New Demonstration Kitchen at KU Med open to the public

Lisa Markley, Nutrition Educator/Outpatient Dietitian for the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, sent out an email the other day to announce the opening of their new Demonstration Kitchen at KU Med.  She shared with us some information about the new “edible classroom” which I want to pass on to you:

Classes will focus on promoting healthy eating and preparing various foods to help alleviate specific health conditions (e.g. cancer, heart disease, gluten-free diet, etc.).

The class calendar will change monthly and can be viewed at http://integrativemed.kumc.edu/nutrition_classes_calendar.htm.

Classes are open to the public and held in the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Directions: http://integrativemed.kumc.edu/directions.htm.

The kitchen is fully equipped and is a small, intimate space that can accommodate about 5-6 students.

Private custom-made one-on-one or group classes can be scheduled. Would be good for individualized instruction or make for a fun team-building activity or group gift for a bride-to-be.

The kitchen has a “green mission”, which includes recycling, composting food waste, buying in bulk, and emphasizing whole foods that are local/seasonal/organic

She mentions in her email that they anticipate expanding the calendar to include additional nutrition educators, local chefs, and guest farmers. 

It’s a great opportunity for you to educate yourself more about healthy food/healthy eating.  It’s a lifestyle change your family will thank you for. 

Stay tuned to the blog for updates regarding this wonderful program.

Urban Farms and Gardens Tour 2009

Next week is the kick-off event for the Kansas City Urban Farms & Gardens Tour 2009 , starting with:

Thursday, June 18, 6:00-8:00pm

Cultivating Kansas City: Food from the City, For the City

Kansas City Central Library

14 West 10th Street

Kansas City, MO 64105

What can and should a growing Kansas City look like? Imagine backyards, empty lots, public lands, and “empty” space being used for growing fruits, vegetables and more. A panel of growers, community activists, and educators will share their vision for a Kansas City that produces more of its own food.  Ben Sharda, Kansas City Community Gardens, Daniel Dermitzel, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, Gretchen Kunkel, KC Healthy Kids, Joe Jennings, farmer and educator, Katherine Kelly, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, and Tina Wright, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, will offer their thoughts and visions. A reception featuring local and organic food and beverages precedes the talk.

 

Urban Farms… Feed the People

Sunday, June 21, 3:00-4:30pm

Starting an Urban Farm

Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture

4223 Gibbs Road

Kansas City, KS 66106

Most people who go into urban farming are folks whose gardening habit got out of control. Their garden overtook their lawn, the empty lot next door, and part of the neighbor’s back yard, and all of a sudden they need more land, farming infrastructure, and a new set of skills on how to grow at a bigger scale and how to manage a new farm business. This workshop will introduce you to the basics of starting an urban farm.

 

Other events next week: 

 

Wednesday, June 17

1st of four “Food Not Lawns” Communiversity classes, www.umkc.edu/commu

Eve: Mini Market Tour at Farmers’ Markets, KC Food Circle, www.kcfoodcircle.org

Thursday, June 18

2pm: Make a Batch of Body Butter for teenagers, Southeast Library, www.kclibrary.org

6pm: Tour Kick-Off Event! Cultivating Kansas City: Food from the City, For the City, Kansas City Central Library, www.kclibrary.org

Eve: Mini Market Tour at Farmers’ Markets, KC Food Circle, www.kcfoodcircle.org

Friday, June 19

7pm: My Blooming Garden, Family Night at the Plaza Library, www.kclibrary.org

Eve: Mini Market Tour at Farmers’ Markets, KC Food Circle, www.kcfoodcircle.org

Saturday, June 20

Morning: Mini Market Tour at Farmers’ Markets, KC Food Circle, www.kcfoodcircle.org

10am: Raw Food Basics, Communiversity, Tony Aguirre Community Center, www.umkc.edu/ commu

2pm: Farm Animals in the City, Lincoln University Extension, Ruiz Branch Library, www.kclibrary.org

TBA: Osage Indian Horticulture & Diet, Jackson County Parks & Rec, www.co.jackson.mo.us/

Sunday, June 21

2pm: How to Eat Local in Kansas City, Trails West Library, www.kclibrary.org

3-4:30pm: Starting an Urban Farm, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, www.kccua.org

 

All events are free (unless stated otherwise). 

