The first annual Food Day has now been celebrated. In case you hadn’t heard, Food Day  is a new national grassroots event, patterned after Earth Day, when people all over the country create their own celebrations to honor and to heal our planet and our food system. It was started by Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit that has advocated for sensible, healthy food for over 40 years.

There were over, 2000 Food Day events nationwide that were registered on the website – undoubtedly there were many more that were held informally. In my town of Lafayette, California, Sustainable Lafayette joined with Urban Farmers to host a community potluck. Over 70 people attended, enjoying tasty entrees, salads, desserts, and more. We were even fortunate enough to have as our guest Lilia Smelkova, who is the national coordinator for Food Day, visiting the San Francisco Bay Area for the week.

The other event I helped create was at Millennium, a marvelous gourmet vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco, where chef Eric Tucker created a special menu for the occasion. Could anything be better than a superb meal made without animal ingredients? Knowing that a portion of the price went to support a program, Edible EdVentures (from SaveNature.Org) that teaches kids all around the Bay Area about healthy food – and its relationship to nature.

Only six more months until Earth Day – and another six months until Food Day returns. Get ready to attend – or even create – a celebration.