Renowned chef Mario Batali showed his enthusiasm for Nischan’s offer by tweeting “Amazing”and then challenged Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of FOOD & WINE, to up the ante.

Cowin accepted the challenge!

It’s worth noting that our own Wholesome Wave hero, Hugh Acheson, started the personal grooming challenge trend when he put his “unibrow” up for plucking in exchange for $100 thousand in donations to Wholesome Wave.

Not to lose sight of why our food celebrities are taking on “hair-raising” challenges, when asked during the Twitter Party, what contributions to their respective charities could provide Michel shared the benefits of donating to Wholesome Wave.

When FOOD & WINE asked, “Why is it important for chefs to make change?” Michel responded:

Each of the 10 chefs chosen to take part in FOOD & WINE’s Chefs Make Change represent outstanding charities that are making real and lasting change and Wholesome Wave is proud to be named among them.

Following a presentation on Wholesome Wave programming and policy goals, our partners discussed the successes and challenges of the pilot season, shared experiences and techniques from both the healthcare provider and farmers’ market fronts, and left us with many great suggestions for improving the program.

(left to right: Cynthia Loesch, Anna Rickards, Rosa Pina, Heather McMann, Sherie Blumenthal, Cristina Sandolo, Gus Schumacher, Sarah Smith and baby Charlotte Smith)

The robust discourse between physicians, nutritionists, researchers, market managers and community advocates offered a glimpse at the cooperation between healthcare providers and local food system advocates that the FVRx program aims to foster.

Cynthia Lechuga from Codman Square Farmers Market explained that “sometimes there is a disconnect between community members and health clinic employees who are often not community members. FVRx really helped created a connection by empowering patients to purchase healthy food.”

Anna Rickards from Groundwork Lawrence Farmers Market said many FVRx patients began the program feeling, “fruits and vegetables were for rich people” but by the end of the program they were saying, “now we can have them too.” Anna felt this shift in thinking and the greater participation at the markets that accompanied it, showed how “the program is a means for creating community”.

Kayla Ringelheim from Farm Fresh Rhode Island shared a similar experience about how FVRx “saved” the Woonsocket market after it changed locations several times over the last few years. Kayla explained, “the Woonsocket market is small, but FVRx has the potential to completely transform it — as the 2011 season wore on, more and more kids were attending with their parents.”

Moreover, the FVRx Convening also gave us an occasion to welcome two new members to the Wholesome Wave Family: our Director of Communications and Public Outreach, Ralph Loglisci, who joined us full time earlier in the week, and four-month-old Charlotte, who accompanied mom Sarah Smith, manager of Skowhegan Farmers Market, on her trip down from Maine.

(left to right: Pruitti Kerdchoochuen, Kayla Ringelheim, Baby Charlotte, Sarah Smith, Sherie Blumenthal, Cristina Sandolo, Cynthia Loesch, Sheri Griffin, Anna Rickards, Rosa Pina, Heather McMann)

We are impressed and inspired by all the work that our FVRx partners have done in 2011, and would like to thank them for their commitment and their passion they bring to the table. Wholesome Wave looks forward to sharing results from the program and continuing the dialogue at our Annual Partner Convening April 23-25th in Washington, D.C..

We would like to thank the Alison Kaufman, Anna Kitziz and Natasha Gaskill of the Jewish Family & Children Services of Greater Boston for providing us the meeting space and ensuring the event ran smoothly. We would also like to thank Kaiser Permanente, Harvard Pilgrim Health and the Aetna Foundation for their interest in and participation at the FVRx Convening.

U.S. Conference of Mayors Food Policy Task Force Holds First Meeting at Winter Conference

Mayor Tom Menino (Boston) and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (Baltimore) U.S. Conference of Mayors-Washington DC

On the gridiron their cities may be at odds, but when it comes to food, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake are playing on the same team. Mayors Menino and Rawlings-Blake jump started the first ever national City Food Policy Task Force last Thursday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Winter Conference, in Washington DC.

Prior to the meeting, the two Mayors exchanged good natured jibes and wagered a Lobster Dinner vs. Maryland Crabcakes on who would win last night’s NFC Championship game between the Patriots and Ravens. The Pats barely beat the Ravens in a nail-biter of a game – 23  to 20. No word on when Mayor Rawlings-Blake will send the crabcakes.

Nonetheless, it’s clear that good, healthy food is a key issue for both big city leaders. Mayor Menino kicked off the innovative City Food Policy Task Force with a well-received plenary speech on the importance of the upcoming farm bill for the nation’s cities. He then joined Mayor Rawlings-Blake and 16 fellow mayors for an hour’s discussion on the key role the Farm Bill plays in city food policy and a series of initiatives underway by Boston, Baltimore and other cities to improve nutrition, reduce obesity and strengthen urban food systems.

