Blogs

Amber B., a medical student at the Ohio State University and a Local Matters volunteer, noticed a problem within the medical school community. During exam weeks, when students need to stay focused and have sufficient energy to study and perform well on their tests, students were eating poorly. They were going to fast food restaurants to grab “quick and easy” dinners so they wouldn’t take time away from their studies. 

Brady Konya sits on a wooden table, grabbing and releasing handfuls of Ohio-grown red winter wheat in a large stainless steel pot. As he talks his hand repeatedly dips into the pot, feeling the wheat like he is testing the water at a pool. Konya’s affection for this grain is probably because it is the vital ingredient in OYO Vodka, the flagship spirit of his company, Middle West Spirits. 

A young man named Ryan is one of my students in the Food matters classes. His enthusiasm about the important work we are doing has been a great reminder of what an impact our program has on our students.

Every week I see Ryan, he has a new culinary experience he wants to share with me. This past week he said, “Mr. Jesse, Mr. Jesse, my Mommy made me carrots and I ate them and I growed up big and strong.”

It’s so fun and rewarding to be in a position to encourage and affirm young people like Ryan.

This past summer, Easton took on an ambitious project: creating a brand-new farmers market with 50 spaces for farmers, artisans and crafters. Building something where nothing existed before is not an easy undertaking, but Easton assembled a good team of folks who worked hard to create a welcoming and fun environment for both shoppers and vendors.

 As the creator and author of Baking S.O.S., a free baking advice website, I was invited by the organizers of the Country Living Magazine Fair to do a baking demonstration during their 2011 Fair in Columbus, Ohio during the weekend of September 16, 17 & 18.  I was scheduled to speak just before several TV show personalities, so I felt a little like a celebrity myself as I gave my demo to an over-flowing audience of at least 100

Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw

Ingredients:

Bison Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground bison
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 Tbls tomato paste
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp cumin
• cooking spray
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Local Matters gear is now available from our two online stores at Skreened and Cafe Press.  You'll find a variety of shirts, aprons, mugs, tote bags and more.

Check out Columbus Ohio's Skreened to find a variety of shirts including our 2011 Local Foods Week shirt.

And see Cafe Press for a variety of items. 

A portion of every sale is donated directly to our programs!

This summer working and teaching in the Hoover YMCA was phenomenal. The day camps that experienced the garden through the Food Matters curriculum got an extra special treat.