Thanksgiving on the GROW Method

The Chicago Oxfam Action Corps looks at some GROW Method ways to update Thanksgiving!  Luckily for us, these great recipes will be delicious, easy, and sustainable all fall! Check out some more awesome opinions, tips, and ideas on the Chicago Oxfam Action Corps blog here.

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Looking for ways to Buy Local, Eat Less Meat and Dairy, Cook Smarter, Reduce Waste for Thanksgiving? And what better time than now, a weekend to celebrate family, friends and what we have over a delicious meal. Here are some simple recipes to start.

 Try this Salad to start your family meal. 

• 4 fresh Butternut Squash or 2 bags of butternut squash
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar Splenda* or regular brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Agave or Honey
• 1-2 Tablespoons of EVOO
• Spinach or mixed greens - washed & dried
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds

Heat your oven to 400 F. 
Chop squash into cubes 
On a large baking sheet, toss your squash with  EVOO, brown sugar & honey.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Toss pecans, cranberries, salad together. Top with baked squash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds




  



 This is a great Panzanella to use farm fresh ingredients packed with antioxidants!

• 5 cups of hearty, peasant bread torn into chunks
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus some for drizzling)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 5 large, ripe tomatoes cut into large cubes or wedges
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons/shredded (chiffonade)
• 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf, Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus some for seasoning the bread)
• freshly cracked black pepper

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread chunks in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes until dry and barely toasted.
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley and salt. Fold tomatoes into dressing.
Serve at room temperature.





Enjoy the season's best Midwestern Fall Harvest with this layered entree that offers a hearty vegetarian tian.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium winter squash
• 1 medium potato
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 Cup Shredded cheese of choice (Fresh grated Italian cheeses are great!)
• S&P

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.


There is so much to try with broccoli, brussel sprouts, root vegetables and more! Check out the newest recipes on the Oxfam GROW method Pinterest page. 

Chicago Oxfam Action Corps at the Leaky Con

The Chicago Oxfam Action Corps recently tabled at the Leaky Con, a conference for devoted Harry Potter fans that has recently become more involved with various humanitarian outreach initiatives. Read this great post by Chicago's Jessica Benoit to hear how this unlikely connection turned into a fantastic event for Oxfam!

Bonnie Wright, Oxfam Ambassador, during her trip to Senegal

What do Oxfam and Harry Potter have in common? I couldn’t come up with anything at first, but then I realized: they are both committed to making their 

community a better place. That’s why it made perfect sense that the Chicago Oxfam Action Corps posted up at the Leaky Con for 4 days in order to gain support for the GROW campaign. For those of you who have no idea what I’m referencing, the Leaky Con is a 4-day annual conference held for Harry Potter enthusiasts from around the globe. Fans come from literally all around the world to this sold-out conference to spend a long weekend among those with a similar love for Harry Potter to attend meetings, discussions, classes, concerts, plays, and more in the name of Harry Potter fandom. One of Oxfam’s biggest connections to the Leaky Con is the wonderful Harry Potter Alliance itself. Their Imagine Better Project is currently working on a campaign called Hunger is Not a Game, where they encourage others to pledge and support Oxfam's GROW campaign. Additionally, one of Oxfam's very own ambassadors is the lovely Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. It was great to be among so many others who are concerned about world hunger and willing to stop and learn a little bit about what they can do to help.

Our Goal!

Having set quite a lofty goal of getting 1,000 signatures of Leaky Con goers, Oxfam Action Corps members had their work cut out for them. We set up our table in the vendor section of the conference, but were challenged by being placed in a far corner of the hall with semi-low fan-traffic flowing through. Not to be discouraged, we set to the halls dressed as a banana, talking to the fans waiting in line for events about Oxfam America, the GROW campaign, the GROW method, and how they can get involved with Oxfam in their own communities. We even joined the crowds at the Leaky Con ball on Saturday night, complete with an Oxfam sticker-skirt and banana suit. Among the costumes, ball gowns, and “butter beer,” we managed to stand out, gather a few more signatures, and have a great time. The enthusiasm expressed by almost everyone we approached was welcoming and encouraging, though we fell just short of our goal. Wrapping up the weekend with a total of 698 new GROW pledgers was an amazing feeling, and all our hard work certainly paid off!