 

Buy your tickets now- it is going to be a great event!

For more information, visit the Farms and Gardens Tour website at: www.urbanfarmstourkc.com

Come Celebrate! June 24th 2009

Hillary Brown from Local Burger writes:

Please save the date (June 24, 2009, 7-9pm at Liberty Hall) for a terrific and fun event (please see poster below) honoring the folks that have been working hard for sustainable food before sustainable food was the thing.  These folks deserve recognition for their behind the scenes work for food-with-integrity that celebrates our regional culture and community.  There will be a wonderful presentation by economist Ken Meter – he is an amazing speaker and he has done tremendous research on the economic potential of foods grown and raised in the Kansas River Valley – his results will astound you.  There will be a wide array of local foods (prepared by The Merc and Local Burger) for everyone to munch on – all grown and raised by skilled sustainable farmers and ranchers in our community. 

Last month, representatives of our local and sustainable food economy went to Japan for 10 days and learned a lot about how the Japanese are creating local and organic food economies. The Japan delegation of local and organic producers will be in town the week of this event to learn what types of things the Kansas River Valley is doing to improve our local food economy.
 
It is our hope that this will become an annual event celebrating the stars of local foods.  Help get it started off right this year by celebrating and recognizing the Local Foods Pioneers in our region.

 

This event is sponsored by the Global Partners for Local and Organic Foods, The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund of Douglas County, The Kansas Rural Center, The Merc, and Local Burger.So please come join us from 7-9pm Wednesday June 24th!   For a mere $5 you get access to great local food, great music, a great presenter, fabulous guests from Japan, and you get to recognize the folks committed to real food, real community and a real economy ~ the pioneers of local and organic agriculture in the Kansas River Valley.

 

 

 

Chef K adds a new hat.

She’s an owner of a business, she’s a chef, she’s a mom, she’s a roving reporter?  Really?  Yes, folks you heard it here first, or maybe you heard it from her before you heard it here…..anyway, Chef K is going to be doing another “roving report” for the LIVE! From Jasper’s Kitchen on 710 am KCMO radio, Saturday June 6th at 12:00 p.m. central standard time.  She will be interviewing Chef Gary Puetz who is traveling around the various Kansas City Hen House stores to promote Copper River Salmon.  She will also be inquiring into Hen House making FRESH mozzerella which is made at each location between 2 – 4pm.  (my sources tell me that it’s sooooooo fresh and sooooooooooooo good, that it doesn’t stay around long, so if you want some, get there that day) 

As always what makes the show the show that it is, is…..Chef Jasper.  His enthusiasm and love for food is at the top of the charts and you can’t help but want to learn more about the various food products he is talking about.  Be sure and tune in on your AM dial 710 or you can listen to the show on the web at www.710kcmo.com. 

Saturday, June 6th 12pm c.s.t.

Coming to a Library near you…Eating local in KC

The following is from Ralph Tomlinson, Adult Services Librarian for Olathe Public Library

As part of the activities leading up to the Greater Kansas City Urban Farm Tour 2009, local libraries in Independence, MO, and Olathe, KS, are featuring the following program:

“How to Eat Local in KC” – hosted by Season Burnett (Director of the Kansas City CSA Coalition) and Emily Akins (member of the Kansas City Food Circle Coordinating Committee)

How can you reach out to your community while at the same time finding local, sustainable methods for buying, making, and growing your own food? Come learn and share information about the exploding number of Kansas City’s local and organic farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture and CSAs, community and school gardening, preserving, and other local-food efforts promoted by some fantastic organizations actively involved in our local “foodshed.” As you grow more inspired, you can find out how to help your friends and neighbors “go local”!

* Thursday, June 11, 7 p.m., Olathe Public Library, 201 E. Park St., Olathe, KS 66061 (call 913.971.6888 to register)
* Sunday, June 21, 2 p.m., Trails West Branch of the KCMO Library, 11401 East 23rd Street, Independence, MO 64052 (call 816.701.3483 for more information) RSVP Now for Trails West Event

For information on other events throughout the month of June and for tickets for Urban Farm Tour 2009, go to http://urbanfarmstourkc.com/