“Renegade Lunch Lady” to Speak at Annual Festival

The Research, Education, Action and Policy (REAP) Food Group will welcome celebrity chef, author and healthy food system advocate, Chef Ann Cooper, as keynote speaker at the 12th annual Food For Thought Festival, September 24-25 on MLK Boulevard, Madison. Chef Ann, a roaming activist for healthy school lunches, recently transformed the school lunch program at the Berkeley Unified School District and has now brought her energy and expertise to the Boulder Valley School District.

“There is nothing more important than our children’s health and one key to their health is healthy school food,” she says. “I am honored to be participating in the Food for Thought Festival, and I look forward to sharing and exchanging ideas about healthy food, healthy kids and a healthy planet.”

“The Food for Thought Festival brings many of our local and sustainable food resources into one place providing a wonderful opportunity for the community to taste, explore and learn more about our local food systems,” says Miriam Grunes, executive director of REAP Food Group. The festival addresses what it means to live in a “healthy food system” through speakers, cooking demos, informational exhibits, live music, children’s activities, great food and more. For more information, visit the REAP Food Group website at www.reapfoodgroup.org.