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food events

Event Recaps

NONI’S JUST FOOD CONFERENCE RECAP: MARCH 2016

April 7, 2016

Is It Just About Food? A Day At the Just Food Conference
by Noni Vaughn-Pollard @darkchocolatepeanutbutter

Photo credit: @simplywithout

Photo credit: @simplywithout

On Sunday March 13th, the Just Food Conference at Columbia’s Teachers College brought together people with good food expertise—from high school students to urban farmers. The day provided information about nutrition education, urban agriculture, food policy and food business for anyone familiar with the good food movement. People were filled with enthusiasm to learn and discuss with others about our food system.

One of the seminars I attended focused on maintaining optimal liver health. Andrea Beaman, a holistic health coach, discussed how traditional Chinese medicine can help us to de-stress our liver and our overall physique. I’ve learned about the basic functions and significance of the liver in school, however I’m unfamiliar with Eastern medicine’s views on the human body. I thought it was fascinating that in Chinese medicine inflammation in the liver affects other parts of the body such as the eyes or the skin. For instance, she discussed how itchy and tired eyes are a sign that the liver is overworked. She emphasized, “A cup of warm water with lemon is a great way to help your liver to detoxify your body!” To help the liver, Beaman also suggested avoiding fried foods, eating small meals throughout the day, eating sour and astringent herbs and foods, and drinking dandelion and milk thistle tea. Since the liver is a magnet of stress, she suggested yoga, meditation, and engaging in creative activities like coloring. She even showed us how to build energy in our body by tapping our body with our fists. Overall I enjoyed the talk and learned to appreciate my liver for its daily hard work. For more information, you can visit Andrea Beaman’s website.

Learning what different cultures can teach us about our relationship with our bodies was a significant takeaway from the seminar. I think some people tend to stereotype Eastern medicine as a hippy phenomenon but I feel that keeping an open-mind about how different cultures treat their bodies can help us as well. It’s ironic since many of us are aware of the benefits of Eastern medicine. For instance, Indian cuisine uses turmeric in their cooking and the Japanese love miso, two foods that Americans are now raving about for their nutritional benefits. Eastern medicine has always been classified as “alternative medicine” however it feels like it is becoming the new normal in Western culture. I would like to know from others—who uses traditional Chinese medicine for healing, exercise and nutrition?

I’m glad that the Just Food Conference sponsored this event on liver health because it was a topic that interested a wide array of people. I enjoyed listening to Andrea Beaman—she had an extroverted personality and was happy to answer any questions from the audience. And I feel the conference had a strong focus on changing the image of the good food movement to a more diverse one—one that included female urban farmers of color. I’ve always had a concern over the image of good food, but I was definitely satisfied with the various speakers and audience members I saw at Just Food.

Event Guide From the Team

NEVER MISS ANOTHER GOOD FOOD EVENT!

April 5, 2016

Foodstand, a community designed to keep people “in the know” about the good food movement, now gives you the best food events online, on app and in your inbox—curated by their community.

In a city like New York, there is never a shortage of food events or openings. In the last decade alone, new restaurant, bar and cafe openings in New York City have risen more than 27 percent.

“A decade or so ago, I would lay out Time Out NY, The Village Voice, New York Magazine and the New Yorker, and I would get overwhelmed with all the events, tastings, and restaurant/theater/gallery openings. Heck, you could even find out where all the free wine and cheese events were taking place each week throughout the city,” Robert Haynes-Peterson, drinks writer for Askmen.com told me in conversation. “Now those publications don’t comprehensively cover any of those topics, and the information is too fragmented or even outdated across the web. Even as someone covering food and drink, I have no reliable, comprehensive resource for finding out what’s going on this week across the city.”

“A decade or so ago, I would lay out Time Out NY, The Village Voice, New York Magazine and the New Yorker, and I would get overwhelmed with all the events, tastings, and restaurant/theater/gallery openings…Now those publications don’t comprehensively cover any of those topics, and the information is too fragmented or even outdated across the web.” ~ Robert Haynes-Peterson 

“Independent artisans and foodmakers, particularly ones that are just starting out, also have challenges when reaching food-interested communities. In speaking with the community, many voiced their concerns that they have to rely on their own social streams, which they are still building,” says Summer Rayne Oakes, Director of Community and Marketing at Foodstand. There hasn’t been one place to share your event or see what else is happening, so we’re glad to be offering that to everyone.”

Foodstand, which produces some of their own events—from the Good Food Spotlight for entrepreneurs to their upcoming Food Book & Film Club, saw the value that people were getting during their in-person events. Randy Rodriguez of @cabalitonyc connected with Jimmy Carbone @jimmycarbone of Jimmy’s No. 43 at one of Foodstand and Slow Money’s Good Food Spotlight events and pretty shortly afterwards was doing a pop-up for his pupusas in Jimmy’s space. Six months later, Randy opened one of the first El Salvadorian restaurants in New York.

This was reinforced after hearing from Foodstand subscribers that the Top 10 Best Food Events that are curated by Foodstand and delivered to their inbox every week, were invaluable. “I often work 6 days a week and don’t get home until late at night. It’s challenging to keep up with everything that’s happening,” Chef Flo @servemenow, shared.

Bread alive! Now local farmers and foodmakers can include their events on Foodstand's app and community calendar.

Butter Believe It!  Now local farmers and foodmakers can include their events on Foodstand’s app and community calendar. Photo of Orwashers Bread.

“Now the community can add any food-related events that they deem interesting and relevant to the community. “Those events are searchable by event and date both on our app and on our website,” says Rachna Govani, co-founder and CEO of Foodstand. “When people ask whether they can get their event featured, we just say, ‘Sure—you can just do it yourself!’ It’s all part of our community-powered ethos.”

“It’s unbelievable the diversity of food-related events happening—and not just in New York,” says Oakes. “Of course, it’s impossible to go to all of them, but in a way, it reveals just how much the community around better eating has grown and is growing. It immediately allows us to feel that we’re part of something much larger than us all.”

Anyone in the Foodstand community can post their own events with location, event date and time, and RSVP link via the Foodstand app, which is available as a free download for iPhone. (Android releases in late April 2016). Events automatically are updated on Foodstand's community calendar online as well, and the best events are shared in a weekly email.

Anyone in the Foodstand community can post their own events with location, event date and time, and RSVP link via the Foodstand app, which is available as a free download for iPhone. (Android releases in late April 2016). Events automatically are updated on Foodstand’s community calendar online as well, and the best events are shared in a weekly email.

And what’s on Foodstand’s radar this month? Check out these events:

 


Want to post an event in the app? Here’s how to do it in 5 easy steps!

  1. Click on the “+” button
  2. Add a url (information will automatically populate)
  3. Type headline or subtitle (if information didn’t automatically populate)
  4. Provide location, start date, end date, and photo, where needed.
  5. Click the “✓”

BONUS: Automatically share across all of your social media feeds from the app!

Want to “stay in the know” about event happenings in your neighborhood or include some of your own? Download the Foodstand app, sign up to the newsletter, or check out the website.

 

Featured Photo by Andrew Bicknell