When people think of getting active they generally think of formal exercising. This could be walking in your local neighborhood or park, attending a Zumba class or going to a gym. What if you don’t live in a safe or walker friendly neighborhood? What if there is no local gym to attend or you don’t have the finances for a membership? What if the killings of unarmed black and brown people walking and jogging in their neighborhoods have created a sense of unsafety?

There are many unspoken barriers to the commercial definitions of fitness and getting healthy. There are some communities that don’t have access to achieve that style of fitness. However, even with these factors there are still ways to increase your mobility and burn additional calories. Below you will find some simple ways to add more movement in your everyday life.

 
1. Wash your dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher. I get it, the dishwasher is convenient but opting to wash a few times a week gives you a gentle arm workout. 

2. Stretch at least 10-15 minutes everyday. That is 3-4 songs or two Ricky Dillard songs. You might start out stretching once a week then gradually add another day or more time. 

3.Browse all the aisles when you go shopping. Take your time and get those steps in. If you want to add a little razzle dazzle, park your car further away from the door. 

4.Apply for a Mini Grant and bring the formal exercise into your community. Zumba, Yoga, Chicago Step class. Whatever fits the culture of your faith community. 

What can a North Carolina faith community do when it wants to make food justice an integral part of its congregational life? RAFI-USA has a way. For more than a decade, RAFI’s Come to the Table program (CTTT) has empowered faith communities to participate in creating a just food system through collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy. In 2020 CTTT witnessed an opportunity to make the most of the pandemic-generated interest in local foods and increased focus on racial equity through buying from black owned businesses. Churches wanted to get more involved and farmers wanted to pivot to direct-to-consumer marketing.

So CTTT developed our Farm and Faith Partnership Project (FFPP), which connects NC churches with farmers from RAFI-USA’s Farmers of Color Network (FOCN) to create sustainable food-based partnerships. We incubated our first project in 2020, the now flourishing Wake County Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). With the help of the pastor and lay leader at Community UCC in Raleigh, CTTT met with other congregations to generate interest in purchasing from local farmers of color. Then Steve and Elke McCalla of Rocky Ridge Farms were brought into the project; and they in turn reached out to more farmers. 

In its first year eight churches partnered with three farmers of color to purchase and distribute 100 weekly shares of produce for three seasons. Each party reported satisfaction with this partnership: individuals gained access to local produce through their faith communities while farmers of color leveraged more income. The Wake County CSA begins its fourth season this spring with twelve churches, seven farmers and 130 shares. Last year, the farmers collectively gained $10,000 in additional income. Steve McCalla says, “This project guarantees us a source of income and gives us the potential to go all out with production and delivery to the churches.  If your business needs a shot in the arm - this is it.”

Each year they begin the season with a Blessing of the Land event at a partnering farm. This year it was held at Singing Stream Farm, owned by Ken & Dennis Daniels, where over fifty people were in attendance. Additionally, the church participants and farmers meet weekly to discuss the quality and variety of produce as well as any logistical concerns. 

FFPP is not only about adding value to farmers’ income and to local economies, it's also about congregations engaging in relational ministries with farmers in their communities. Gary Smith of Community UCC told us, “A lot of what we have in the CSA is about personal relationships - really sustaining.” Steve McCalla adds, “We have developed relationships with the churches, and for farmers having people standing by you is an incredible thing.”

Over time, the McCalla’s brought on more farmers and are now coordinating the CSA so that it is transitioning from a RAFI-driven project to farmer-driven. That’s what CTTT is all about – connecting faith communities to their local food systems to better the environmental and health outcomes of everyone. If your faith community or farm is interested in starting a similar project, reach out to the staff at Come to the Table!