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<h1>Photo Essay: At a Half-Mile-Long Table, Chefs, Farmers, and Volunteers Feed a Neighborhood for Free</h1>
 <div>  <div>  <div>  <p><span style="height: 1.7em;">Artist Seitu Jones was troubled to see people relying on convenience foods because healthy shopping choices are difficult in his St. Paul, Minn., neighborhood. Jones wanted to start a community-wide conversation about food access and food justice&mdash;and where better to talk than over a good meal?</span></p>  <p>With the help of Public Arts St. Paul, funders, farmers, chefs, and 400 volunteers, Jones created a free dinner of ginger chicken, green vegetables, collard greens, beans, rice, and apple cider for 2,000 guests. Poetry and choreographed table service made the event a meal to remember. Next on the menu for Jones&rsquo; multiyear project, Create: The Community Meal, are mobile demonstration kitchens and classes on affordable, healthy cooking.</p>  <p>The following photos were taken Sunday, September 14, on St. Paul's Victoria Street.</p>  <hr style="width: 50%;" width="50%"><p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/1cfb3b3edabf4290b613844fa96ecbe9.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/eeaad6fa6dc34d6da19babad1ffaf467.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/4228fa3660bc47fdb68ce7f6db2ad503.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/c70b11da8a7c462f87c02022853554b6.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/0a5f0463275e46168dbf765abad6d034.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/ba427d9dfbac421aa674d2c6e9a13762.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/18a16c6a07ba45c281a08add9dd2c5a2.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/3b28601c3c684758ab3a089026671d30.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/c267049846274abdb5bba4b5c3d90a4d.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/5c784344340d4f30be25086c837c78cf.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/119fedaef90343b7a6a801761f3c2c8a.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Andy King.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  <p><figure><img src="/wp-content/uploads/imports/e52ff8f29b1547eda3c68e5f3f756a5e.jpg"><figcaption><span><p><span>Photo by Bob Muschewske.</span></p></span></figcaption></figure></p>  </div>  <!-- <img src="360dc98a09544aa6a1185c0c12136ab2"> --></div>  <!-- <p><span style="height: 1.7em;"><img src="b3cad62e9c5748219a1ba11b8ae977e6">Valerie Schloredt wrote this article for </span><strong><a href="resolveuid/ec958bf72028403c8a062a6f17761cb8"><span style="height: 22.515625px;">C</span>ities Are Now</a></strong><span style="height: 22.515625px;">, the Winter 2015 issue of </span><a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/" style="height: 22.515625px;">YES! Magazine</a><span style="height: 22.515625px;">.</span><span style="height: 1.7em;"> Valerie is associate editor at YES!.</span></p> --></div>  <!-- <a href="resolveuid/69ddc30a22874801a83d04c791f20a6d">When the City Turned Off Their Water, Detroit Residents and Groups Delivered Help</a> --><!-- <a href="resolveuid/8878c8a5ea2f43a3838cf393652569e4">This Food Stand Celebrates Palestinian Culture. When It Received a Death Threat, Students Stood Up</a> --><!-- <a href="resolveuid/aa240ee109f44e28bbfb48573f698d38">10 Climate Conscious Cities&#8212;Electric Cars, Rooftop Farms, and Other Ways They&#8217;re Preparing for the Future</a> -->
<p>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org">Yes! Magazine</a> at <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/cities/2014/11/26/photo-essay-at-a-half-mile-long-table-chefs-farmers-and-volunteers-feed-a-neighborhood-for-free">https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/cities/2014/11/26/photo-essay-at-a-half-mile-long-table-chefs-farmers-and-volunteers-feed-a-neighborhood-for-free</a>.</p><link href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/cities/2014/11/26/photo-essay-at-a-half-mile-long-table-chefs-farmers-and-volunteers-feed-a-neighborhood-for-free" rel="canonical"/><p>Yes! Magazine is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of ... . Learn more at <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org">Yes! Magazine</a></p><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://www.yesmagazine.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=16491&ga4=G-74QJNNY44Z" style="width:1px;height:1px;">

Photo Essay: At a Half-Mile-Long Table, Chefs, Farmers, and Volunteers Feed a Neighborhood for Free
       Artist Seitu Jones was troubled to see people relying on convenience foods because healthy shopping choices are difficult in his St. Paul, Minn., neighborhood. Jones wanted to start a community-wide conversation about food access and food justice—and where better to talk than over a good meal?  With the help of Public Arts St. Paul, funders, farmers, chefs, and 400 volunteers, Jones created a free dinner of ginger chicken, green vegetables, collard greens, beans, rice, and apple cider for 2,000 guests. Poetry and choreographed table service made the event a meal to remember. Next on the menu for Jones’ multiyear project, Create: The Community Meal, are mobile demonstration kitchens and classes on affordable, healthy cooking.  The following photos were taken Sunday, September 14, on St. Paul's Victoria Street.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Andy King.  Photo by Bob Muschewske.

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