Internationalist Bookstore in Chapel Hill - a bookstore that supports grassroots efforts

Last Wednesday, Jan 25, Sara Kate and I did a presentation on our book Veggie Revolution at the Internationalist Bookstore in Chapel Hill, NC. I want to put in a plug for the Internationalist. They (Biff in particular) did a great job of publicizing the event and we had a great turnout. It was the liveliest audience we've had. I expected, being a college town (UNC), that a lot of the folks would be well-informed and opinionated about the meat industry and our American food system, and that was the case. We had lots of excellent questions about animal rights, veganism versus vegetarianism, where the alternative food movement is headed, and what we can do to keep it rolling.

I was amazed to find out just a couple of weeks ago that the Internationalist Bookstore is a nonprofit organization, and is staffed almost entirely by volunteers! It exists to support grassroots efforts at social reform - authors, organizations, and so on. This spring the Internationalist will be hosting a panel to discuss the sustainable agriculture movement, and Sara Kate and I hope to be part of that. The Chapel Hill area (actually nearby Pittsboro) seems to be a focal point for the sustainable ag movement. Pittsboro is home to the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, also the Rural Advancement Fund, the Rare Breeds Conservancy, and Central Carolina Community College, which has a thriving and innovative academic program in sustainable agriculture. It's an energizing community - lots of local organic farmers and farms using sustainable methods in the area. Exciting things are happening there.

Family Seeks Other Families for Vegetarian Potlucks

Our family is interested in starting a group for vegetarian families with children in the Charlotte area. We envision potluck dinners and cookouts for various holidays to start with. We could do more than that as we get together and organize. You can e-mail us at tikvah@bellsouth.net.

Scott and Miriam

Community Gardens

A caller on our Charlotte Talks radio show mentioned community gardens here in Charlotte. Here's some more information about that.

The gardens are offered by Parks and Rec, and 10x10 foot plots can be rented for $3 a month or $25 a year. They feature improved soil, and some have a water supply on site. There are a number of locations, including:
- Little Sugar Creek Greenway
- Baxter Street Park
- Huntingtowne Farms Park
- McAlpine Creek Community Park
- Ramsey Creek Park
- Reedy Creek Park
- Winget Park

For more information, check out www.parkandrec.com or call 704-336-3854.

Mecklenburg Vegetarian Association (MVA)

At our EarthFare signing today, we met two very nice women from the MVA, or Mecklenburg Vegetarian Association. They explained that the group has changed format because few people were coming to meetings. Now, they meet the first and third Sunday of each month at 2 PM, at various vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area. Sounds like fun!

Their handout says, "Good food and stimulating conversations are always on the menu. Non-vegetarians are welcome! For more information, email myyear@aol.com, or telephone (704) 399-3018."

The third Sunday of January will be the 15th. Does anyone know if/where there will be a meal?

-Sara Kate

Charlotte Vegetarians

We've done a number of book signings this week. At every one, people have asked us if there's a vegetarian group in Charlotte. There isn't, that we know of, but there should be! If you're interested in getting together with other vegetarians in the area, post your name and contact info as a comment on this post!

Sara Kate

January 11 We have now found out that there is a vegetarian club in Charlotte - see the post after this one.
Sally