She's an inspiration. How can we turn ideas into action?

Ms Julie at the Growing Hope Food Summit 2013, demonstrating how to make a complete healthy meal for under one dollar per person using fresh, local organic foods on food stamps and WIC.

Julie Costell (Ms Julie) is an inspiration at every turn. That someone is able to garden, run a successful restaurant, and allow time to go into the community to offer demonstrations on healthy vegan meals is astounding to me. I'm sure she's doing more, but this is just the stuff with which I am familiar. Ms Julie is a very special person.

Ms Julie's recent post on facebook starts off with, "Hahaha." I can hear her joy-filled laughter in my mind. She continues, "My black bean burger demo at the Growing Hope Food Summit 2013... showed how to make a complete healthy meal for under a dollar per person using fresh local organic foods on food stamps and wic :)"

The Growing Hope Food Summit is, according to their facebook page, "About - Striving to better our local food system and strengthen our community. Description - Join us and stay updated as we engage in dialogue to develop strategies aimed at creating a localized food system that increases accessibility, strengthens our economy, and empowers the residents of Summit County (OH)."

Setting aside for a moment the myriad of reasons why communities need to take back control of their food sources and meal preparation, how can we get the information presented by the Growing Hope Food Summit and Ms Julie to more people? If Summit County, Ohio is doing it well, we would like to make a primer so that more organizations, individuals, volunteers have a simple blue print that can be customized to their regions.

RESOURCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

• Ackerman-Leist, Philip. Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, and Secure Food Systems (Community Resilience Guides). Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2013. (The author is an instructor at Green Mountain College home of Bill and Lou the Oxen. The animals with whom we share our planet must be a part of our discussion on food sustainability. Ag-gag bills must also be addressed. How can we hide the process by which animals are raised and slaughtered and expect ethical, healthy, and safe results?)
• Hesterman, Oran B. Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All. New York: PublicAffairs, 2011.
• Winne, Mark. Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty. Massachusettes: Beacon Press, 2009. 

Magazines

• van Gelder, Sarah. "How to Eat Like Our Lives Depend on It." Yes! Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions. 

Online

• Detroit Soup. http://detroitsoup.com/ Detroit SOUP is a microgranting dinner celebrating creative projects in Detroit.
• Growing Hope. http://growinghope.net/ Growing Hope is dedicated to helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening and healthy food access. Based in Washtenaw County, Michigan, we work with neighborhoods, schools, community groups, and families to develop and sustain gardens.
• Healthy Summit. http://www.healthysummit.org/ Healthy Summit is modeled after the federal government’s Healthy People initiative. According to the initiative’s website, Healthypeople.gov, “Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans."
• Project Green Thumb. http://www.cdfohio.org/programs-campaigns/the-new-abolitionist/campaigns-and-projects/project-green-thumb/project-green-thumb.html Project green thumb is in the startup phase with the New Abolitionists Association Cleveland Chapter. All across Cleveland we see empty lots and blighted houses not being put to good use. At the same time there are food deserts that leave us with little or no access to the food that we need to be productive in school. It’s time to take matters into our own hands and grow it ourselves!