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came and supported us, and helped us inch closer to our goal. We could NOT have done it without all your enthusiasm, energy, and dedication! Check out the pictures below to see more of the fun:
-J.Benoit

View film from Bonnie Wright's trip to Senegal here

 Can the Harry Potter Alliance inspire their world of fans to do a world of good? Let us know your thoughts! Comment below or email actioncorps@oxfamamerica.org

World Food Prize update as we approach World Food Day!

Desiree Thayer, San Francisco Bay Area Oxfam Action Corps organizer, wrote two great posts (reprinted below) about her experience at the World Food Prize this week in Des Moines, Iowa!  She is there with organizers Amy and Stephen and other volunteers from the Iowa Action Corps, organizer Arielle of the NYC OAC, organizer Elissa of the Columbus OAC, organizer Nancy of the Chicago OAC, and Oxfam America staff, including Campaigns Director Judy Beals, Agricultural Advocacy Lead Jim French, Organizing and Alliances Coordinator Rebecca Perlmutter, Community Engagement Specialist Clara Herrero, and Senior Volunteer and Community Organizer Brian Rawson.

Volunteer Eileen, Organizing and Alliances Coordinator Rebecca Perlmutter, NYC Organizer Arielle, and SF Bay Area Organizer Desiree at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA.

Happy World Food Day, everybody!

Posted 10/12/2011

It's been a busy day at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa. Oxfam Action Corps volunteers from Des Moines, Chicago, Columbus, New York City, and San Francisco are here along with Oxfam America staff and special guest farmers from Colombia and Ethiopia.

The day was filled with talks and panel discussions from many sectors of agriculture and food, including governmental, nonprofit, private business, and academic. Nearly every talk I attended expressed a need to increase food production to feed a growing population of 9 billion people by 2050, though, not surprisingly, the approaches described varied from high tech products and methods to development assistance programs for farmers in developing countries.

Two descriptions of the food system that resonated with me were from Howard G. Buffett from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Judy Beals from Oxfam America. Mr. Buffett said, "Different farmers need different solutions," which he has witnessed on his own research farms here in the Midwest and in South Africa. He shared four stories of projects, all that were unsuccessful but proved to be great lessons in the importance of local and geographic-specific considerations for determining technology feasibility environmentally, economically, and socially. Echoing a similar view, Judy Beals explained how we are faced with the need to reform the food system, which is a complex problem and "there is no silver bullet and no magic seeds".

We were also very fortunate to have two female farmers from developing countries come to share their experiences at an Oxfam-sponsored panel. Nelly Velandia, a farmer from Colombia, and Silas Samson Biru, an Ethiopian farmer, spoke about their work with farmer-led initiatives in their countries. Nelly is a leader for the Farmers' Markets Program in Bogota, which aims to promote the small farm economy and bring fresh food produced by small farmers directly to the consumer at fair prices. Silas participates in a risk-management program: Horn of Africa Risk Transfer for Adaptation (HARITA). Both women have worked hard as leaders in their communities, facing difficulties as they break cultural norms for women and convince local government to include them in decision-making. Their stories in inspiring, not only for their successes, but also for their perseverance to continually improve their programs.

Tomorrow will be another day full of information at the World Food Prize. Stay tuned for more updates.

Posted 10/13/2011

Today was another full day of learning and sharing at the World Food Prize in Des Moines. Conversations about food and agriculture continued, as many players involved in food production and food-related policies were included on today's schedule.

One of the day's earliest sessions was a report of the 2011 Global Hunger Index by the International Food Policy Research Institute. This report is based on the most recent data about hunger and malnutrition and makes recommendations for ways to address food security. The full report is available online, with much information relevant to Oxfam's GROW campaign.

