THE KITCHEN ACTIVIST

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EPISODE SUMMARY
Have you ever had days that were starting to feel or taste like a soup that was missing a crucial spice?   This episode was inspired by my recent feelings of blandness that started to set in. This caused me to do an inventory of the seven ingredients that have come to be my guiding post for living. Upon reflection, it became clear that I was heavy on some and sporadic with others and it was impacting the flavor of my "life's soup."

This is what I know to be true for myself.  My ability to bring about positive change through my activism in my own home kitchen and beyond is directly connected to my vitality which is directly related to the presence of the 7 essential ingredients (listed below) in my days. 

You may find your list of ingredients is the same or similar to the one below. Or maybe you want to adopt this one as your own.  Either way, as activists we need to clarify our essential ingredients so we can feel good to do good.

The 7 Ingredients for Good Living
1. Work with Purpose
2. Meditate
3. Connect with Nature
4. Move Your Body
5. Connect with People
6. Have Fun
7. Cook with Purpose


Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE SUMMARY
March 22 is World Water Day. The holiday, initiated by the United Nations in 1993, serves as a reminder that we must protect and conserve this limited vital resource. 

Water scarcity is too real for many people on the globe. Did you know one in three people around the world lacks access to safe water? That’s 2.2 billion people who do not have access to clean water as many of us do. And according to Charity Water, women and girls around the world lose 200 million hours every day walking or water. And it is predicted half the world's population will experience water scarcity, a situation expected to result in the deaths of millions and an unprecedented rise in military conflicts. 

The wars of the future will be fought for water, not oil.

We can make a difference drop by drop. In this episode I expand on the following eight action tips:

1. Eat Food in Season
2. Reduce Food Waste
3. Don't Pollute Water 
4. Support Organic Agriculture
5. Take Part in Beach and Waterway Clean-Ups
6. Collect Rainwater
7. Collect and Reuse Water From your Kitchen Sink and Shower
8. Share Your Story

Thank you for joining me in this movement to save water and grow well-being for this planet we have the privilege to call home. Reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions, or comments, or to let me know the work you are up to. Your emails go directly to my inbox.

Be resplendent,
Florencia

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

You are invited to join me at this year's compost tea party! Send me an email at [email protected] if you want to join or would like info on how to throw your own tea party.  Below is the Press Release for the event:

RIO DEL NORTE TO HOST “COMPOST TEA PARTY” TO SAVE WATER ON WORLD WATER DAY 

More than 500 students and community volunteers will come together MARCH 22, 2023 to learn how to create pesticide-free landscapes that sequester carbon and save water and will be treated to a special pesticide-free lunch.

Oxnard, CA. — In response to global warming and the mega-drought gripping most of the Southwest, Rio Del Norte School students will participate in a school-wide “compost tea party” on Wednesday, March 22, World Water Day, to shower their school grounds with an all-natural soil-enriching brew. Community experts and volunteers will guide 500 pre-kindergarten to 5th-grade students to douse the school’s landscape, gardens, orchard, and play areas with the “tea” in order to build pesticide-free, nutrient-rich soil that will better sequester carbon from the air and save water. Students will also participate in 19 nature-based climate solution workshops led by experts from within the community. We will also have the River Song Band performing some of their smash hits led by Dr. John Puglisi, Rio School District’s Superintendent. 

“The goal of the compost tea party is to engage the community to eliminate petroleum-based fertilizers and glyphosate pesticides, which the World Health Organization concluded in 2015 probably cause cancer in humans,” said Florencia Ramirez, Oxnard author of the book Eat Less Water, podcaster and director of the Pesticide Free Soil Project, a youth-led organization. “Playgrounds, parks, and gardens are part of the solution to save water on this planet because healthy soil that is untreated with chemicals can hold water up to 1,000 times more than treated soil. The compost tea party is an event to empower young people who want to turn their hope for a healthy environment into action. ”

In addition to preparing the compost tea and applying it to the school’s landscape and garden, students will learn about soil science from David White, PhD., Executive Director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture in Ojai, beneficial bugs from Ron Whitehurst, owner of the world-renowned Rincon-Vitova Insectaries in Ventura, and other topics related to soil, organic food, compost, and decomposition from seventeen additional workshop leaders across the county from Ventura County Farm to School, Rio School District’s Farm to School, Oxnard Union High School District’s Farm to School, Master Gardeners, Oxnard High School Culinary Arts, Once Upon a Watershed, etc. 

The Oxnard High School Food Service & Hospitality students, led by teacher Ms. Debra Gallagher, are looking forward to working with the younger students. “Teaching kids how to prepare healthy snacks using garden vegetables while conserving water will be a fun challenge,” says student chef Harley Louis, junior. “When we run the blender bike workshop for the students we will be teaching them about alternative forms of energy and how to make a healthy drink at the same time,” says Elisa Barragan, senior Food Service student. This will be the second time the Food Service students have volunteered for the Compost Tea Party. Alumni and current college tutor for the program, Ms. Paula Perez, remembers her experience at the Compost Tea Party as “ exciting to be able to teach the students and see how well they retained what they were learning.”

