Ice cream trucks are a hallmark of summer, but what about a fresh produce truck? The Veggie Van is just that, brought to the people of central Ohio through The Greener Grocer, a food market that seeks to promote local and artisanal products from small-scale farmers.

A sort of farmer’s market on wheels, The Veggie Van delivers fresh, sustainably-grown local produce to Ohio communities. In keeping with their mission to spread food justice, The Veggie Van accepts food stamps, as well as works in collaboration with Local Matters, a not-for-profit dedicated to increasing the availability of fresh, local foods to central Ohio residents.

What a cool concept! When you think about it from the angle of a ice cream truck, we love how The Veggie Van offers healthy snack options–biting into a perfectly red, ripe strawberry beats a sno-cone any day. What’s more, it’s well-known that lower-income areas often have less access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so the fact that The Veggie Van is seeking to address this issue in an innovative way is really commendable!

My only question: Does it run on veggie oil, too?

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

If you (or your kids) are dreaming of sleeping in dorms, eating in cafeterias, or going to school with thousands of more students than you could imagine while in high school; then, we want to make sure your college experience is as green as can be. Sustainability on college campuses is on the rise, but how eco-friendly is your dream school? Good news: our 2008 Green College Report is available online. Even better, we just launched our online survey for colleges and universities to apply to enter our 2009 Green College Report. We’ll be featuring this report in our September/October 2009 issue of KIWI Magazine in addition to providing you with our complete online version.

Click here to join our 2009 list.

– Stephanie, KIWI staff and believer that every college and university can practice sustainability

EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!

SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
July 14TH to 16TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
2pm – 3:30pm
July 13TH to 17TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
July 20TH to 24TH
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
July 27TH to 31ST

SESSION II:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
August 11TH to 13TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
2pm – 3:30pm
August 10TH to 14TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
August 17TH to 21ST

To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Alison Martin at the Whole Foods Market at 408-257-7000 x325.

Whole Foods Market, Stevens Creek Culinary Center
20955 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014

EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!

AUGUST DATES: TBD. CHECK BACK FOR SCHEDULE UPDATES

OR CALL THE CULINARY CENTER AT 916-488-2800

To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Customer Service at Whole Foods Market Sacramento (916) 488-2800.

Join chefs from KIWI® Magazine and Whole Foods Market® in exploring culinary regions of the world through food and festivity. Each camp incorporates exciting global foods and facts. We’ll crank up the heat and get hands-on as we make international dishes from places such as Mexico, Morocco, China, Italy and Japan. Explore continents and countries one plate at a time!

EACH CAMP INCLUDES: Professional cooking instruction of hands-on kid-friendly recipes in a focused, fun and safe environment. Trained culinary teachers from Whole Foods Market Bowery Culinary Center and KIWI Magazine. A limit of 12 participants, ensuring a low child-to-instructor ratio. Cooking projects, games, craft activities and creative excursions. Lunch or snack and beverages (special diets can be accommodated). Lessons on sustainability, composting, gardening, recycling and other eco-friendly ways of life. Apron, chef’s hat and a graduation goodie bag packed with cool stuff!

SESSION I:
Half-Pint Voyager: 2 ½ to 4 years
11am – 12pm
June 23RD, 24TH and 25TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
July 13TH to 17TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
July 20TH to 24TH
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
July 27TH to 31ST

SESSION II:
Teen Bootcamp
11am – 3pm
August 5TH to 7TH
Jr. Jetsetters: 5 to 7 years
11am – 12:30pm
August 10TH to 14TH
World Explorers: 8 to 10 years
11am – 2pm
August 17TH to 21ST
Globe Trekkers: 11 to 14 years
11am – 2:30pm
August 24TH to 28TH

To enroll in KIWI Kids’ Camp, please register online. For general questions about the camp or to register over the phone, please contact Christine Carroll, The Culinary Center Director at the Whole Foods Market Bowery at 212-420-1320 x245.

This Mother’s Day, don’t forget the mamma that takes care of us all—the earth! Give your family a nudge in the green direction to seek out a Mother’s Day gift that shows their love for you and the planet.

Go With Organic Blooms. Point your family toward local farmers’ markets for pretty daffodils, peonies, and ranunculus, which are all in season during May. They can also seek arrangements at orangicbouquet.com.

Wrap Yourself in Silk. If your trusty flannel bathrobe is starting to look shabby, a new silk one will make every night feel like an at-home spa. Check out VivaTerra’s floral, kimono-style robe.

Make it Sweet. Tell your family you’ll be willing to share if they give you a sweet treat this Mother’s Day. Try an organic chocolate sampler from Dagoba, which practices full-circle sustainability in their growing, buying, and manufacturing processes, or a handmade vegan cookie sampler from organic, fair-trade baker Liz Lovely.

