People of all ages packed into the hallways and rooms of Fairfield Warde High School this weekend for the 3rd Annual Food For Thought Expo that inspired and motivated a community on Saturday, March 31^st.  The Food for Thought Expo, sponsored by the Fuel for Learning Partnership (FFLP), a Fairfield PTA Committee, featured local exhibitors, vendors, and services that help to make good eating habits part of every meal.  Children and adults had the chance to get up close and personal with healthy foods, farm-to-table cooking presentations, and resources teaching them how to easily incorporate these methods into their homes, schools and daily lives.

Two of my friends happen to volunteer their time for the FFLP through the Fairfield PTA and they had asked if I’d be interested in volunteering my photography for this great event.  Hearing the goals of the event, I knew it was a right fit immediately.  My oldest child is in Kindergarten right now, and she refuses to buy school lunch, which means I am packing it every night.  It’s a challenge to come up with creative ways to feed her and to feed our family with all of the confusion of naming, labeling and packaging of healthy food vs. non.  Right now parents are getting mixed messages about what food is actually good for their families.  There’s a lack of transparency regarding what is in our food (i.e. pink slime in chicken nuggets and GMOs to name a few), issues with food safety and increasing food allergies in our classrooms, which are clearly diet-related health problems that need to be addressed and understood.  Parents just want to feed their kids right, and they want it to be easy, affordable and accessible.  The Food for Thought Expo was designed with this desire in mind, providing access to local farmers and healthy businesses and professionals, as well as cooking demonstrations and workshops.

I witnessed the Fairfield community coming together to take part in these educational activities, in a relaxed school setting, supporting our local businesses, and fueling our minds and bodies.  Some of the highlights included sampling foods and beverages from local vendors such as Planet Fuel, Izzi B’s Allegen-Free Cupcakes, Simmons Family Farm, Brookside Farm Maple Syrup, Robeks, Whole Foods, Wave Hill Breads, Catch a Healthy Habit, Fairfield Bread Company, The Farmer’s Cow, Health in a Hurry and Skinny Pines.

I sat in on a chat with Didi Emmons, a chef and author of Wild Flavors: One Chef’s Transformative Year Cooking From Eva’s Farm, who provided insightful inspiration towards living a sustainable life with demonstrations and a taste of wild flavors.

Many participated in a cooking demo with Amie Guyette Hall, of From Your Inside Out, who gave the crowd clear action steps and resources for healthy living and “Kickin’ Cancer in the Kitchen”, and Linda Soper-Kolton, of Green Gourmet to Go, who provided delicious Meatless Monday ideas to please the whole family.

There were some great kid activities and learning centers focusing on healthy lunch ideas with kid-appeal, and displays encouraging balanced meals of whole grains, beans and veggies all to touch and explore.  Young and old participants could compare the sugar content in fruit snacks, milks, cereals and more of their childhood favorites.

In every hall you could speak with local farmers or CSA’s on how to support sustainable foods, herbs and living in our area  such as Sport Hill Farm, Stone Gardens Farm, Wakeman Town Farm, Red Bee Honey, Moorefield Herb Farm, Graze and more.

Cookbooks were available for those who wanted to read up on the various topics, continue their learning or bring home some recipes, and cooking equipment was also on hand thanks to the Fairfield University Bookstore, Kitchen Corner, and the Fairfield Public Library.

It has been a long time since I’ve stood in the lunch line at school. ;-) This time around, as a parent with a child in the school system, it was very different and educational.  Fairfield Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services Department members served some of their healthful and yummy school-made foods such as vegetarian chili, yogurt parfait (nut-free) and fruit slaw, all options on the elementary, middle and high school menus.  These lunch ladies (as we used to call them) were very kind and cared about what they were doing.  Their team was awarded with new food processors (hooray!) thanks to the PTA, Whole Foods, Cuisinart, Kitchen Corner and FFLP during the expo, so they can continue their efforts of fueling our children with healthy and delicious foods so they can reach their maximum learning potential!

The Expo was a great way to learn and see so many people come together to support each other and the efforts of our schools, health educators, local businesses and community.  I was happy to see the positive improvements in school nutrition and menu options, and so very thankful that we have knowledgeable people working for the continued change to things like GMOs, pink slime and additives in our school foods and beyond.  There is progress being made and change for the better in Fairfield.  I cannot thank the Fuel for Learning Partnership enough for doing everything in their power to make sure that I have the resources I need at my fingertips.  I can bring up healthy and conscious children, while shopping locally and with sustainable businesses now that I know where to go and who to support.  I hope everyone in the area checks out the Expo next year, and that more parents will support the Fuel for Learning Partnership on Facebook to get updates and learn more – I know I will!