So today is Food Day– a day where many ask that we stop and think about where our food comes from…
Truth be told, I think of that all the time…
When you are a food blogger and work with farmers every day that food thing just kind of comes up in conversations… just sayin’
Ya see in this world of self-proclaimed experts… (Don’t believe me? Tell a group of people that you are getting married, having a baby or planning to wear a pink shirt on Friday and I bet before the week’s end you will have 10 people tell you what they think you should do and how and when and where and how again…)
Anyhoo… as I was sayin’, in this world of self-proclaimed experts, I am blessed with awesome real life friends who are the farmers that actually produce the food we eat.
And, I am not just talking about the food at the Farmers’ Market that while I adore it ( can I get an amen for an Indiana tomato in late July?), truth be told it doesn’t fill my interest for variety (or favorite foods) in mid-January.
I am talking the farmers behind the food that stock my favorite grocery stores and restaurants…
Ya see, I get to hang with farmers and moms like Heather of 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs and Jeanette of FenceRow to FenceRow and Meggie of Hoosier Farm Babe and Jent of From My Front Porch… all of whom happen to be responsible for bacon (among other products)…
Mmm… Bacon… Don’t I have GOODe taste in friends 😉
Anyhoo… I guess my point is, if today is all about getting to know where our food comes from… well then, it only makes sense to me to get to know the ladies (and gents) that are involved in producing food everyday… there is a great list of folks who grew up on farms, live on farms or work with farmers everyday in my sidebar. Many of these ladies can be found on our joint blog Real Farmwives of America and Friends or on our Facebook Page that features posts from each of our individual blogs all in one place!
Did you know that according to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry- one in six Hoosiers is food insecure (essentially, at risk of hunger), and with children the number is as high as one in four.
As someone who has more than enough to eat on this Food Day, I find this to be ridiculous…
One in four HOOSIER children… kids like my Add, going to bed with grumbling bellies.
Ridiculous.
And, it isn’t just Indy either. Hoosiers at risk of hunger live in EVERY county in Indiana.
I contacted FIsH and asked what we can do to help.
This is what they told me:
- Monetary donations to a food bank are a great way to make the dollar stretch the farthest. Food banks purchase food in large quantities, enabling a bigger bang for your buck.
- Food is always a wonderful and much needed donation as well. Food banks accept the donation of non-perishables, as would a local pantry. It’s direct, and it’s a very tangible way to help those in need of food assistance. If you have gardeners out there, produce can also be donated, check with the food bank or pantry to see what their parameters are and their capacity to accept it.
- Volunteers truly make the world of food banking go around! On average, Indiana pantries have only 1 paid staff person, and soup kitchens only 2. 72% of pantry programs are entirely volunteer run, and 52% with kitchens. Volunteers at the food banks help sort food, package backpacks for kids and senior boxes, plan and execute events, and many, many other tasks.
Looking for a place to donate or get involved?
- Hoosiers can check out this map for your local area contact information.
- All you out of staters can check out Feeding America
About Cris
I am the mama behind GOODEness Gracious and the owner of Cris Goode Solutions.Here at GOODEness Gracious, we like to keep it light and fun as we cook up family meals, share our super mommy secrets and chat it up about the GOODe life:)So come on in and sit a spell.
Kathy Bischoff says
October 24, 2011 at 5:19 pmI love your blog, I love how everyone one talks about their farms animals. Its a hard job and I don’t think people realize how hard it actually is. Thanks so much.
Cranberry Morning says
October 25, 2011 at 10:17 amThat is a very disturbing statistic! 25%?! There’s got to be something else going on here, like getting to the core of the problem and fixing the economic situation that put these people into this mess in the first place. Those statistics are pretty bleak, and will probably get worse before they get better. And in the meantime, people do need to be fed. Hurrah for private organizations and individuals who see a need and step up.