Plant-Based Eating

You’re invited to participate in our workshop on jam-making and preserving seasonal produce!

Learn how to preserve vegetables and walk through the jam-making process live with Lindsey R. of Bonny Doon Berries and Jams on an induction stovetop. Plus:

• Take home a 2 oz. jar of ginger pear jam that is created in front of you
• Enter our raffle with prizes that support your sustainable plant based eating journey
• Enjoy plant-based snacks
• Learn about induction and electric cooking
• Take home jam/”canning” recipes

Free! - Registration is required.

Join your neighbors, City of Mountain View employees, and Acterra to do the Plantiful Fall Challenge! Choose your goal diet that is "climate friendlier" than your current way of eating, track your progress, and make a difference! Find out more and sign up at any point during the program at Acterra's Plantiful Fall page.

Meatless Meatup: A plant-based tasting & workshop focused on tasty "meats" made from plants.

The City of Mountain View joined forces with Acterra and Clorofil to offer this one of a kind plant-based tasting & workshop focused on tasty "meats" made from plants. This event was for anyone who's ever been curious about how to make easy meat substitutes using ingredients such as tofu, mushrooms, and tempeh.

Look for similar events in Fall 2023.

As part of our plant-based eating series, the City of Mountain View was proud to host our first community gardening event. This in-person workshop instructed participants on how to start their own garden, no matter their gardening experience or the size of their space. Home gardens allow you to take full advantage of Mountain View’s unique climate, where you can grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs year-round! The workshop covered planting seasons, water-conscious gardening, how to make the most of your space from container pots to garden beds, and a hands-on planting activity. The event took place at the Soil & Water Garden, a learning-focused community garden at Heritage Park.

Learn more about the Soil & Water Garden.

For the third event in our plant-based eating series, Monica Chen, Executive Director of the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition, shared about the environmental impacts of our food choices. Through an engaging and informative presentation, Monica shared how to make a big difference for the environment and your own health by including more plant-based foods in your diet.

The Factory Farming Awareness Coalition is an educational nonprofit that contributes to the eradication of factory farming through a range of educational programs. Every year they educate and empower thousands of people about the social justice, health, and environmental impacts of our food system.

You can watch a recording of the event here.

As part of our Plant-Based Eating program, the City of Mountain View hosted our first plant-based eating cooking demonstration on September 7th. You can find recipes from the event here.

We were grateful to be joined by chef Alex Bury. Alex was trained as a classical (non-vegetarian) chef at the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America. In 2001, she opened a restaurant in California called Sparks with an entirely plant-based menu. Sparks quickly became well-known for its outstanding food, even among non-vegans. Alex is now a professional fundraiser and serves as Vice President of Development for the international organization Vegan Outreach. When she’s not raising money to change how animals are treated she jumps back into the kitchen: She has taught healthy cooking techniques and recipes at Whole Foods Market, for the McDougall Program (a nationally renowned preventative health program), and for local groups and companies since 2000. Alex is now based in Anchorage, Alaska, where she enjoys pancakes with wild Alaska blueberries and searching for the best soy cappuccino in the 49th state!

The City of Mountain View kicked off our new Plant-Based Eating initiative with the founder of the Food Empowerment Project, Lauren Ornelas. The Food Empowerment Project seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. They encourage healthy food choices that reflect a more compassionate society by spotlighting the abuse of animals on farms, the depletion of natural resources, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the unavailability of healthy foods in low-income areas.

By making informed choices, we can prevent injustices against animals, people, and the environment. Food Empowerment Project also works to discourage negligent corporations from pushing unhealthy foods into low-income areas and empower people to make healthier choices by growing their own fruits and vegetables. In all of their work, Food Empowerment Project seeks specifically to empower those with the fewest resources.

You can watch a recording of the event here.