Karen's Soy Nutrition Project

 

The Guatemala City Dump or "sanitary landfill," one of the largest in Central America, is more than a hundred acres of trash heaped into a 300-foot deep ravine.

 

Two to three thousand economically disenfranchised souls, mostly Maya, eke out a living here.  For a few dollars a day, they forage though rotting trash, digging up, dragging out and selling pieces of wood, plastic, metal, and whatever else might have some value, however small that might be.

Karen and Tomas Heikkala

Karen Heikkala, Board Chairperson for the Farm's relief and development organization Plenty International,  and her husband Tomas, first visited the Guatemala City dump in 2007 during a tour conducted by a non-profit organization called Safe Passages.   On the couple’s return to the United States, they learned Karen had a terminal inoperable brain tumor. Before her passing, Karen was asked by board member Lisa Wartinger what she would like Plenty to accomplish in the future.   Karen’s response was, “It would be nice to help the kids at the Guatemala dump.”    Sadly, Karen died in July of 2009.   .

The milk and cookies are distributed twice a week

To honor her life and her incredible heart and compassion, Tomas began working with family, friends, and Plenty International to bring Karen’s wish to life.   Named Karen’s Soy Nutrition Project, today a growing number of children receive weekly milk and cookies fortified with soy protein.   Real Nutrition Makes a Difference   Each child receives an 8 ounce bottle of cold soymilk and 2 fortified cookies   Each serving provides over 11 grams of protein   Plus iron, calcium, B vitamins and other essential nutrients.

 

 

Employment and Job Training:

Along with providing much needed nutrient rich foods to 300+ vulnerable children, the project provides jobs for six women who live in the dump settlements.

Each serving of milk and cookies costs just $0.50 cents, or a total of $1 per week.

Your gift of $52 is enough to support one child for a year.

You can ensure that a child receives 11 grams of protein with every serving, a significant boost to the nutrition they need, and one step forward in their journey to escape the cycle of poverty.

Click here to make a one time donation or to make a monthly pledge of support.

Children in Guatemala with their high protein milk and cookies

Everybody loves salsa! Yes, it’s crunch time, with some corn chips that is, at The 6^th Annual Salsa Contest at The Farm Market Under the Dome in Summertown, Tennessee, Saturday, August 19, 2017!

 

Chipotle, green tomatillos, fruits like peach, mango, pineapple, … Don’t forget Pico de Gallo, which is raw or uncooked salsa made from fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic peppers and spices. It is the perfect opportunity to taste salsa of many different flavor combinations to which ones are preferred by your palate.  

 

Recipes from across Middle Tennessee will be competing for cash First ($35), Second ($25) and Third ($15) prizes!  Enter in either of two (or both!) categories: Hot or Mild. You are the judge! Entries are lined up on a table, with a steady supply of corn chips on hand for you to sample each one. Vote for your favorite. It is that easy to participate and that easy to win.
 

To enter, simply bring 1 pint to one quart of your prepared salsa. If yours turns out to be one the most popular, be sure to have enough on hand so that you don’t run out before voting ends at 1:30 PM.

 

Check out this video about the contest from Nashville’s Channel 2, 2016. It features an introduction into how salsa is made, picking fresh ingredients from the garden, plus interviews with past contest winners.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAMbupBvNkA