Post from Jennifer Saunders

The first annual Food Day was celebrated by CofC last Monday, October 24th through a local food festival.  The festival, held in the heart of the college at the Cistern, was part of a national campaign to promote sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and food access. Lowcountry Local First partnered with CofC students to plan an awareness-raising, fun time complete with information tables, music, activities, food trucks, and the screening of the documentary “Ingredients” at sundown.  Other local nonprofits present included Slow Food, Grow Food Carolina, the Lowcountry Food Bank, Fields to Families, the International Center for Sustainability, and the Charleston Trident Dietetic Association.  Campus groups present included CofC for Urban Agriculture, Alliance for Planet Earth, MESSA, and Green CofC.

George Street was closed to allow access for the food trucks Roti Rolls, Roots Icecream, Diggity Doughnuts, and fresh heirloom veggies grown by Meg Moore of Dirthugger Farm.  While the place wasn’t packed, the festival was still well-attended as people came and went, getting commemorative t-shirts spraypainted, and learning how to take care of vegetable seeds they planted to take home with them.  Students, professors, staff members, and outside members of the community alike mingled over fresh food and the sound of ukulele vaudeville music by the V-Tones. Even two ladies from Sonoma county, CA, decided to spend part of their vacation time at the festival, knowing how important it is to support the local food movement even far away from home.

More information about the national Food Day campaign can be found at: http://www.foodday.org

Pictures of the Festival can be found here: http://facebook.com/FoodDayCharleston

To learn more about eating local in Charleston, please visit Lowcountry Local First’s page: http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org/