This will be a great conference with lots of workshops, networking opportunities, and entertainment! I’ll be showcasing songs from my new CD ‘Eat Like A Rainbow’ (more about that in my next post). Lots of luminaries will be there, including some of our own readers! The 2008 program will focus on strengthening the resolve of children to eat nutritious, fresh foods by:

* connecting holistic food and nutrition messaging in our classrooms, cafeterias, after-school programs, homes, and neighborhoods;

* fostering relationships among school children and their communities that focus on food, cooking, and gardening;

* exploring the nuts and bolts of cross sector (i.e. health, education, foodservice, and agriculture) public and private collaborations; and

* promoting federal, state and local policies that strengthen economic and cultural bonds between local farms and schools, support the development of school gardens, and provide adequate funding for healthy, delicious school lunches for all students.

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Way back in April, I attended and sang in Northampton, MA, at one of the many ‘Step it Up’ rallies going on across the country, and across the world, to bring attention to the realities of climate change. The sound system was powered by veggie oil from my van’s engine running through an inverter, and a good time was had by all. You can see my van, the ‘Veggie Voyager’, near the top right of the photo. Ironically, the weather was perfect! Here is a broadcast from WAMC radio that sums up the event pretty nicely.

Click here to listen!
This past weekend, another series of Step it Up rallies were called across the country - hundreds in all. I played at the rally in Kingston, NY, organized by the teachers and students of Kingston High School. This time though, the weather was cold and wet - making it harder to think about global warming! Activists of all stripes were there, and the mood was festive. Congressman Maurice Hinchey came to support the event, and he spoke after the music. Check out ‘Step it Up’ to see how you might get involved next time!

Last month, I had a great time at the Alternative Energy Festival run by the Beacon Sloop Club, an affiliate of the Clearwater organization. The club has done wonders in rehabilitating the waterfront area, and bringing environmental education and progressive culture to the city.

Pete Seeger himself has been a hard-working member of the club from the beginning, and his commitment to the Hudson river has been remarkable and unwavering over many years, and it is always a delight to see him there. I came to sing, and to demonstrate the ‘Veggie Voyager’, my vegetable oil-powered van.

After my concert, I wandered around the well organized, dockside Beacon Farmer’s Market (with lots of sustainably grown food) that runs there every Sunday.

There I met Seth Aaron, a student from the Newburgh Free Academy, and part of the winning team in the 12th annual Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge, a national competition. They drove from Texas to NY in July, and tied for first place with a team from Missouri. That qualifies them to go on to the world championship in Australia. The car itself, dubbed the ‘Sol Machine’, is actually made of Kevlar, a welded titanium frame and solar panels that charge the battery. It can go up to 50 mph. The car’s parts total more than $50,000.

In my next post, I’ll be talking with Seth about his culinary experience on the trip.

Last month, at Boston’s eclectic Lizard Lounge, between sets of one of my new favorite bands, Session Americana, I chatted with the delightful and hard-working Verena Wieloch, farm coordinator of the 17 acre, non-profit, community based, and organic Gaining Ground Farm, at Thoreau’s birthplace in Concord, MA.

The property has been under cultivation for more than 300 years, but since 1994 has been run as a mostly volunteer (Last year, volunteers contributed a record 4,200 hours of their time to work and learn in Gaining Ground’s gardens.), all organic operation, which donates all of its produce to area food pantries and meal programs, all within 20 miles of the farm, and all within 24 hours of harvest!

They run a great reading program for area kids called ‘Read For Seeds‘, in which classes learn about organic farming, hunger relief, and community service, while reading for pledges which buy the seeds, which become the thousands of pounds of fresh organic produce which is given away each year to folks in need. The Gaining Ground website, filled with photos, gardening wisdom, and farm info, is concise and compelling. There are lots of opportunities to volunteer and contribute to this very community-centered project.

I just got back from presenting at 4 area conferences for the NY State School Nutrition Association. This is a professional organization that helps support and educate cafeteria workers. This year’s theme was Farm to School Programs. Getting more local fruits, grains, and vegetables into the schools makes sense for children’s health, local economies, school budgets, and the preservation of farmlands. Other presenters included local farmers, and folks from the NYS Farm Bureau. Promoting local agriculture and economies was something that everyone there agreed with, and there was a lot of useful information presented by some very passionate and well-informed people. I felt welcomed, even with my more ‘radical’ viewpoints, and was given a good forum to present my ideas, as well as my songs - I really enjoyed myself.

