Dear RFRS Community,
Monday night, we gathered for the third meeting of our book club, for both new and returning members, discussing Dan Barber's The Third Plate.
As the person who handles the logistics and curation behind RFRS storytelling gatherings, I'm typically buzzing around the room, making sure the evening is running smoothly--that cups are filled, food is hot, and the setting is ripe for conversation and connections.
During the book club, I get to put my logistics cap down and sink into deep listening and conversation, which are two of my favorite things. Our book club feels so immediately intimate, though the majority of us begin as strangers, but I leave feeling not only more connected to our food web, but to my own humanity.
That night we also excitedly huddled around a laptop to watch the video Chef Dan sent, responding to our questions centered around the future of food. You can also watch his thoughtful message on our Facebook page.
From the video:
"If we don't have an eating culture that enables [positive] ecological decisions, then it breaks down. You could be the most thoughtful and concerned farmer, but if you don't have a public that is...literally eating the right kind of rotations that prop up the right kind of farming decisions that create this healthy environment, we are cooked. The call of The Third Plate is to say, we need to learn more about what does our region produce well, and what is it about our ecological niche that makes our particular region thrives with certain grains, vegetables, and meats."
- Dan Barber
Thank you Chef Dan for challenging us to connect with our ecological surroundings and to explore the wealth of food that grows in our region.
We hope you will join our book club, always open to any and all eaters interested in discussing more about where our food comes from.
Sophia Lorenzi, Storytelling Program Manager
"Real Food Real Stories hosts an amazing book club full of thoughtful individuals who enter the food space in diverse ways. I always look forward to gathering in the community, each time coming away with new ideas, knowledge, and personal connections." -Jessica K., returning book club member
"I always appreciate the dynamic groups that RFRS events attract and the wide range of experience and engagement in the food space. I got a lot of interesting points of view and also a real sense of the level of concern, earnestness and also hope for what change in the food system can make for the world and ways that we might be empowered and target areas where we might be able to effect change. I left the event feeling more engaged and also felt as though I had wider lens looking towards areas where I can try to make a difference. I'm looking forward to the next event!" -Christopher W., RFRS storyteller and new book club member
"I haven't had a lot of exposure to places like the Real Food Real Stories' Book Club, but it was incredibly inspiring to see people in the industry that are passionate about having such intellectual and meaningful conversations about what issues they see in the food industry, and what they can do to help solve them." -Kat H., new book club member
"On a blustery winter night, what better way to warm up than with a heated conversation with 12 new "foodie" friends at RFRS' Book Club at The Perennial. We gathered to discuss Dan Barber's book, but much of the evening's inspiration came from sharing our own stories and ideas while sipping cocktails and nibbling on exquisite snacks. Thanks, RFRS, for putting together an evening of great food, great people, great conversations."
-Marie B., new book club member