Students, staff, and volunteers will eat lunch made with locally-sourced ingredients planned and prepared by Rio School District’s Child Nutrition Services. 

The event is made possible with financial support from CALEPA to The Encampment.&am

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE SUMMARY
On this episode, I'm joined by Beatriz Barnes, a sophomore in high school, and journalist on her school paper. After Bea reached out to me with a series of thoughtful questions for her school paper for an article she wrote on EAT LESS WATER and regenerative agriculture, I invited her to the podcast to ask me the questions.  

I think you will be as impressed by Bea and her questions as I was. 

Thank you for joining me in this movement to save water and grow well-being for this planet we have the privilege to call home. Reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions, or comments, or to let me know the work you are up to. Your emails go directly to my inbox.

Be resplendent,
Florencia

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE SUMMARY
Organic food is more expensive than its conventional counterpart most of the time. This especially the case for animal proteins like eggs, dairy, and meat. But it is it worth the extra $$? What are we really paying for when we reach for a third party certified organic labeled food like USDA Organic? And how can we know it is organic?  

I answer these questions plus explain some of the following basics around organic guidelines:

• What does the organic certification mean?
• When is the third party organic certification important?
• Is BUY LOCAL the same as organic?
• Is the Organic Certified label needed at the farmers' market?

By the end of the episode you will have at least three reasons to support organic agriculture at the farmers' market and your neighborhood grocery store.

Thank you for joining me in this movement to save water and grow well-being for this planet we have the privilege to call home. Reach out to me at [email protected] with any question, comments, or to let me know the work you are up to. Your emails go direct to me inbox.

Be resplendent,
Florencia

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE SUMMARY
I love this episode. You will find so much inspiration embedded in these 30 minutes of conversation with Integrative Medicine Specialist, Dr. Geeta Maker Clark. After my conversation with this incredible human, a new idea emerged, inspired by her FOOD As POWER course she teaches with her medical students to middle schoolers in South Chicago.

I have a feeling that I am not the only one who will walk away from this episode feeling new energy to do the work I'm designed to do just like Geeta.

 You can learn more about Dr. Geeta maker Clark here.

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE SUMMARY
The kitchen is the heart of every home, regardless of size or design. Think back to gatherings you've hosted or attended; doesn't the party always migrate to the kitchen? The reason is that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is the place we go to be nourished. But is our kitchen reflecting the type of heart we want to spread to the world? 

Consider these facts:

• The home kitchen is the largest producer of food waste at 43%. This is more than restaurants (40%), farms (12%), and food manufacturers (2%).
• Each home refrigerator generates 100 pounds of food waste each year.
• 27% of homes have more than one kitchen, doubling, if not tripling, the amount of food waste generated. 

In this episode, Florencia discusses why refrigerator organization is essential to reduce kitchen food waste. I offer some action tips or guiding principles that work for me (after many failed attempts and refrigerator organization) to help you streamline your refrigerator starting now.

The following refrigerator ad in the podcast sets us on the path of food waste. 

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE SUMMARY
 Chocolate is the #1 gift on Valentine's Day, totaling 2.4 billion pounds. When expressed in water, that equals about 448 billion gallons of water. On this episode I cover a lot of ground including:

• the difference between blue and green water and why that matters
• the impact of chocolate on both deforestation and as a driver of reforestation
• and I provide action steps we can take to buy chocolate that protects rainforests starting this Valentine's Day

On this episode I mention the following: Ex-Voto Chocolate, Organic Fair bean-to bar chocolate. I also mention the following article

And if you like this episode and want more on chocolate, revisit a past episode with more info and action tips...because you can never have enough chocolate.

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Links and resources:
Click here for the free How to Eat Less Water CONDIMENT STORAGE TABLE. It is a printable list of popular condiments that belong in the pantry and those in the refrigerator that can be hung in your kitchen for easy reference.

Download FREE the TEN TIPS to EAT LESS WATER SUMMER PARTY PLANNING GUIDE for all the tips, steps, and info on how to celebrate like a kitchen activist with your friends and family.

Find gifts designed to serve well-being at the Eat Less Water Shop.

Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book

RESOURCES + LINKS

•  Watch the PBS segment on Kitchen Activism 
•  Join the 4-week Kitchen Activist group (closes Sunday) 
•  Preorder The Kitchen Activist 
• Start Meal Planning to Save the Planet and Money! started.
• Sign up for my weekly newsletter. 
• Get a copy of the EAT LESS WATER book.
  
  Reach Florencia Ramirez at [email protected]