My family and I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Cork, which provided more than just funny green hats and painted faces. We experienced a great sense of community and celebration on the Grand Parade during Cork’s Feeding the City.The Cork Food Policy Council http://corkfoodpolicycouncil.com/ launched the event with a food trail, face painting, street performers, cooking demonstrations and informational talks. A free vegetable curry was served to enthusiastic and hungry spectators, which was made from ugly vegetables by the inimitable Para, who also catered the Feeding the 5,000 Dublin event www.feeding5kdublin.org. The Council was “formed to work towards the achievement of a fairer, healthier, more secure and sustainable food system within the City and throughout the region.” The people in Cork recognise that:

• Increasing numbers of families across Cork are finding it difficult to put good nourishing food on the table.
• Eating cheaply might explain why our waistlines are expanding – and is likely to result in health problems later.
• We are importing more and more of our food leaving us exposed to rising prices.
• We are increasingly disconnected from producers in t

• he region.

Also on hand during this event was Colum Gibson from Stop Food Waste, who demonstrated ways we can compost our food waste at home…his master composters were on hand to help. www.stopfoodwaste.ieBia Foodbank www.biafoodbank.ie also announced its intention of opening its first pilot Foodbank in Cork. They have found a 10,000 sq foot warehouse, have made essential links with businesses and charities in the area and have developed a partnership with FareShare in the UK. They hope to open their doors in June to redistribute thousands of tonnes of surplus food donated by supermarkets and farmers to charities such as Simon Cork, St. Vincent de Paul and Penny Dinners.It was an amazing atmosphere which highlights Cork as a vibrant and involved city concerned about the blight of food waste. Up the rebels!