ECO Iowa City events begin with kickoff on Wednesday, April 3

Join ECO Iowa City and partners Backyard Abundance, Local Food Connection and Table to Table as we kick off our first unit on FOOD!

It should be simple: you eat it and compost the leftovers…but as we’re learning, it’s much more complicated! In this unit, we’ll explore the global food system and how it impacts the options we have and the choices we make in Johnson County. We’ll start to explore how food is grown, harvested, marketed, stored, sold, delivered, prepared and eaten. Who gets a piece of the pie? How nutritional is it? How much waste is generated throughout the process? We’ll provide concrete steps and incentives to be more sustainable in your own food choices.

We’ll also be introducing the book we’ll be discussing in the food unit at the book discussion to be held on Wednesday, May 15.

ECO Iowa City: Food Systems with Jesse Singerman
Wednesday, April 10 (7 pm)
East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd

Jesse Singerman, President of Prairie Ventures, will talk about the current food system in the United States and the efforts to create a food system that supports healthy, fair, and sustainably produced food. Come prepared to explore how our relationship with food is shaped by food marketing and our life experiences.

ECO Iowa City: Documentary “Dive”

Wednesday, April 17 (7 pm)
Iowa City Public Library, computer lab

Join ECO Iowa City to watch “Dive.” Inspired by a curiosity about our country’s careless habit of sending food straight to landfills, the multi award-winning documentary DIVE! follows filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles’ supermarkets. In the process, they salvage thousands of dollars’ worth of good, edible food—resulting in an inspiring documentary that is equal parts entertainment, guerilla journalism and call to action.

ECO Iowa City: Reducing Wasted Food

Wednesday, April 24 (7 pm)
Iowa City Public Library, computer lab

Join ECO Iowa, Table to Table’s Bob Andrlik and New Pioneer’s Soil Mate coordinator Scott Koepke to learn how to reduce food waste and save money on your grocery bills. We’ll talk about food safety terms such as “use by,” “best by” and “expired”: what they really mean and how you can reduce food waste by knowing what’s still safe to use. We’ll also touch on how to deal with food AFTER it’s no longer edible: by composting it!

The FOOD unit will continue through May with more discussions, tours at the landfill’s commercial composting facility and more! Check back often for more details at: www.icgov.org/eco