Celebrate Food Literacy Month with us this September! Why have a month dedicated to food literacy? Data shows that only 25% of Americans eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and 38% of kids in California are overweight. What we eat not only affects our own body, the entire global food chain may account for one third of what’s heating our planet.

“We’re in the classroom teaching kids every week. We feel that by utilizing a tool like Food literacy Month, we can engage the entire community on a much broader scale,” said Amber Stott, founder of California Food Literacy Center.

Our board members and volunteers are hard at work putting together many fun and educational activities. Look what we have cooked up for all of you in September!

Food Literacy Sandwich Contest, Sept 2-8

September is jam-packed with deliciously educational activities for both kids and grown-ups. We kick off the celebration with a “Food Literacy Sandwich” contest for kids (K-12th grade). We encourage all kids to participate in creating their own healthy sandwich recipe and writing an essay about why their recipe represents “food literacy.” Eight semi-finalists will have their recipes featured on our website and one winner will be picked based on votes on our Facebook page. This contest isn’t just for future aspiring chefs, it’s a great opportunity to get your kids thinking about what they are eating and why it may or may not be good for them!  It’s also a fun activity to do with your kids and a chance to start creating recipes together as a family. For more information– Sandwich Contest for Kids.

Food Literacy Fair in Oak Park, Sept 22, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson has authored ACR-161, a resolution sponsored by the California Food Literacy Center, to raise awareness about food literacy on the state level. We will formally kick off Food Literacy Month at our Food Literacy Fair in conjunction with the Oak Park Farmers Market. Come by for cooking demos, kids activities, live music, a kids’ scavenger hunt, farm fresh produce stands, and more!

California Food Literacy Center Launch Party, Sept 29, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

What’s a celebration without a big party? We are celebrating our official launch at Mayahuel restaurant in downtown Sacramento. Registration details for the event to come.

We appreciate all the dedication and hard work from our tireless volunteers who are putting together Food Literacy Month! There are also fabulous sponsorship packages for those who want to help us with our mission. Download our Sponsor Benefits.

What YOU Can Do at Home

For those who may not be able to join us in Sacramento, there are things you can do to celebrate Food Literacy Month in your own homes and communities! We developed fun and educational toolkits for parents and teachers including cooking and seed planting activities. Check them out!

We look forward to celebrating Food Literacy Month with all of you!