SPRING 2008
Volume 1, Issue 2
SPRING INTERFAITH WORKSHOP APRIL 13TH!
Please join us on Sunday, April 13th for the Baltimore Food and Faith Project’s
Spring Interfaith Workshop. With the coming of spring, farmers from all across the
country are sowing the seeds that will, in the fall, become food for many of us and
our families. More and more of these farmers are deciding that in order to make this
food as nourishing and life-sustaining as possible, they must re-imagine how to
grow their crops. They are doing this by employing earth-friendly farming practices,
by respecting the animals they raise, by paying fair wages to their farm workers, by
actively participating in their communities, and by trying to get a fair price for their
goods.
We here at the BFFP are also trying to re-imagine how we and our faith partners
might plant seeds in our own communities that can spur us to work towards a more
just and healthy food system for all. In keeping with that idea, the April 13th
workshop, “Seeds of Hope: Nurturing Just and Healthy Relationships in our Food
System” will bring together several exciting speakers. We will discuss how food and
faith are related, how congregations can partner with local farmers to bring healthy
produce to their communities, and how we might work together to help rebuild a
local Chesapeake food economy.
Check out the full flyer to find out who, where, and when:
http://www.jhsph.edu/clf/PDF%20Files/events/interfaith_workshop_08.pdf
We hope that you can make it!
FOOD OF THE SEASON
We don’t know about you, but we didn’t always like
asparagus. We have memories of trying to swallow
down bitter and chewy stalks and not having much
luck! This all changed when we had the chance to take a bite of
some asparagus last year after picking it one early morning at a
local farm. Who knew that asparagus could actually taste sweet?!
One of the first foods to make an appearance in spring, it turns out
that asparagus gets tougher as time passes since it’s been picked. So,
the best place to get it is at your local farm stand or farmers’ market
where it has likely been picked that day or the day before. You can
choose from white, purple, and green varieties.
Legend has it that asparagus was used in ancient Greece and Rome as
an herbal remedy to flush the kidneys. High in vitamins B6 and C,
plus fiber, and an anti-carcinogen and antioxidant, asparagus is an
excellent nutritional choice.
BFFP’s mission:
To partner with Baltimore area
faith communities and religious
organizations of all faith traditions to promote a just, safe,
and trustworthy food system
that allows us to produce what
is needed now and for future
generations in a way that protects people, animals, air, land,
and water.
PROJECT UPDATE
Just when we thought that it
couldn’t get any better…
We are pleased to announce the
addition of Mr. Rick Bernstein of
First Fruit Farms, Inc.; Dr. George
Fisher of Johns Hopkins University; and Presbyterian minister,
Rev. Gretchen van Utt to the BFFP
Advisory Committee. Rick,
George, and Gretchen are already
inspiring us, and we are very
grateful for their help.
Thanks again to all on the
Committee for their shared wisdom
and positivity!
BFFP SPEAKERS BUREAU
Interested in having a speaker come
and talk to a group at your faith community? We’ve had several speaking
engagements in the last couple of
months, and have had a great time
meeting and sharing ideas with people
throughout the Baltimore region. If you think you
might like to host such a gathering, please let us
know! (410) 502-7577 or [email protected]
Roasted Asparagus
from Simply in Season
One of the very best—and easiest—ways to enjoy asparagus is to simply roast it. This is a great side dish to
make when you’re busy and running short on time. It’s inexpensive, too!
Serves 2 to 4; Preparation and Cooking Time around 10 minutes
1 pound / 500 g asparagus
Break off woody ends. Lay the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3 to 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
olive oil
Sprinkle asparagus with garlic, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated 400F oven or grill, shaking the pan or partially
turning every few minutes. When asparagus starts to look wrinkled and brown in some spots, about 5 minutes on the grill, a
bit longer in the oven, remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle with balsamic vinegar or
lemon juice immediately before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.
BFFP MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Episcopal Church of the Guardian Angel
2629 Huntingdon Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 235-5740
Rev. Alice Jellema, Pastor
Vegetable Container Gardening
educational event last summer at
Church of the Guardian Angel,
Remington.
Remington’s Church of the Guardian Angel is a diverse, innovative,
and active church in Baltimore.
The congregation has been doing all sorts of creative projects this past year that are proving good for the health of its members, others living in their community, and the planet. Maggie del Campo, BFFP Advisory Committee member and member
of Church of the Guardian Angel, describes her churches activities for The Good Food Digest:
“Over the past three years, Reverend Alice Jellema from Church of the Guardian Angel (CGA) is slowly “greening” her
congregation and the community of Remington that surrounds the church. Her passionate love and concern for our
community has motivated us to educate a neighborhood struggling with social problems. One of our greatest concerns is the
poor nutrition prevalent in the community. The church has for years run a food pantry and recently, Alice has partnered with
Joan Norman of One Straw Farm. Joan has generously offered to donate collards, kale, and chard for distribution. In fact, at
one of the church’s most popular events last August, the annual Back to School Fair, we organized a “Cooking of the Greens”
cook-off to encourage community members to share recipes using fresh greens donated by One Straw Farm.