On the other hand, I am constantly surprised to be reminded that most of the attendees, which included cafeteria managers as well as staff, had little knowledge of nutrition beyond the basic USDA requirements.

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Fed up with school food? This just in from a great site called ‘Two Angry Moms’

“Amy was stewing for years, packing her kids lunches from home and trying to get her community to pay attention to what kids are eating in school. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, Amy decided to take the fight to film. She spent 18 months searching for another mom willing to take on this mission.

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Here’s the second audio installment of my still unfinished CD, ‘Eat Like A Rainbow’.

Click here to hear a rough version of ‘Strong Bones’ (click the player below). This song promotes healthy foods, exercise, cutting down on salt and junk food, and the radical idea that milk is not the only source of calcium. It also talks about bones being flexible as well as strong. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that bones have piezoelectric and other crystalline properties, and enjoy talking with kids about making friends with their skeletons… I’d love to hear comments on the song!

This month I head off to five regional conferences of the NY State School Nutrition Association where I’ll be a presenter, and where I’ll meet with farmers, school food managers, and teachers, to promote these songs, the upcoming album, and my assembly concerts. (More on those and other concerts, and more songs to listen to here on my website, http://jaymankita.com)

Click here for the free audio preview of an unfinished recording of my new song, ‘Eat Like A Rainbow’ (click the player below) from the upcoming album of the same name, that I’m producing for the NY Coalition For Healthy School Foods.

Its also the working title of my new kids’ concert, and I’ve been taking the opportunity to perform the songs all over the place in schools, libraries, and other venues.

The song promotes eating colorful foods, and living a colorful life. The show contains 10 different songs featuring healthy choices. For 3 more of the songs online, or to find out more about this program, check out my website, and I’ll post more of them here soon!

I just returned from 5 days at the Pioneer Valley Co-Housing Community for a performer’s retreat with some great folks. I spent much of my time recording pieces from the upcoming ‘Eat Like A Rainbow’ CD (which I’m producing for my friends at the New York Coalition For Healthy School Lunches). I participated in two of the community dinners while there, and really enjoyed the pre-meal circling up, the dining company, and of course, the food! Here’s a blurb from their website describing how it works:

“Meals are prepared and served by the community every Monday and Wednesday evening. Half to three-quarters of our members dine at regular meals, and there are frequent guests, as well. Meals are generally vegetarian, and vegetarian and diary-free options are always available. Organic foods are preferred, but are not always found to be economical or available. Whenever possible, meals are planned around the produce from our organic garden. Meal costs are $3.00 per adult and $1.50 per child.”

I also appreciated the attention paid to recycling, energy efficiency, and the general sense of community around the place. I finished most of the recording, and left behind this one more place where folks just living their lives are helping create alternative systems to replace the old dying ones.

Just got back from the annual New Year’s Contact Improvisation Jam at Earthdance, an ecologically focused, intentional community for (transient) resident dancers that I’ve been visiting for a dozen years or so.The food is great - lots of root vegetables, leafy greens, hearty soups, and other healthy wintery fare - with much of the food coming from the organic Earthdance garden. Add a hot tub, sauna, and about 125 wooded acres with a cold, deep quarry for swimming, and of course lots of yummy people, for full effect.

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Just finished touring my non-religious Holiday concert, ‘The 12 Days Of Recess’, in my vegetable oil-powered van, The Veggie Voyager. For the concert’s title song (which lampoons consumer frenzy), the kids sing and make all kinds of silly movements and sounds to go along with each ridiculous gift: 12 Hummers humming, 11 hyperspace things, 10 frogs a-leaping, 9 ladies who can’t sing, 8 maids a-cleaning, 7 swans a-sinking, 6 pizzas flying, 5 moldy things, 4 calling cards, 3 french poodles, 2 ninja turtle gloves, and the Partridge Family CD.

Play ‘12 Days Of Recess’ MP3 (end of song 1:35)

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