FoodBackwards: The DooF Glob (blog)

When we started DooF a few years ago, it already felt like an overdue response to the barrage of fast-food advertising and rapidly accelerating rates of childhood obesity. Corporations, schools, health care providers and government agencies were all getting on board with initiatives to address this critical health issue. Yet none of it seems to have worked. A recent review by the Associated Press of 57 federal programs to promote healthy eating in schools found mostly failure. Click to see the USA Today article

The programs brought fresh, healthy food into schools, where previously burgers, candy, soda and vending machines covered all of the ‘basic’ food needs. When the choice was made for them, the kids ate the healthy food, but once the adults turned their backs, the kids went back to the food they knew and loved. The reason is obvious. Fast food is fun! Healthy food…not fun.

Of course we know different. Healthy food IS fun, but it doesn’t do a very good job of advertising that fact. One of the points of the article was the advertising that bombards children on a daily basis. And it’s true — the fast food industry uses everything at its disposal–tie-ins, packaging, animated characters, product associations, television airtime, and pure entertainment–to make sure kids get their message.

Which is exactly what we want to do with DooF, only with a few more tricks up our sleeve. We know that the magic of growing, picking, preparing, and cooking good food makes for very entertaining TV. Putting this all in a package that’s fun and credible for kids is a challenge we relish.

And as if we didn’t know already, we got even more confirmation in 2007 that we’re on the right track. In October we brought FoodBackwards magic to nearly a thousand people with our first ever DooF-a-Palooza at Google. The event featured hands-on food activities with the kind of growers, chefs, and purveyors we feature on DooF.

Right now, it looks like we’re on track to produce thirteen new episodes of DooF in 2008 (more on this in a future post). So DooF and DooF characters will be coming to a television near you, this website, an electronic game, and a host of other merchandise, along with those beautifully packaged items–apples, oranges, grapes, pears, potatoes, etc.

We’re betting that more kids will choose these items, at school and at home, once they’ve seen how much fun it is to discover and prepare good food themselves…on TV, that is.

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It’s interesting how growing up as a kid, obesity was not in our vocabulary unless it was a  seven-letter Scrabble “bomb”.

The result of not learning about obesity then is quite obvious today. Those very same kids who did not develop or learn healthy eating habits have grown up to be today’s heavier adults.

According to this post on Mice Age, the Disneyland ride, “It’s a Small World After All”, will be temporarily closed for refurbishing. And one of the main reasons will be because of those very adults.

In case you’ve never been on it, the ride involves sitting in a fiberglass boat with 6-7 other riders. The song, “It’s a Small World After All,” plays continuously, changing languages as the boat snakes along through the water, on each side of which are meticulously constructed “doll houses” for lack of a better word, colorful settings depicting a multitude of multicultural tableaux that are meant to represent many of the major cultures of the world.

The ride is…cute.

Anyway, it turns out that when the ride was first designed oh, some 40 years ago, it was assumed that the typical American adult male weighed around 175 lbs, and the female 135 lbs. To say those averages no longer, er, hold water is proven by the fact that the ride has experienced numerous stoppages, stoppages not due to mechanical difficulties such as those you might find on a roller coaster, but rather because the boatloads are so heavy now that they often scrape the bottom of the flume or get stuck altogether. It’s gotten to the point where the peeps running the ride will often not fill a boat to full capacity.

Even then, according to the article, the ride will sometimes come to a stop when it turns out that a boat has gotten “stuck” due to the now much heavier ridership, resulting in some indignant riders who are too embarrassed to admit or see the truth.

Thus, Disneyland will be shutting down the ride for 10 months to put in new deeper flumes and more buoyant boats.

In the meantime, let’s continue to do our part to raise healthy kids.

“Doof-A-Palooza was exactly the opportunity we’ve been looking for to live the values we share with Doof - promoting sustainable and healthy food and eating. Since the event, the emails of praise have been pouring in from attendees and the chefs. There are festivals and events of all kinds, but everyone seemed to agree they had never seen anything like this before. Everyone wants to do it all over again. As one chef told me, his child couldn’t stop saying ‘Doof!’ all weekend. He wants to know when we’ll start planning for Doof-A-Palooza 2008. The only response I can give, is ‘not soon enough.’”