Take a Spa Day. Sometimes, the best gift is a little rest and relaxation, so make sure your family knows the name of your favorite holistic spa. A soothing massage, cleansing facial, and tranquil environment will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to dive back into the crazy world of mommyhood.

Get Reading. Sharing a mom-themed bedtime story with your little ones is the perfect way to top off this family-filled day. Here are some books to get your started:

• Mama’s Kiss by Jane Yolen. If someone blows you a kiss and you don’t catch it, where does it go? Follow a little girl as she chases momma’s missed kiss all over the place and finally catches it. The illustrations are perfect, showing a fluttering, flittering, elusive kiss.
• LIFE with Mother by The Editors of Life Magazine. Honestly, some books should simply come with a complimentary box of tissues. Life Magazine has compiled a gorgeous photo tribute to moms around the world. The photos in both color and black and white are incredibly touching. They depict the intense bond of mother and child. A few famous faces appear, but this is every mom’s story.
• Mommy, Mama, and Me (board book) by Lesléa Newman (Tricycle Press). This sweet little board book takes a look at a family which has two moms and the happy style of play and love that each mother has. The illustrations are simple and perfectly accompany the text.

Living near Denver, Colorado? If so, the place to be this weekend is the Green Festival at the Colorado Convention Center (700 14th Street Denver, CO 80202) on Saturday May 2nd from 10am - 7pm and Sunday May 3rd from 11am - 6pm.

“Having just hosted the greenest national political convention ever, we think Denver is a natural site for the Green Festival in May 2009 and are excited to host this successful event. Denver is proud to be creating safe, healthy, sustainable communities and a strong local economy by raising awareness, sharing best practices and collaborating on greening initiatives. The Green Festival is a terrific place to trade success stories, brainstorm innovative new ideas and learn about the newest technologies and services.”

– Denver Mayor John W. Hickenlooper, a geologist turned brewpub pioneer who had never run for political office, elected Mayor of Denver in 2003 and reelected in 2007.

Stop by our KIWI Magazine booth Booth #1213 to say “hi”! Green Festival is a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America.

– Stephanie, KIWI staff and green festivaling all weekend in Denver

Find lunchtime waste worrisome? This adorable, sandwich sack lets you bag the baggie habit for a more sustainable option. All you need to get started is:

1/2 yard oilcloth
4 large paper clips
1 hook and eye
2 buttons
1 thin hair elastic
Pinking shears
Ruler
Scissors
Sewing machine
Needle and thread

Click for direction to get started.

– Stephanie Singer, KIWI staff and wannabe crafter

Change we need, indeed!  And on this first day of spring, we’re going to get it, thanks to Michelle Obama and 23 Washington DC fifth graders.  Together, they will break ground on the South Lawn for the nation’s first White House garden since that kept by Eleanor Roosevelt during World War II.

With over 55 different edibles being grown, including hearty greens, lettuces, peppers, tomatillos, berries, herbs, as well as two beehives for honey, the organic garden will be a chief source of food for the first family.  It will also provide a valuable learning experience to participating students who, along with the President, will do their part in planting, weeding, and harvesting. Even more important, the White House garden will serve to influence mainstream America on the value of local, sustainable food.  (The entire garden set up cost around $200–who says it’s too expensive to eat well?)

Michelle Obama is taking this opportunity to advocate the necessity of good food for our children.  She’s encouraging parents to get healthy with their kids by upping their fresh (locally produced, if possible) fruit and vegetable intake, limiting processed foods, and preparing more meals at home.  Interested in starting a garden of your own?  Learn all about it from Kiwi Community’s article on family gardening.

-Marygrace, KIWI intern and organic gardening supporter

With the local, sustainable food movement gaining serious momentum, you’ve probably heard the growing buzz about community supported agriculture, or CSA, over the past few years.  Joining one gives your family the opportunity to support a local farm by providing it with the investment capital necessary at the start of each growing season, well before any crops are harvested.  In much of the country, that time is right now!

Participating in a CSA is basically like paying for an entire season’s worth of farmers’ market goods without ever having to make the trip.  Pay for a share (usually enough to feed a family of four) now, then receive a box of fresh, local produce each week throughout harvesting time. While some CSAs do deliver, most drop their boxes at a central location for member pick-up.

Vegetable CSAs are the most common, but many farms also offer shares of fruit, meat, eggs or dairy, and even flowers.  No matter what type of food you receive, however, the benefits of CSAs remain: Your food supply will be healthy, as fresh as fresh gets, and have a low environmental impact, while your family will be connected to the local land and community.  To find a CSA near you, visit localharvest.org.

Marygrace, KIWI intern and local produce fanatic