VCU news

By Vincent Simone

When it comes to food, Americans in recent years have been waking up and responding to some important facts about the way they eat and live. 

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than one-third of adults and 17 percent of youth in the United States are obese. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity-related conditions – including heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and certain types of cancer – are some of the leading causes of preventable death. 

Unfortunately, these are only the most salient statistics among the many that describe a complex food system in dire need of change. In response, the Center for Science in the Public Interest – a consumer advocacy organization – created Food Day four years ago to inspire Americans to change their diets and the country’s food policies. Every Oct. 24, thousands of events all around the country bring Americans together to celebrate and enjoy real food and push for improvements in our food system. 

Virginia Commonwealth University began hosting such an event two years ago thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Wellness Resource Center (better known as “The Well”), VCU Dining Services, VCU Goes Green, the School of Social Work and the Byrd House Market. This year, the university has planned a four-day celebration giving the VCU community several opportunities to participate in events designed to get people thinking about the choices they make every day. 

Events begin Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Byrd House Market, a farmer’s market in the Oregon Hill neighborhood adjacent to VCU’s Monroe Park campus. Students, faculty and staff with VCU ID are eligible for $10 deals from participating vendors. Katie Vatalaro Hill, associate director of The Well, encourages students to take advantage of the nearby access to local produce while supporting local farmers. 

“It’s literally in our backyard,” she said. 

At 7:30 p.m., the Commons Theater will screen “Growing Cities,” a documentary that examines the role of urban farming in America and how much power it has to revitalize our cities and change the way we eat. A discussion will follow. 

For “Local Food Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Shafer Court Dining Center’s lunch and dinner menus — from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. — will feature tofu and local produce. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., you can participate in the first of two herb-planting parties, a fun way for everybody to get their hands dirty and participate in container gardening. 

“Even if you can’t have a garden of your own,” Hill said, “you can grow something.” 

On Thursday, Oct. 23, VCU Dining Services will host a food demonstration and tasting titled “Healthy Eating on $5 a Day” in the Commons Theater from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. 

“Healthy food can be affordable,” Hill said. “When people think about being on a budget, they are naturally drawn to fast food because it’s ‘cheap’ and fast. But with a little preparation, students can make their own cheap, easy, tasty food and bring it with them, or find alternatives on and around campus.” 

In response to this year’s Food Day theme – “Real Food, Just Food” – on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., a panel will discuss efforts in Richmond to improve access to local, affordable, healthy food and how students can get involved, in the University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms C and D. 

Panelists are Dominic Barrett from Shalom Farms; Amanda Hall and Toby Vernon from the School Garden Initiative; Ana Edwards from the William Byrd Community House and Byrd House Market; and Terrance Walker from the VCU Ram Pantry. Rachel Harms from Greater Richmond Fit4Kids will talk about her organization’s work with Shalom Farms and with prescription-produce programs in Richmond’s East End and will co-facilitate the discussion with Cameron Carter from the School of Social Work. 

To round out the week’s events, a second herb-planting party will take place on Friday, Oct. 24 – the official national Food Day – in the Jonah L. Larrick Student Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

In addition to these events, Hill suggests sitting down, sharing a meal with others and taking the time to think together about how our diets and our lives can be improved. 

“It has been fun to see Food Day grow across the nation,” she said. “It just gets bigger and bigger every year. Eventually, it’s going to be like Earth Day. It’ll be commonplace; people will know what it means.” 

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