The Davis Food Co-op has been advocating for food that is local, organic, and delicious since 1972. In 2008, we established our Teaching Kitchen— which has become so much more than that over the years. It has not only served as a place for people to educate themselves about the foods that they eat, but also as a gathering place for our local community.
With our collective ability to gather being curtailed, it can be hard to feel that same sense of community. Up until now, our teaching kitchen offered a variety of classes every month, as well as workshops for small groups—such as the new parent group that met weekly. With the cancellation of gatherings and events worldwide, we are finding new ways to help our community connect.
In order to meet this need, the Davis Food Co-op is taking our Teaching Kitchen online. So far, we have been uploading informative blogs, but we are also moving towards creating YouTube content and exploring other interactive options. You can stay updated on all of this by visiting our events page and blog, or following following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Now that being able to leave one’s home is restricted and carries new risks, online classes have become a necessity. For some, an abundance of time means learning new things at home; others are finding themselves busier than ever and need to find inventive ways to get dinner on the table—with limited trips to the grocery store.
Madison Suoja, the Education and Outreach Specialist for the Davis Food Co-op, views this online content as an essential service in its own right. “Currently everyone is in a mandatory shelter-in-place, which can feel very isolating,” Suoja said. “Many in our community are also now facing the uncertainty of their business or employment. In order to keep our community healthy, physically, and emotionally, there need to be free resources that help you to eat healthily, and activities to do at home.”
This is why the Davis Food Co-op has begun putting up free videos demonstrating how to make healthy recipes with pantry staples. One of our core values as a cooperative is having care for our community, and we can think of no better way to do that than to ensure that folks have the tools to nourish themselves with healthy food.
“We hope to continue our sense of community through social media engagement and outreach,” Suoja said. “In May, we plan to have numerous sustainable swag giveaways through our social media, so be sure to follow us! We also are constantly updating our website, now with cooking class videos of familiar faces of your DFC staff.”
Thank you to Rachel Heleva at the Davis Food Co-op for her contributing this piece. And thank you to the Davis Food Co-op for its sponsorship and continued support of The Dirt.
Are you following the Davis Food Co-op Blog? The Dirt loves following it for everything from sustainability tips to recipes—like “How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter.”
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