—Mirit Cohen, Sous Chef Google Cafe 150 & DooF-a-Palooza Co-Organizer

Just a couple of days ago, on the occasion of Hannukah, I finally opened my vacuum-sealed applesauce provided by Google’s Cafe 150 at DooF-a-Palooza. Though joined by sour cream and greasy latkes, the delicious, mellow-crisp apple flavor was well-preserved. My experience on that fine, October Saturday at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View is preserved in just the same way: sealed in my mind, fresh and accessible as I reach for it a couple of months later.

Occupied for most of the day running the silent auction platform, I only made it to half of the 30-odd activities, but I still had the satisfaction of dunking an Oreo well past my fingertips in Charles Chocolates impressive vat of milk-chocolate, seeing my Acme Bread-dough pizza-creation come to life exactly as planned, Pollocking a pumpkin, and grooving on the effervescent beat-boxing of Felonious and crew.

I saw a lot more as DooF’s roving reporters transmitted live feed back to Google’s jumbo screen. Walking around or staying put, I basked in the joy and success of the event, along with nearly a thousand others.

DooF Executive Producer Mike Axinn reflects, “DooF-a-Palooza was an opportunity to put into practice our mission to make good food fun and to energize the work of organizations that share our commitment to healthy and sustainable methods. A lot has been said about Google and their business model. What impressed me was their incredible commitment, their generosity and collaboration in the creation of this amazing– and hopefully annual– event.” Indeed, the event would not have been possible without the indefatigable Googlers, and dynamo chef Mirit Cohen in particular, who first suggested that Google could host a DooF event. “Not wanting to presume too much,” recalls Mike. “I imagined a small garden party with wine in plastic cups.”

“DooF-a-Palooza was by far the best family event we have been to in a long time,” emailed one enthused mom. Denis Lynch of Google, added, “If you don’t have kids, and didn’t think to borrow any for the occasion, you really missed out!”

For those who didn’t–and those who did, DooF-a-Palooza 2008 is currently in the making. Which gives you ten months to shmooze with your extended family and your neighbors so that they can partake of the joy and excitement that good food brings to kids when you let them get their hands on it . Guest Andrea Price marveled, “My kids thanked us over and over for taking them.” Honestly, how often does that happen?

With less than five days before DooF-a-Palooza, many of us are as baked as a pizza Napolitano, crusty as a load of Acme bread, and smelly as a Cowgirl Creamery Pierce Point. A lot goes into the making of a large event, but come Saturday, October 20th, we’ll be as fresh as the flowers itemized in the silent auction, courtesy of Chef Alan Tangren from his own Narrow Gauge farm.

As a production assistant from Napa, my part has been to coordinate the two-pronged silent auction. On one prong is standard fare like bouquets and getaways to Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Mendocino County. Skewered on the second prong is a slightly off-beet feature called 24 carrots. 24 carrots won’t include any veggies, diamonds, or gold nuggets. Instead, buried in a planter box of corn pellets will be 24 premium bottles of wine, cleverly disguised with orange cellophane and frondy stems as our favorite crunchy taproots. With hidden demi-carafes, regular bottles, and magnums, the shapes and varieties of the wines unearthed will come as great surprises. And since a guest can only purchase one carrot, 24 revelers will get to experience a tug that is truly unique—conceived solely and originally for DooF-a-Palooza.

Traveling up and down Northern California to create the packages, you bet I’ve used that line before. But lines have been hardly a necessity, easy as it is to pitch a concept such as DooF. The truth is that DooF’s genesis is Northern California as a whole, as worthy of partnership in Eureka or Monterey as it is in Berkeley, its birthplace. The show’s tenets flit through the same fields, streams, and harbors of many conscientious growers, purveyors, chefs, and restaurateurs.

With my attention spread between two parts of an auction, I’m still filling the final slots for the 24 carrots feature, and it was just Monday that I visited Goosecross Cellars. Colleen Topper, Hospitality and Public Relations Director, doubles as a chef and offers more than 100 recipes to be paired with Goosecross varietals. From the tasting room, the attendant phoned Colleen, who was sorry to say that they had reached their donation capacity for the year; there simply was no more wine to be given. I left graciously, but, sure that she would love the concept of our show and our exciting benefit, I insisted that Colleen at least receive my packet. 5 minutes later, Goosecross phoned and granted my request. Just like we find room in our stomachs for sweet and unique desserts, many-a-winery I’ve visited has had an unprecedented tooth for generosity. Experiences like this make it pleasurable for me to rove the coast and valleys, knight errant of DooF’s noble cause.