There were also several panel discussions focused on the inclusion of women and girls in agriculture development. Mary Rono, a dairy farmer from the Kendu region of Kenya, spoke about her experiences as co-founder and chairperson of the Koitogos Dairy Cooperative Society. She described social and cultural barriers she faced in her community and home while establishing her group, which gained status as a coop earlier this year. The coop is now very successful with 350 members, including 33% women and 15% youth. By pooling their milk for sale at a nearby processor, the farmers have secured a good price and steady income. They also have training sessions to learn about better practices to raise and tend their animals. Mary's story is very inspirational, with her determined personality apparent to ensure the livelihood of her family and community.

The Secretary's Roundtable and African Presidential Leadership Roundtable were also held today. It was very interesting to learn about the agricultural development goals and practices of several African countries. On the positive side it seems some of the African countries represented in the sessions are working to improve and maintain small-scale farming. For example Tanzania is using rice seeds from their own research efforts, with rice yields more than twice as much for small-scale farmers compared to large farms. Also, Mozambique has 1000 demonstration plots that are used to educate farmers on improve methods. However, it was surprising, to me, to learn about the use of subsidies for seed and fertilizer in Ghana and Tanzania. Due to the limited budgets of the governments in these countries, the Ministers of Agriculture from both recognize the likely non-sustainability of subsidy programs. One can only hope their farmers will have long-term security if government subsidies are reduced or eliminated in the future.

Once again a common message was to realize and embrace that different solutions are required to ensure food security in different areas. Though it seems that many see the importance of taking geographical and some social differences into consideration for food and agriculture development, it's not clear whether developed countries have fully realized that there should be more than a one-way exchange of ideas and programs. A two-way exchange between developed countries and developing countries is needed to realize long-term and sustainable success for implementation of agriculture development strategies. We in the developed world are faced with many problems in our own food system (e.g. obesity and nutrition, environmental impact, loss of family farms), and a more holistic approach is needed in developing countries to avoid facing the same problems we face today.

World Food Day Events: Boston, New York City, and Chicago, and more!

World Food Day is just over a week away!  What will you be doing to celebrate?  Why not attend one of these unique and exciting events before or after hosting your own Sunday Dinner?!  A GROW training session in Boston, a film screening and discussion in New York City, and a Crop Mob in Chicago!  Not near any of these cities?  Check the ACT FAST event calendar, Change the World: Start Here, to see what is happening in your area!  


Boston: 

The Boston Oxfam Action Corps is a group of people from diverse backgrounds who come together as volunteers to help Oxfam campaign and win policies that will help tackle hunger and poverty on a global scale.

Join us for a special gathering this World Food Day, October 16. Together with Oxfam's senior organizing staff, we will provide an afternoon training on Oxfam's new campaign on global hunger – GROW – dedicated to taking action for food, fairness and the future of our planet. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more, meet other Oxfam supporters and get involved.

The training includes an optional dinner to celebrate World Food Day. We hope you can join us.

What: Free training for Oxfam supporters in the Boston area. 

Topics: We will learn about the GROW campaign, share ideas and make plans to address global hunger through action with Oxfam Action Corps in Boston. 

Who: You! Open to Oxfam supporters, members and leaders of allied organizations. Also feel free to bring friends who are equally committed to fighting hunger and poverty. 

When: Sunday, October 16. The training is from 1:30-5:30pm. This will be followed by an optional dinner with tasty food and a chance to chat informally. 

Where: Oxfam America's office – 226 Causeway St., 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02114. 

Cost: Free. The training and dinner are free of charge. Bring yourself and come ready to participate! 

RSVP: Please click here to RSVP online (or email me the organizers boston@oxfamactioncorps.org). Specify whether you will attend the optional dinner and if you have any dietary restrictions. Please be sure any interested friends do the same. 

For more information: If you have questions about the training, please contact Oxfam's Brittany Collins at bcollins@oxfamamerica.org and 617-517-9439.

