Healthy Food on EVERY STREET!

Transition Streets On-A-Budget is on the way!

We need your help!

What if healthy food was available to every household in the United States?

The good news is that we can increase healthy and local food options by making small behavioral changes like those listed in Transition Streets On-A-Budget. This 128-page illustrated handbook is brimming with no-cost and low-cost actions ideal for renters, families and working people.

Tips included could go a long way in reducing household bills (up to $938/yr.) and carbon emissions (an average of 1.3 tons per household!) for the 20 million households struggling financially to get by, yet wanting to contribute positively to the world around them – Wow that's a lot of impact to make happen!

The Transition Streets On-A-Budget handbook is written and ready! The next step is to pilot-test the handbook and the support materials in 6 geographically and demographically diverse areas all across the country - for that we'll need your help.

We are raising money today to provide stipends for the coordinators in each of these six locales through crowdfunding and Facebook campaigns. To date, we have raised $4,278 of the $8,210 needed. The valuable work of these coordinators will greatly inform the final version of Transition Streets On-A-Budget - making it that much better for all of us. Your support will directly fund these coordinators!

In order to get a better sense of Transition Streets On-A-Budget, here’s a glimpse of actions from the Food Chapter. (Please note: These are just a few actions you can take. There are dozens more listed in the Transition Streets On-A-Budget Handbook):

Tips from the On-A-Budget Food Chapter

(stay tuned for further tips from the Waste and Transportation chapters)

In the past, communities had more self-reliant food systems. Every region of the country grew its own types of grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat. That’s not the kind of food system we have today in most places. A lot of food processing has even moved overseas. A strong, local food system is essential if we want our communities to be less dependent on fossil fuel and less exposed to extreme weather and price changes. By re-investing in local food systems we can create and support local jobs and vibrant local economies. We can reduce “food miles” (the distance food travel to get to our tables) and strengthen our local food systems by:

Growing some of your own food organically. In the Second World War, Victory Gardens sprung up at 20 million homes/communities providing food for those on the home front. Start with pots on a balcony or front steps, sprouting microgreens on a sunny countertop, or join or start a yard-sharing program where landowners share yard space with landless gardeners in exchange for a share of the produce.

Join or start a “crop swap” or “produce exchange,” where fellow gardeners exchange what they have too much of (zucchini?) for things they want more of (cauliflower?).
Reduce food waste by better meal planning, composting, preserving, and being more creative with leftovers. In 2017, when 40 million Americans were “food insecure,” the U.S. threw away 30 to 40% of the food it grew or imported. About a third of that was lost in the field and on the farm, about 8% was lost while it waited to be sold, and a whopping 39% of it was lost when it came into our homes or on the table at our restaurants.
Eat less meat. Americans are big meat eaters. That’s a huge part of our oversized carbon footprint: 42% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions come from animals raised for food. For every 100 calories of energy it takes to produce a pound of conventional beef, you get only 6 calories of energy back to eat. Apples, on the other hand, provide 110 calories for the same amount of energy. Vegetarian diets still have environmental impacts. For example, soy-based meat substitutes can have a significant carbon footprint, but generally a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can reduce your risk of chronic diseases, heart disease, and some cancers. If you choose to eat meat, consider eating less.

Please help get Transition Streets On-A-Budget into the hands of many. Every penny raised will go 100% to this program - to complete the pilot, integrate what we learn into a final handbook, and broadcast the availability of Transition Streets On-A-Budget far and wide.

Once this phase is completed, we will be working to translate the entire program into Spanish followed by other languages. But for now, we need to launch a pilot. Please help!

Thank you!
The Transition US Team