local Farmers' Market Society (www.eatlocal.org), the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (www.spud.ca), Capers Community Market (www.capersmarkets.com), and the UBC Farm (www.agsci.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/).