When one thinks of September, fantasies of a fresh start to the academic or fiscal year often come to mind: new friends, new classes, new positions and the like.

But we at the Food Literacy Center like to think of it in a different way: a month for considering how to make more informed food choices that are good for the planet and all its inhabitants!

We have a couple of events planned to get you started on doing just that.

First to kick off our month of celebration is the first meeting for Food Literacy Book Club, which will be held at Ten 22 on September 3 around 6pm.

Members of the book club will be expected to have already thoroughly read and studied the assigned book, It’s Not About the Broccoli, which illuminates the obscurities inherent to helping kids to eat healthily.

Anyone is welcome to join, so feel free to bring your food-minded friends and a notebook (and a pen too of course)! Clink on the link to get on the roster: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-literacy-book-club-september-2014-tickets-11819519501.

Also approaching quickly will be the 3rd annual Free Food Literacy Fair on September 14; it will take place in Southside Park and run from roughly 10am-1pm. Food Literacy Center will be partnering up once again with the park’s neighborhood association to bring food and fun to the community through live music, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, and more!

Assemblyman Roger Dickinson will also be handing out the “Veggie of the Year” to the most worthy candidate—last year’s was sweet potato, for its versatility in the kitchen. Founder and Executive Director of Food Literacy Center Amber Stott added, ”It’s always a fun time for families and a great way to learn about healthy eating, where the whole community comes together to participate!”

Click on the link for tickets and some cool tips to becoming food literate: http://asmdc.org/members/a07/district/upcoming-events/3rd-annual-food-literacy-fair.

Though we are not planning on hosting more events at the moment, we encourage food literacy fans to attend a couple of other events within the month of September.

First up will be Farm Fresh to You and Capay Organic’s 4th annual Capay Crush event on September 20. Assistant Director of Food Literacy Center Elaine Fok said, with no small degree of enthusiasm, “Its a nice opportunity to play on the farm and get your hands dirty!” Click on the link for more information: http://capayorganic.com/?page_id=501.

Then starting up on September 27 around 11am and ending at 6pm, the sensational Farm-to-Fork Festival will return to the iconic Capitol Mall! Live music, free samples, kids’ zones, interactive booths and cooking demonstrations are among the attractions that will be available for attendees’ enjoyment. In the spirit of an all-inclusive community event, attendance is entirely free!

Ready or not, here September comes! We hope you’re as excited as we are for the host of opportunities to propagate food literacy in the approaching weeks.

Written by Thom Stone, Food Literacy Intern