Watching movies, going to farmers markets, sampling local foods, touring urban farms and attending volunteer training.  What could be better?  Check out these upcoming events being held by Food & Water Watch around the state as they embark on a nationwide tour for a Fair Farm Bill.

~ It’s August, a traditional time for taking vacations. Here at Food & Water Watch, we are hitting the road, but not for a vacation. Rather, our organizers are touring the country – visiting 20 states in 30 days – to help build support for a Fair Farm Bill.

Our current food system is broken. It is controlled by huge agribusiness monopolies, and results in numerous food recalls and poor access to healthy food for too many people. The current system did not happen by accident. Nearly every part of our nation’s broken food system can be tied back to failed policies inherited from previous federal policies embedded in the federal Farm Bills. The Farm Bill is up for renewal in 2012, and we are working to build a massive grassroots movement that will demand a new bill that will make our food system healthier, more just and sustainable.

That’s why over the next month, across the country, Food & Water Watch organizers will be conducting trainings for volunteers, meeting new people and getting them involved in our work. But we are also planning some fun events along the way, such as touring urban farms, free film screenings, and sampling locally grown produce at area farmers markets.

I’d like to invite you to attend the events we are organizing in Iowa and Nebraska. On Sunday, August 14th at 3:30 pm, Food & Water Watch Iowa/Nebraska organizer Matt Ohloff will be at the W. Dale Clark Main Library in Omaha for a free screening of the film Fresh. The screening will be held in meeting rooms 2&3 of the library, which is located at 215 S. 15th Street in Omaha.

Then on Monday, August 15 at 6pm in Des Moines, we’ll be at the Road to Farm Aid Concert with Will Dailey at Vaudeville Mews, which is located at 212 4th St. The show is only $5, and should be a blast!

On Tuesday, August 16 at 6:30pm in Iowa City, there will be another screening of Fresh, followed by discussion at the Iowa City Public Library, Room A. The library is located at 123 South Linn Street.

Then finally, on Wednesday, August 17 in Davenport, we will join Progressive Action for the Common Good’s  Local Foods Initiative meeting at Antonella’s at 6:30pm. Antonella’s is located at 112 West 3rd Street, Davenport, IA 52801.

While the work for a fair Farm Bill is serious business, these events will be fun opportunities for you to be part of helping fix our broken food system. If you would like to attend these events, please let me know (you can reach me at mohloff@ffwatch.org, or by phone at 319-512-7825).

Matt Ohloff, Iowa-based Organizer
Food and Water Watch
351 E. College St, Iowa City, IA 52240
phone: 319-512-7825/cell: 515-988-3737
fax: 319-512-7835 
e-mail:  mohloff@fwwatch.org