And it’s not just me. Organizing the legions on the Google side of this effort is Chef Mirit Cohen, who’s worked tirelessly to make sure that the o’s in Google and the o’s in DooF are like two pairs of eyes with a shared vision. At one of our large meetings at Google, after a business lunch at her own café, Mirit led us to an interdepartmental meeting still wearing her chef’s coat, a coat with the look of one who does her best work in the trenches. Alongside DooF’s executive producer, Mike Axinn, Mirit facilitated a fine meeting, the foodstuffs smeared and splattered across her chest like a DooF coat of arms.
With the excitement of a pep rally’s aftermath, it was on the car ride home that we joked about a hokey fight song for our DooF-a-Palooza, and then decided seriously that a party without pennants was not a party for a crowd like us, and a TV show like DooF.

On October 20th, somewhere near the 11th hour—so to speak—DooF-a-Palooza will completely come together and appear as natural to Google’s courtyards and cafeterias as an entrée on a shiny plate. Consider how DooF (F-o-o-D backwards) purports to change the way kids think about food by engaging them in fun alternatives to unhealthy eating, immersing them in a world of color and taste, growers, purveyors, and silly characters.

The experiences our team has had with other businesses, and, of course, Google, have held a mirror to the business world, allowing me to see it backwards. And I’ve seen the generosity, ardor, and collaboration that make many of these businesses successful on a holistic level, and that will make DooF-a-Palooza and a great success of its own.

Until Saturday, give me a D; give me an O; give me another O, F!

On October 20^th, just over a week from now, the first-ever DooF-a-Palooza at Google’s Mountain View campus, will send delight through the ranks of its attendees. According to Mike Axinn, DooF Creator and Excecutive Producer, Doof-a-Palooza is set to be a live version of what happens in the show, “where kids discover the magic of good food as they visit farmers, purveyors and chefs who share their knowledge and passion.” The event, set up like an old-fashioned county fair, is catered to adults as well, with renowned culinary stars, luxurious auctions, and hands-on activities galore. Google’s own commitment to a very innovative and forward-thinking food program makes it the ideal third party and event host.

As the date draws near, the anticipation for DooF-a-Palooza at Google’s Mountain View campus is a little like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with Willy Wonka finally re-opening his factory gates to the five golden ticket holders and their parents. Here are the 10 main differences to expect when Google’s doors do open:

10). Instead of brandishing your golden ticket or waiting behind wintry gates, expect to pay $20 for adults, $12 for youth, and nothing for tykes five and under, with all proceeds going to the development of the show.

9). Instead of being conveyed from room to room, expect upon arrival to receive a DooF-a-Palooza eco-tote-bag and a complimentary Foodbackwards Passport with your own photo inside—freedom to explore and collect as you wander.

8). Instead of a showcase of outlandish but cavity-causing candies, expect a street fair with delectable cuisine from around the world.

7). Instead of a kooky host played by Johnny Depp or Gene Wilder, expect “Bay Café” host Joey Altman, celebrity chef Molly Katzen, and friendly Google tour guides to show off their amazing gardens and food facilities.

6). Instead of temptation leading to unpleasant consequences, expect copious sampling with the worst-case scenario a stray “yuck!”

5). Instead of indulging a finicky confectioner, expect to be the chef as you choose your own ingredients to make a pizza, and attend cooking skill workshops by Kitchen on Fire and Revolution Foods.

4). Instead of being shrunk and teleported into a television, expect to see your image broadcasted live onto a jumbo screen as a young DooF reporter conducts interviews and our crew films activities.

3). Instead of the monotonous drone of the oompa-loompa chant, expect to hear the scintillating vocals of hip-hop artist Felonious and the DooF musicians.

2). Instead of whiny children and beastly parents, expect all to have a great time with interactive activities for kids and adults alike, including a food backwards spelling bee and a silent auction with a twist.

1). Instead of Charlie Bucket inheriting all of DooFdom, we hope that many youngsters will simply part with a life-long love for natural, delicious, and healthy foods.

Click here for all the details and ticket information