From Katherine Brooks, an organizer from Simmons College:

"We could not have asked for a sunnier, more pleasant afternoon to hold our very first Eat-in on Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Interested and interesting students from five schools in the Boston/Cambridge area came together to share stories, ideas, and delicious food. The menu included:

heirloom tomato sauce
baguettes
sliced heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil
couscous with butternut squash and dried apricots
roasted beets and carrots
apple cobbler
vegan cupcakes and cookies
pumpkin bread
pasta with pesto
olive and cherry tomato skewers with hummus
foccacia
local apples

Slow Food Boston University and Real Food Harvard hosted the event, with other attendees from Simmons College, Berklee College of Music, and Boston College. Classic moments included being serenaded by a wandering musician and realizing that another group of picnickers on the Yard had actually come for the eat-in, but didn't approach us because they assumed our large group was an outdoor class. Responses from eat-in participants include:

'I liked how the event brought together like-minded, but at the same time diverse individuals, who cared about food and where it comes from. Having diverse people brought many different and new ideas to the table, and it was nice to be able to share and introduce good food with others, including food that we made and food that others made/brought. The eat-in helped to show that more students and people everywhere are becoming concerned about the importance of food, the community, sustainability, and the environment, and it is truly inspiring that we were able to get people from so many different schools to come to this event.' -Annabelle

'I brought vegan cupcakes and cookies and was delighted to share the joys of vegan baking with people who are open-minded about food. It was great to meet people from other schools who share an interest in sustainable food practices.' -Bridget

'I thought the Eat-In went amazingly well; from the cooking party
beforehand to the unexpected characters that showed up intermittently. It seemed that groups from different schools were just absorbed into the fold, and I liked how I often couldn't tell which school any one person was from. Best of all, I'm glad that Simmons, Harvard and BU were able to join up and make each of our groups stronger by sharing ideas and enthusiasm about the food we eat.' -Kate

We could not have asked for a better way to meet other students in the area passionate about food and sustainable food practices. The eat-in was an incredible collaboration of diverse students and we hope to bring everyone together again."