This is a great opportunity to join a community of action with Oxfam in Boston. We hope to see you there!

Emily Hubbard and Christine Ellersick, Oxfam Lead Volunteer Organizers

New York City: 

Oxfam Action Corps NYC, together with American Jewish World Service, The Hunger Project's Young Professionals Committee, and Union Theological Seminary, is hosting a US film premiere and discussion about how to change our global food system.  Check it out and learn more about why this issue is so important and what you can do to help.

What: World Food Day celebration and film premiere, discussion and recipe tasting.  The film, “Hunger in a World of Plenty,” addresses why, in a world that has enough resources to feed 12 billion people, nearly one billion people are chronically hungry.

When: Sunday, October 16 at 4:00pm – doors open at 3:30.

Where: James Memorial Chapel at Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway at 121^st Street, New York City

Speakers: We’ll hear from Dr. Idrissa Dicko, Vice President for Africa Programs with The Hunger Project, Stephanie Ives, Director of Education and Community Engagement with American Jewish World Service and Rohit Malpani, Senior Campaigns Advisor with Oxfam America, who will discuss topics addressed in the film and ways in which attendees can take action on a local level.

Cosponsors: This event is cosponsored by the Brooklyn Food Coalition, Buddhist Global Relief, DIG (Development in Gardening), FeelGood Columbia University, the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Special Interest Group of the Greater New York Dietetic Association, the International Youth Council, the Small Planet Institute and WhyHunger.

RSVP: This event is free and open to the public – please RSVP today.

Want to help prepare some of the tasting dishes for the event?  Please contact Arielle Cahill Hassid at newyorkcity@oxfamactioncorps.org.

Chicago: 

Join us for the second annual Crop Mob to Spence Farm!  Sponsored by Chicago Oxfam Action Corps, White Oak Gourmet, and the Spence Farm Foundation, we'll be celebrating World Food Day helping out on the farm.

Click Here to Register on Eventbrite

You'll be joining other Chicago area residents who are committed to a sustainable food supply. We'll be taking a bus from Chicago to Spence Farm 100 miles south of Chicago. Spence Farm in Livingston County was first settled in 1830. You'll be joining the Travis Family; Marty, Kris, and Will, descendants of the original settlers. We'll assist them with harvesting organic farm produce and with fall clean-up chores around the farm. Spence Farm supplies leading restaurants in Chicago like Frontera Grill and Blackbird with specialty produce and its famous Iroquois corn.

Because the farms are typically family owned and operated, most of the labor is done by hand. The term "Crop Mob" was coined by city dwellers who have an interest in sustainable agriculture and would like to help more than just by going to the farmer's market or joining a CSA. The "Crop Mob" gives the farmer(s) a valuable source of volunteer labor.

You'll need to bring the following for the trip:

• Packed Lunch
• Hand held gardening or pruning shears to help with the harvestng
• Sturdy shoes or boots and a change of socks.
• Gardening or work gloves.
• A re-fillable water bottle.
• A hat & sunscreen.
• A sweater or light jacket.
• Snacks for the trip down and return home.
• Money in case you'd like purchase some products from the farm. 

Spence Farm will provide beverages and snacks.

Children are welcome, however, but because the bus trip is 2 hours, and the inherent risks of working on a farm, this trip is more appropriate for children over 12 years of age.

The bus will depart from City Provisions Deli & Catering, located at 1818 W. Wilson, Chicago (Ravenswood) at 9:00 a.m., so please arrive No Later than 8:30 a.m


For those traveling to City Provisions via the CTA, they are just steps away from the Damen Brown Line stop, and the Damen bus. For those in vehicles, There's parking for your car anywhere in the gravel parking lot behind the shop (please don't park under the EL! City Provisions cannot be responsible for damage caused by tar falling from the tracks). For those on bikes, there are ample bike racks to lock your bike securely for the duration of the day.


Questions, need to carpool in from the 'burbs?  Don't hesitate to phone Organizer Tom Leavitt at 847-754-0708.

Click Here to Register on Eventbrite