Eat Right Racine is a local movement working to inspire a shift in the way we think about food. We hope to encourage Racinians to celebrate the culture and traditions of food; to make daily choices about food with awareness and responsibility; and to build community.
We’ve been around for less than a year but have already engaged the interest and support of local businesses, government, school leaders and private citizens. We’ve held monthly seminars focusing on such topics as seasonal eating and healthy school lunches and we produced a food tasting and educational expo last July that attracted 500 people in two hours. We’ve begun work on food policy issues and have even partnered with private citizens to realize the development of a community food cooperative market in Racine!
The movers and shakers behind the work we do are many and varied – each person offering a unique set of skills, experiences, and interests that advance our primary goals.
Our Crew is made entirely of volunteers:
Heidi Fannin – Driving Force
Heidi Fannin has an uncontainable passion and excitement for food, exercise, and a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle and she is eager to share her philosophies broadly. She has been working for almost 15 years in the field of health and wellness as a massage therapist right here in Racine. She is also a local, small business owner: Body Wellness by Heidi. She recently completed a rigorous course of study with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City incorporate nutritional counseling into her menu of services. Heidi was raised in the midwest by Swiss natives who instilled in her the importance of simple, deliberate living. She describes herself as a mother to two young children who has a strong interest in seeing our schools begin to offer healthier, fresher, less-processed foods to our children. Heidi’s varied tasks include leading many of Eat Right Racine’s monthly educational seminars, facilitating business transactions between local growers and restaurants, and infusing almost everyone that she comes into contact with enthusiasm for healthy food. Additionally, Heidi contributes recipes and blog entries to our website.
Colleen Wilkinson – Advisor and Connector of Dots and Filler of Gaps
Colleen Wilkinson joined the Eat Right Racine crew at a point of critical growth and led an energetic crew in early strategic visioning for their wildly popular project. She has a strong interest in the slow food movement and feeds her entire, busy family of five around the table – together – at least once a day. She does some organizational planning, writing, communications, and facilitates collaborative relationships with other community groups.
Tiffany Beherends
Tiffany is a working mom of two beautiful kids and wife to a wonderfully supportive husband. She is someone that Eat Right Racine can count on in every level of the organization. She is an amazing cook! She is passionate about healthy food and wants to help our community become healthier. Tiffany is also recently taking over the monthly meetings! Tiffany’s work with Eat Right Racine has been priceless.
Heather Meerschaert
Heather Meerschaert is a long-time Racine resident and was excited to become a part of the Eat Right Racine organization earlier this year. She is passionate about healthy living, including health of mind, body, & spirit. This passion is also displayed through her work as a dance teacher, as well as through her distributorship of USANA vitamin supplements and weight loss products.
Being involved with ERR has brought Heather a deeper connection with the community, a plethora of new personal growth & learning, and a fellow group of Foodies that are all eager to get the word out about healthy foods, healthy eating, and little lifestyle changes each of us can do to make a difference. A healthier community = a happier place for all of us!
Lizz Fabel – Graphic Designer and Chef for Special Events
Lizz is a foodie who, in her spare time, loves to cook not only for people and specializes in tasty, healthful cooking – and she’s built an independent, small business around this: The Traveling Chef. Her in-home cooking demonstrations range from the simple to the complex and are universally enjoyed by all. The Traveling Chef also delivers Gourmet meals to you at your home.
Anonymous – Graphic Designer
Our Eat Right Racine logo – the plate and utensils – has already become a well-known icon in the area and we’d like to thank the creator of this logo, but she wishes to remain anonymous. We have no intention but to honor her humble request and, at the same time, feel so much gratitude and admiration that we want to advertise it here.
Heather Meerschaert
Joan Infusino
Maritza Byron
Melody Kloska
Matt Behress
Kathleen Ledwith
Kara Kading
Daniela Karbulka Lehmkuhl
Amy Crawford Ray
Amy graduated from Kansas State in 1994 and got her MBA in 1998. After years in corporate America, Amy’s and her husband relocated to Racine when they had the opportunity to buy a business in 2001 (6 weeks after the birth of their daughter). Just over 3 years ago They had the opportunity to buy a small farmstead and have relished creating a large garden and raising a small flock of hens for eggs. It is a great learning experience. Amy and her husband have enjoyed teaching their kids about growing organic food and how it’s important to know where the food they eat comes from.
OTHER PEOPLE WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS WE CAN’T IGNORE:
Amanda DeSonia~
Amanda DeSonia is raising two young women (with a boy on the way!) at home and generally works to make sure their plates are full of delicious, healthy home cooking. She is also a champion of strong communities and civil service and has a list of accomplishments for the betterment of Racine that may lead people to believe she’s been here longer than five years: She founded Racine Family Club; she sits on the City’s Park and Rec Board; she has been a leader in many neighborhood initiatives, too. It’s no surprise that when Amanda and Heidi found common interest in the topic of nutrition and schools that stuff began to happen. Amanda served as the lone administrator for Eat Right Racine for almost 7 months before delegating away some of her numerous duties which ranged from setting up our internet presence to attending licensing classes for food safety. Amanda’s interest in food – beyond the making and the eating – centers around food policy as it relates to our children and our economy. Amanda is largely responsible for the great success of our community food tasting and educational expo “Celebrate the Bounty of Racine County” last July 2009.
Stephanie Waite -
Stephanie is a Science teacher with RUSD at Park High School and is a member of the school’s Health and Wellness Team as well as a developer of Park’s Outdoor Garden project. Stephanie joined Eat Right Racine early and helped to shape many activities. Stephanie worked tirelessly to pull off our first annual “Celebrate the Bounty of Racine County” Community Food Tasting and Educational Expo last July and provided guidance and topical contributions to our seminar titles.
Paula Rowland -
Paula Rowland is also a teacher with RUSD who has a strong affinity for the mission and goals of Eat Right Racine. She is especially passionate about issues around our corporate food system and the implications it has on the health of our children and our communities. Paula’s early work with Eat Right Racine helped it to take shape and direction.
