Foundation Journal

I attended a meeting hosted by US Representative Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri 5th District, at JP Coffee in Lee's Summit on Saturday, August 8, 2009. According to Kansas City’s Fox 4 News there were 300 people in attendance, but once people found out the breakfast meeting was not a town hall gathering, many chose to leave the block-long line forming outside the coffee house. A group of about 30 people opposed to health care reform started chanting something about congressional use of jets and “Free Market! Free Market!” – they were clearly having fun despite their lack of a central message. Then there was a chant about the constitution, but when a pro-reform person shouted out “What about Bush and the constitution?” the protesters dropped the chant. My intent was not to rally with people supporting health care reform (though I support reform) but to test anti-reformers – why would anyone be opposed to health care for all Americans? The quick answer to that question is that some of the

The Tomato Fair brought out a sizable crowd to Farrand Farms at 5941 Noland Road in Kansas City, Missouri on August 1, 2009. The full parking lot was a testament to the crowd size. The nursery farm is located in the Little Blue River valley between Raytown, Independence, Lee's Summit, and Kansas City. The event was well-organized by the nursery gardens owner as they had a lot of activities focused on the featured vegetable -- the tomato. There was a tomato tasting area, salsa tasting, tomato cooking demonstration, tour of a large demonstration tomato garden, several booths from local groups, and activities for kids. Locally grown produce, was one of the themes that several people talked about during the morning festival. Festival-goers heard Chef Jasper Mirabile, Jr. talk about using locally grown garlic and basil in his Italian recipes used at his south KC restaurant, Jasper's . Ginger Johnson, a master gardener with the new Heartland Harvest Garden at Powell Gardens in Kin