Change always begins at the grassroots level, with a few individuals. It involves learning, education, and action. This kind of change has been going on in Pasadena for the last five years. It started as a little farmer's market booth, grossing between $50,000 and $80,000 in the first year. In its fifth year, when it was closed down, it was grossing $650,000. That's pretty good for what started as a booth.

As a private club, Culture Club 101 created this kind of growth by giving people access to information, a library, hands-on classes, and a way to buy real foods readymade. The Club vetted other resources such as pasture-raised meats, raw milk, and sprouted grains so that, without having to do their own research, members had access to real foods from around the U.S.

In the last few years of Culture Club 101's life it had begun to foster and mentor a number of small real food businesses specializing in organic gluten-free baking and sourdough breads from ancient einkorn wheat as well as cultured raw dairy foods, sprouted seed granolas, kombucha, coconut kefir, cultured sodas, and other real foods not available in grocery stores.

As you can see from this story, changes in peoples' awareness led to changes in the ways they spent money on food...and to changes in their health. When the Pasadena Health Department decided the Club could no longer operate in its present location (due both to interpretation of regulations and to zoning issues) it became clear that a community kitchen was needed. And that is how the Real Food Culture Kitchen began.

The Real Food Culture Kitchen will be a model that can be duplicated throughout this country. The Kickstarter campaign that ends on November 30 will allow this amazingly successful real food seed to grow in Pasadena. As it does, it will inspire, foster, and mentor entrepreneurs beyond Pasadena...as it has already begun to do. Funding the Real Food Culture Kitchen Kickstarter is an important element in the real whole food movement.

Making whatever donation you can to Real Food Culture Kitchen Kickstarter, from $10 to $10,000, will help support the availability and extension of real food throughout the United States.

Only a few days are left. Please act now.