“Dream. Believe. Execute. Learn. Repeat.”

Dear Climate Healers,

Bob sank into his chair and said,

“I have never felt this happy before.”

He has been present for every meal at the Tri-Area Community Center in Chimacum, WA, and he has attended all the talks.

By day 3 of the Together Around Food (TAF) program, the chaos of the first few days, when we were searching for accommodations, securing a venue to implement the program and getting all the food ingredients in place, was over. The kitchen team is now operating smoothly and the delicious food they have been preparing has been winning people over one meal at a time.

On Day 1, we served over 100 meals. On Day 2, which was Father’s Day, we served over 70 meals and on Day 3, we served over 150 meals.

It has not been easy, but it has been well worth it. The Jefferson County community has rallied around the program and everyone we spoke to agrees that healthy, delicious food should be a basic human right and a shared community responsibility. It is heartening to note that NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, used similar language as he appointed a lifelong Vegan, Siddhartha Sanchez, as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP):

“Food access is an economic justice issue and I am proud to welcome him (Siddhartha Sanchez) to this administration, as we work to ensure that every New Yorker has access to food as a basic human right.”

Jamen has been promoting the TAF program in Port Townsend at the Food Co-op and in the town center. Patty, Mike and I spoke during the County Commissioners Meeting yesterday and we brought them breakfast burritos to sample. The County Commissioners have been extremely supportive, even though they couldn’t provide us the county-owned Fairgrounds venue for Together Around Food as it is administered by an independent non-profit. Instead, we are implementing TAF at the smaller Tri-Area Community Center in the neighboring town of Chimacum, WA, about 15 minutes from the center of Port Townsend.

On Day 1, Dr. Michael Klaper measured the blood pressure and glucose levels for all those who wished to participate fully in the 15-day program. After dinner, which consisted of Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff on Fluffy Basmati Rice, Energized Greens and Mini Silken Chocolate Pot, he delivered his life-changing Moving Medicine Forward lecture to a rapt audience.

On Day 2, I spoke about the transformation from Planet A to Planet B following a Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Korma over rice, lime-dressed salad and Chocolate Adzuki Bean balls (according to Marlene Watson-Tara, Novak Djokovic consumes Chocolate Adzuki Bean balls during breaks while playing grand slam tennis).

On Day 3, Marlene Watson-Tara and Bill Tara spoke about their new MacroBiome book, presenting the nutrition angle from the micro to the macro, following a Tempeh Bolognese over gluten-free noodles and sweet Japanese Kantan dinner.

The TAF team has meshed incredibly well and I am grateful to every member of the team for their dedication and joyous efforts. The Greatest Transformation in Human History is not a cakewalk and it is inspiring that everyone is striving for it with a smile on their face.

Onward to a Vegan World!

Help Needed

If TAF resonates with you as much as it does with us, please
a) donate here to support its implementation so that we can access matching grants from VegFund;
b) post about TAF in your networks;
c) come on over to Port Townsend and volunteer with us, if you can manage your own accommodations;

With much love,