Mayor Menino was selected to Chair the Task Force, which will draft a City  Policy Report to be considered by the full Plenary of Mayors at the annual meeting in Orlando this June. Emphasis will be on the Farm Bill and outlining best practices that cities have developed to address issues of food policy, nutrition, diet and obesity.

Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan spoke to the mayors about  the many USDA programs that are available for to help cities as they overcome problems related to nutrition, diet and poverty. Some of the programs Merrigan highlighted included those that will help cities support urban food systems. The Deputy brought senior staff from Food and Nutrition Service and Inter-Governmental Affairs to ensure timely follow-up.

Key leadership and encouragement for the initiative came from policy advisors to several of the mayors including Edith Murnane (Boston), Paula Daniels (Los Angeles), Holly Frieshtat (Baltimore), Kim Kessler (NYC), Theresa Zawacki (Louisville) and Steve Cohen (Portland, ORegon). They had been meeting annually to discuss innovations during the Wholesome Wave City Food Policy Convenings in New York City in 2010 and 2011 .

The Food Policy Task Force, chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, will address food access and affordability issues within our cities and will propose revisions to the Farm Bill. In early November we pulled together City Food Advisors from across the country to share innovations and develop policy goals for the 2012 Farm Bill, during our 2nd Annual City Food Policy Convening. Mayor Menino’s City Food Advisor was in attendance and discussed how to use food and farm policy as tool to alleviate hunger, to improve health, and as an economic driver for jobs and the local economy. Outcomes from our 2nd Annual City Food Policy Convening will be shared at the Conference of Mayors.

The topics of the conference include public health and improving our current food system to allow for better fresh food access and affordability. The agenda is peppered with discussions that all aim to address these issues. Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, will address attendees about food deserts and healthy eating. Mayor Menino will present initiatives and priorities of the Food Policy Task Force and give a speech entitled “Creating a National Urban Food Policy Together – for More Jobs, Better Health and for Stronger Communities.”

You can stream the conference LIVE and listen to policy at work, as attendees discuss these issues. Thursday at 2:00pmEST, Mayor Menino will be giving his speech “Creating a National Urban Food Policy Together – for More Jobs, Better Health and for Stronger Communities.” 

Courtesy: U.S. National Archives

Today is the national Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Americans across the country are honoring the civil rights leader’s legacy by volunteering in their communities. It was 26 years ago today that the first federal holiday to mark the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was first observed. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service. As the MLKday.gov website states, today serves as a call, “for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.”

Evidence that Dr. King would have supported Wholesome Wave’s vision of developing a more vibrant and equitable food system for everyone is best highlighted in his1964 acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize when he said:

“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for the minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”

What can you do today to honor Dr. King and support a more equitable food system?

• Support your local farmers by buying local and regional foods.
• If you are fortunate enough to have a winter farmers market open near you today make sure to visit and show your support.
• Spread the word about Wholesome Wave among your friends and family and on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Volunteer with any organization working to improve local, fresh and healthy food access to all.

For assistance in finding various volunteer-projects in your community today, log onto MLKday.gov’s “Find a Project” page or create your own.

Talking over the din of a busy lunch-crowd at Roberta’s, a popular restaurant in Brooklyn’s gritty Bushwick neighborhood, more than a dozen leaders and entrepreneurs in the food world gathered Tuesday afternoon to talk about ways we can improve our nation’s food system.

Roberta's, Bushwick, Brooklyn

Each person was invited at the request of Michel Nischan, award-winning chef, restaurant owner and CEO of Wholesome Wave. Nischan is serving as this week’s guest food politics editor for Food Republic and hoped Tuesday’s gathering would serve as a catalyst for new ideas in finding ways to increase the availability of healthy, affordable and sustainably grown food for everyone.

top l-r, Bill Telepan, Michel Nischan; lower l-r, Marcus Samuelsson, Jon Vasst & Bill Taibe

Food Republic was founded by Marcus Samuelsson. Like Nischan, Samuelsson is an award-winning chef, restaurateur and tireless food policy advocate. Samuelsson, along with several other mavericks in the food world, such as fellow celebrity and altruistic-minded chefs Bill Telepan and Bill Taibe; journalist and aficionado on American food culture Frederick Kaufman, nutrition expert Jared Koch, media production expert Lynda Field, food movement pioneer Hilary Baum, food education puppeteer Radha Agrawal; philanthropic strategic consultant Maryann Fernandez; Wholesome Wave’s own senior statesman of U.S. food policy Gus Schumacher; and the people who help run Michel Nischan’s renowned restaurant, The Dressing Room -his wife- Lori Nischan and executive chef Jon Vaast;  Food Republic’s Richard Martin and Eleanor West, wine distributor Peter Jamros and other colleagues of both Samuelsson’s and Nischan’s were all invited to stir up the pot and talk about the latest hot button issues surrounding our nation’s food system.

