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Home>Get Involved>Local Chapters>Chapter Updates>Summer 2006 Update

Chapter Update--Summer 2006

By Kathy O'Brien

With almost 400 chapters worldwide, it is exciting to see the annual chapter reports highlighting activities for the year. The work that our volunteer leaders are doing is impressive and is changing the world! I am also impressed that each week we receive chapter applications from more members offering to volunteer their services as chapter leaders.

In an effort to help the new leaders and to inspire the veteran leaders, I have summarized the extensive work being done worldwide as stated in the 2005 chapter reports.

One of the main obligations of our chapter leaders is to provide a list of resources for any inquiring person. The lists include sources of milk and other good farm foods, restaurants, farmers' markets, practitioners, and stores. When asked to approximate the number of inquiries they received last year, chapter leaders reported numbers ranging from 10 to 100. With nearly 400 chapters, that is a huge number of people being helped to find the best foods in their area!

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

In addition to responding to inquiries, many chapters have meetings monthly, quarterly or even weekly. These volunteers are offering their tireless efforts to coordinate meetings, opening their homes in some cases, and sharing their passion and creativity for nutrient-dense foods. Hats off to those who make these meetings happen.

The topics of the meetings vary according to the interest of the group. In general, topics covered at meetings include cooking demos, lacto-fermented foods, benefits of cod liver oil, sourdough bread making, dangers of soy, making stock, cooking grass-fed meats, using natural sweeteners and fats such as coconut oil, etc. Many chapters invited guest speakers or showed videos such as Super Size Me.

Anita Sorkin in Ohio said that even small topics such as pots and pans can result in a lively, helpful discussion. Chapter leaders should not assume they need a big topic each month, she said.

• The Brentwood, Tennessee Chapter has a monthly potluck on Saturday night where they view a video or listen to a tape from one of our conference speakers.
• The Kaukauna, Wisconsin chapter meets weekly. They have speakers, farmers bring fruit, vegetables, raw milk, etc. A few chapter leaders run food stores which are 100 percent WAPF-friendly.
• The Western Pennsylvania Chapter arranged a meeting with local farmers and the owner of the local natural food store to discuss the possibility of the farmers selling their produce at the store. They also combined with the Pittsburgh Chapter to organize a seminar entitled, "Raw Milk, Pasture-fed Livestock, Local Produce: Reconnecting Farmers and Consumers" with 100 attendees.
• The Pittsburgh Chapter organized a pastured meat-tasting event with four producers and 40 attendees. Also, they were able to form a school health council of four administrators and six parents who meet monthly to work on nutrition policies and guidelines for their school district.
• The Madison, Wisconsin Chapter created a "Get to Know Your Farmer" series where their Amish farmer began selling products to people unable to drive 70 miles each week. They had a WAPF-friendly article about cholesterol published in a local magazine, established a lending library of books and spoke on a radio program.
• The North East Texas Chapter hosts meetings that include a powerpoint presentation in the morning, followed by a WAPF-style lunch and food prep demonstrations in the afternoon.
• The Brisbane, Queensland, Australia leader hosts a food seminar for mothers of babies and toddlers. They also have a quarterly "Demented Fermenters" gathering to share recipes and ideas.

CAMPAIGNING FOR RAW MILK

Many chapter leaders are putting much effort into helping make raw milk available and legal. In some cases, this is a formidable task. Chapter leaders in many states have organized milk groups to pick up raw milk at farms some distance away, or have it delivered to drop-off points.

• The Ontario leaders met with Health Canada about legislation to introduce raw milk back into the marketplace.
• "Have just succeeded in making raw milk available again on our island," reports the Bribie Island, Queensland leader, reminding us all that successes are occurring.
• The Sonohomish, WA, Chapter helped a few farmers write their cow-share agreement, arranged to get their raw dairy farmer to meet with a representative from the WSDA Food Safety Division to work out their differences and initiate a working relationship. They also contacted farmers about the possibility of selling raw milk.

Chapter leader efforts to legalize the sale of raw milk are ongoing in Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. These efforts include attending meetings, signing petitions, developing educational materials and meeting with elected officials.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

These include organizing a Sally Fallon seminar; setting up a Sandor Katz workshop on fermented foods; attending meetings of other organizations to raise awareness; setting up a cow share program; helping farmers who are dealing with legal issues, including doing the legwork of contacting customers for their support; getting local stores to carry Nourishing Traditions; taking booths at fairs; attending conferences; hosting Nourishing Traditions playgroups for families; making kefir and kombucha for busy mothers; offering talks at elementary schools, libraries and local health food stores; contacting chefs from local restaurants to discuss WAPF food ideas; advertising for meetings in local papers and arranging a television broadcast of Sally Fallon's "Seminar on Traditional Diets" video.

The San Francisco chapter has developed a "Nourishing Our Children" campaign, complete with powerpoint presentation and briefing book, to present in San Francisco public schools.

Brochures have been distributed at events, doctors' offices, health food stores, restaurants, meetings, fairs and farmers' markets.

Many chapters have contacted members about their meetings using labels that the WAPF office can send. If you provide a zip code range, we can send labels with mailing addresses of all members in that area.

There are so many ideas generated by our local leaders. Please do not feel overwhelmed if you are just starting. Find helpers--most of the chapters have one or two leaders and many helpers. Start with one meeting or potluck and see where your chapter goes--each one has its own interest and character.

These are only some of the many examples of great work being done; I was only able to include a few. In the future, if a chapter wishes to share information about an activity they have hosted, please submit a paragraph to chapters@westonaprice.org and we will consider adding it to our "Chapter Highlights" page. For a full listing of our chapters, please go to our website, www.westonaprice.org.

Reading the chapter reports reminds me that these chapters are a vital part of the foundation. Whether you are simply passing on a list of resources or hosting large meetings, you leaders are passing on truth about foods, knowledge about health and the great traditions of the past to people hungry for it. You are allowing Dr. Price's words to become a great reality, "You teach, you teach, you teach." Thank you!

NEW POLICY

The list of local chapters has become so long that we can no longer print it in each magazine. We will continue to post the list at www.westonaprice.org/localchapters/index.html. If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the office at (202) 363-4394 and we will provide you with contact information for the local chapter nearest you. We have chapters in most states and many other countries.

About the Author

Kathy O'Brien, CN, is the office manager for the Weston A. Price Foundation.

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