preparation and consumption
PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION SUMMARY Assets • Renewed interest in home cooking and preparation skills • Some culinary skills workshops • Nutrition education initiatives (e.g., Kids Eat Smart) • Collaborative effort among educators and parents to increase nutritional value of school lunches in Concord Public Schools and an effort to procure more food locally potential Needs • Further education about cooking from scratch with fresh, whole foods • More focus on nutrition education in schools and in homes • More education on preservation techniques (e.g., canning, dehydrating, freezing, fermenting, pickling, cheese-making, etc.) • Consistency between good nutrition education at school and in homes
LOCAL RESOURCES
Churches as Food Focal Points In addition to serving as historic landmarks and providing community spaces, churches can also serve an important function in the local food movement because they often have kitchens. The Concord Reconnaissance Report revealed that churches are a focus of town-wide concern for preserving heritage landscapes and preserving community character. Community members see churches as prominent landmarks that are the “focal point of numerous social and community activities” (CRR 13). Many perceive the loss of active churches and historic church buildings as an issue that affects the whole community. Concord residents have identified a lack of public commercial kitchens in Concord, as well as a lack of arenas in which to build community around local food. While most kitchens in Concord are not certified for commercial use, there is the potential for them to be retrofitted to provide small-scale facilities in which to prepare and preserve local food (White). Such functional uses in spaces already deemed community focal points could create opportunities for “re-skilling” and social gathering all around the community. Churches could be sites for local food potlucks, workshops (canning, seedsaving, cooking, etc.), or fairs for the sale of local farm products and crafts. 66
Concord, Massachusetts
First Parish Church in Concord Center is the home of Open Table, which serves meals to those in need. As important sites in Concord, churches can be places of community connection and education around food.