In July of 2007, we also held a “Vegetable Container Gardening” educational event. Community members stopped by to
learn how to start container gardens in their own backyards using a variety of containers. A Master Gardener donated her time
to speak to passers-by about the virtues of planting herbs, vegetables, and a variety of plants in creative containers. CGA
congregants planted squash, basil, and other herbs in an old stainless steel sink and a cast-iron bathtub that a local artist
enhanced beautifully – a ‘CAUTION: Poison Ivy’ sign was later added to discourage vandalism, and it worked! All who
attended had a chance to win a bucket of garden tools and seed packets generously donated by Mill Valley Garden Center.
Every Wednesday night, CGA hosts a dinner which feature a host of vegetables that are so often lacking in the diets of our
community members. Additionally, we are in the process of “greening” our Sunday morning coffee hour. Congregants have
been assigned their own reusable mug so that the use of styrofoam cups can be minimized and eventually eliminated.
Congregants enjoy donated fair-trade coffee and yummy morsels donated by our own Barb Fisher, Juanita Curtis and others.
Occasionally, members donate organic munchies with the hopes that one day the coffee hour can be all fair-trade, organic,
and nutritious.
In working with the BFFP, Church of the Guardian Angel continues to learn and share with other Remingtonites the virtues
of eating fresh, local, organic, and nutritious food.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
This issue’s Food for Thought section is about Gratitude. The first passage is from Francis Moore Lappé, founder of the
Small Planet Institute and author of Diet for a Small Planet and Eat Grub:
“A teacher from Berkeley told me about a time when her students washed and trimmed and cut up ingredients and made a big
salad. ‘Now wait,’ she said, ‘Before we start eating, let’s stop and think about the people who tilled the ground, planted the
seeds, and harvested the vegetables…’ The kids stood up at their desks and gave the salad a standing ovation.”
In many of our faith traditions, food is described as a gift from above:
“Today it is harder to see God’s fingerprints on the food we eat. Ninety percent of the average American’s food budget is
spent on processed food. Our food comes to us packaged, stamped and dated, with a wrapper declaring who made it: Kroger or
Libby or Dole or the elves at the Keebler tree house. This shift from food as gift to food as commodity affects our souls as well
as our waistlines. A commodity is best bought on sale; a gift is something we receive with thanks. A commodity can be
wasted, gobbled, easily replaced; a gift is treasured. When we eat whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, we honor our
bodies’ needs for fiber and nutrients. We also honor God who brings these things forth from the earth. A meal fresh from the
ground reminds us of the sacredness of food and the One who provides it.” - Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table
What foods do you eat that invoke a feeling a thanksgiving? What about them makes you feel grateful—their taste, the way in
which they were grown, the hard work of the farmers and farm workers who produced them, that they fill your stomach, or
something else? The next time that you eat dinner, think about all that went into getting the food to your plate, and give your
meal its own standing ovation.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturday, 4/5/08
8:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Cathedral Church of the Incarnation
4 East University Parkway
Baltimore, MD 21218
To reserve lunch, please RSVP (by 4/2/08)
to Paulette Hammond, (410) 747-3811, or
e-mail [email protected]
Saturday, 4/26/2008
9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Our Lady of Mt. Providence Convent
701 Gun Road
Baltimore, MD 21227
To register online, go to
http://www.pfmjpi.org/calendar.htm
Wednesday, 4/30/2008
8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Grace Fellowship Church
9505 Deerco Road
Timonium, MD 21093
Caring for God’s Creation: Living Our Faith is the theme of the 6th Annual Green
Gathering event held by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland’s Committee on the
Environment. Dr. George Fisher of Johns Hopkins University will speak on
“Greening our Faith: A Biblical Perspective,” The Hon. John P. Sarbanes of the U.S.
House of Representatives will make a presentation on the “No Child Left Inside”
legislation he helped to sponsor, and the BFFP’s own Angela Smith and Dr. Roni
Neff will talk about some of the environmental impacts of the food system and how
congregations can work to improve it.
A $15 donation will include a vegetarian lunch from One World Café.
The Spirituality of Sustainability: Looking at Our World in Faith, Hope & Love, sponsored by the Murphy Institute for Justice and Peace, will “enable and inspire participants to develop and enhance a spirituality of hope which embraces (the idea that) this
world is sustainable by its very nature… (and that) each one of us is called to embrace
the local and global shifts necessary for this planet to be sustainable.”
Keynote speaker is Sr. Carol Zinn, SSJ, of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Philadelphia.
Other United Nations NGO panelists will be present. Program costs $25; partial scholarships are available by calling (410) 823-8585, ext. 244 for info.
WYPR’s Sheila Kast will moderate Faith and the Environment, a conversation by a
panel of religious leaders and religion experts about stewardship and creation. Learn
how our different faiths call us to be stewards of our environment and how we are
responding to the call. Panelists are Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, Dr. William Dinges,
Dr. George Fisher, and Mr. Russ Pope. This event is FREE.
Refreshments will be served beforehand at 7:30 PM. For more information, please
visit: http://baltimoregreenweek.org/page.php?id=429
To remove your name from our mailing list, please reply with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.
Questions or comments, please e-mail us at [email protected], or call 410-502-7577.