SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER PICNIC – JULY 8

Our next in-person, large-group, gathering will be an outdoor picnic on July 8 (rain date July 9) at a group member’s home in Weston. We will take RSVP’s closer to the time. Save the dateLAST CALL TO JOIN THE 7-DAY RESCUE DIET GROUP

A group of us did the 7-Day Rescue Diet this spring, and it was a big success! We are now planning for the second group. Group participants will be given a sample menu and shopping list for the week, and will have opportunities for regular check-ins with the group as well as individual conversations with an assigned buddy. If you are interested in participating, please contact UU-Plant-Based-contact-us@googlegroups.com by the end of the week.

The diet is set forth in the book The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet: Eat Plants, Lose Weight, Save Your Health, by Rip Esselstyn. It is a heart-healthy diet that is plant-based and minimizes processed foods, sugar, oil and salt. Thanks to a generous grant from the Social Action Committee, we were able to purchase 5 copies of the book to lend to program participants.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT – WATER CONSERVATION

Did you know that animal agriculture is incredibly water-intensive? It takes around 1,000 gallons of water to get a single chicken from “shell to shelf” and the number for beef is higher still.

You might have heard that the Colorado River is running dry, and that Arizona, California and Nevada have agreed to take less water through 2026. A recent New York Times story revealed that 56% of the water consumed within the Colorado River basin is used for livestock. This is four times the amount used to grow plant foods to be consumed by humans, and five times the amount used for residential consumption such as watering lawns and taking showers. See “The Colorado River Is Shrinking. See What’s Using All the Water. Hint: It’s less about long showers and more about what’s for dinner” By Elena Shao, NTY, May 22, 2023.

ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY – FARM BILL

The federal Farm Bill, which is reauthorized every 5 years, is an important piece of legislation that determines how approximately $700 billion will be spent on agriculture and nutrition programs. A number of organizations, including Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) and the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), are advocating to make the Farm Bill more fair and just in a variety of ways that will benefit consumers, workers, small farm owners, and the environment. Please check our NOFA’s excellent summary at https://www.nofamass.org/farmbill/ and click the link at the bottom under “Take Action” to send a communication to your congressional representatives.