It's a Movie. It's a Movement.

So here in Georgia our kids go back to school mid-August, so that means us moms are already buying little collared polo shirts that meet the school dress code standards and backpacks on sale at Costco. And that, of course, gets me thinking again about the lack of response I'm getting from my state regarding farm-to-school initiatives. A little research, however, set my heart aflutter when I found kindred spirits actually achieving something potentially grand.

Apparently, Texas Agricultural Secretary Susan Coombs said that it will take two million angry moms to change the school lunch program. This gave Amy Kalafa & Susan Rubin an idea. What if they become the first two angry moms and invite others to join them? Amy is an award-winning producer of health eduction programs (Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's parenting show, segments for Martha Stewart Living, etc.), and Susan is a holistic health counselor and the creator of the Weschester County Coalition for Better School Food. Together, these two professionals traveled the country visiting schools and filming a documentary titled Two Angry Moms. As it says on their website:

Are you sick and tired of packing your kids’ lunch box everyday because the cafeteria food is unfit for human consumption? Do you feel guilty when your kids “buy”? Are you annoyed at all the junk being handed out and sold at school? Are you angry enough to do something about it? We are!

Two Angry Moms is a documentary that asks the question: What happens when two “fed-up” moms try to change the school lunch program?

Please join us in our fight for the health of America’s children.

I called Amy to find out more about the movie and the movement. In the movie, they visit The Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California, of course, but then they balance the expected "well, it's not hard to have an organic school garden in California" reaction with a success story from a school in New Hampshire, as well as schools in southern California and Connecticut. They speak to food service vendors, teachers, health experts, politicians and parents as well as officials from the USDA and the FDA. They analyze the contents of various school lunches, compare costs and nutrition with a whole foods meal, and offer examples and workable alternatives. They focus on exactly what has gone wrong with our School Lunch Program and demonstrate strategies for overcoming roadblocks and getting real food into school cafeterias. In short, they get to the bottom of things regarding the food our society deems appropriate to feed its schoolchildren, and they show how we can take back the lunchroom, one angry mom at a time.

Not a mom? Not a problem. Amy considers the "mom" word to be a general term for anyone who cares about their children. Not angry? That's okay, too. You can be concerned. Be hopeful. Be willing to advocate for positive change.

The movie comes out around Labor Day, just in time for back-to-school (although us Georgia families will be well-oiled machines by then). Amy and Susan are encouraging folks to throw house parties to view the DVD (which will be available for about 25 bucks). Sign up for the Two Angry Moms newsletter and get monthly updates on the movie and the movement. And get ready to participate in Take Your Child to Lunch during National School Lunch Week October 15-19, where Amy and Susan ask you to really notice what's being served, to ask for lists of ingredients, and to get involved with wellness committees in your school or district.

I don't know about you, but I'm curious. How quickly can we test Texas Agricultural Secretary Susan Coombs' theory? How quickly can we go from two to two million angry moms? And what is our collective potential once we get there?

To find out more about Two Angry Moms and to see clips from the movie, go to www.angrymoms.org.

It's a Movie. It's a Movement.