l-r, Lynda Field, Frederick Kaufman & Marcus Samuelsson

The eclectic round-table (in this case, long-table) discussion covered many of the same fascinating topics that the Food Republic team is covering as part of Michel Nischan’s editorial debut on the site’s “politics” section. Make sure to check out stories such as: Wholesome Wave: Michel Nischan’s 2^nd Act; What to Know About Food Politics in D.C.; Gus Schumacher on the Future of Food; A Brief History of Food & War; Photo Gallery: Food System Game Changers; An Organic Farmer in the U.S. Congress; F&W Launches Chefs Make Change Campaign and much more. Check out Samuelsson’s great coverage of the event on his site here.

l-r, Richard Martin, Michel Nischan, Patrick Martins & Gus Schumacher

Also, don’t miss a fantastic interview with Michel and Heritage Radio Network’s Patrick Martins, discussing Michel’s guest editing week on Food Republic. Martins started Heritage Radio Network, located in the back garden of Roberta’s, in 2009. Martins, the founder of Slow Food USA and Heritage Foods USA, says the online radio network currently boasts more than 400,000 monthly online listeners and covers a range of issues from food politics to finding the best tasting beer.

 
City food policy advisors and colleagues others interested in food system change gathered in New York City at a meeting convened by Wholesome Wave. Six advisers spent two days sharing innovations and developing policy goals for the Farm Bill.

Mayors’ food policy advisers and directors from New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Louisville, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon were joined by Just Food, Grow NYC, senior staff from Wholesome Wave, and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Building on the success of last year’s convening, the city food policy advisors reviewed options for leveraging the collective strength of mayors whose constituencies include the majority of clients receiving federal nutrition assistance. And those SNAP, WIC and TEFAP programs constitute substantial portion of federal spending on nutrition authorized in the Farm Bill. They discussed the development of policy recommendations for their mayors, and talked about recommendations on city food policies for the 2012 Mayor’s Conference January 18-20 in Washington DC.

The policies they discussed revolved around the central themes that emerged during the convening – food and farm policy as tool to alleviate hunger, to improve health, and as an economic driver for jobs and the local economy.

FOOD & WINE launched today a Million Dollar Chefs Make Change campaign to benefit the charities of ten of the nation’s most successful chefs. In addition to Wholesome Wave’s own Michel Nischan, the coalition of superstar chefs includes José Andrés, Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Cat Cora, Emerial Lagasse, Art Smith, Bill Telepan and Alice Waters.

In a new release sent out today, FOOD & WINE Editor in Chief Dana Cowin said, “FOOD & WINE is always tracking trends in the food world, and one trend we’ve definitely noticed is chefs launching their own foundations to help people in need—kids, families, farmers, communities.” Cowin adds that FOOD & WINE’s February issue will feature each chef and their chosen charities and, “offers excellent recipes that are in sync with each chef’s mission.”

Michel’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for change in local and regional food systems by supporting local farmers and underserved communities through programs such as Wholesome Wave’s Double Value Coupon Program, Fruits & Vegetable Program and Health Food Commerce Initiative.

Michel told FOOD & WINE editors, “I am honored to be part of such a distinguished group of culinary professionals and grateful to FOOD & WINE for its generous support of each of our important causes. At Wholesome Wave we are working tirelessly to ensure everyone has equal access to healthy, fresh and local foods, regardless of their income.

FOOD & WINE is kick starting the Chefs Make Change with an ambitious social media campaign on Twitter and Facebook, between now and February 15^th. Michel is scheduled to take part in one of FOOD & WINE’s Kitchen Insider Facebook chats on Monday January 30^th, starting at 2pm. Don’t miss FOOD & WINE’s Twitter party with each of the chefs and Dana Cowin on February 1^st, starting at 3 PM EST. To take part, just follow #ChefsMakeChange and @fandw.
If you would like to make a donation to Wholesome Wave through Chefs Make Change click here, if you would like to support the other chef’s amazing charities click here.

Food Republic’s regular editors challenged Michel to lead thought provoking discussions about the serious challenges surrounding our food system. Topics Michel hopes to tackle range from childhood obesity, the shocking rise of diabetes, healthy food access inequities, and the dwindling numbers of small and medium farms. You can rest assured Michel won’t shy away from asking the tough question.

Stay tuned for more information about Michel’s Editorial debut starting Monday and his upcoming appearance with Food Republic co-founder and fellow chef Marcus Samuelsson on Tuesday.

FoodRepublic.com