Got Kale? Princeton Businesses Want You to Eat More This Month

It’s a green leafy vegetable, it’s full of  nutrients, it’s inexpensive, and for the month of March, it will also be the most celebrated veggie in Princeton.

It’s kale, and as the t-shirt says, health aficionados want you to eat more of it.

To promote the cabbage that is a staple in Europe and China, a group of Princeton businesses  and community groups has developed Eat More Kale Princeton!, a month-long, town-wide celebration to highlight the culinary and health benefits of kale and draw attention to the plight of Bo Muller-Moore, a Vermont artist who is being pressured by Chick-Fil-A to stop selling his popular Eat More Kale t-shirts.

The project began when the bent spoon, Small World Coffee, and the Whole Earth Center joined together to order Eat More Kale t-shirts for their staff members. That began a discussion of ideas for promoting kale, and other local businesses and organizations were invited to join in, including Princeton Eats, Cherry Grove Farm, the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, the Riverside School Garden, TerraMomo, jaZam’s, The Suppers Programs, and Zafra Press.

Chick-Fil-A, the company with the slogan “Ear Mor Chikin” is trying to block the Eat More Kale trademark and has taken legal action against Muller-Moore for the use of the “Eat More Kale” slogan on t-shirts and other items. Local business owners say the company should taken a creative approach that would  have supported small farms and businesses. They also say it seems like a stretch to think that a guy printing Eat More Kale T-shirts in a Vermont garage poses a threat to their business.

“They want me to `cease and desist’ everything Eat More Kale – no t-shirts, no bumper stickers, no website,” Muller-Moore said. “They say I can do other sayings but not Eat More Kale. I’ve worked too hard to do any others. I offer other designs…but none sell the way EMK does.”

Eat More Kale Princeton Activities for March include:

bent spoon: Kale ice cream is on the menus and the bent spoon will be donating kale to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
Small World Coffee:  In addition to their regular chickpea and kale salad, Small World will offer an additional kale salad through March and will be selling Eat More Kale t-shirts and donating kale to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

Whole Earth Center: Offering kale demonstrations and recipes, kale in Whole Earth Salad, Brad’s Chips, fresh kale.

TerraMomo: Special kale dishes at each of their restaurants throughout March

jaZam’s: -humorous window display and staff wearing Eat More Kale T-shirts.

Princeton Eats: Princetoneats.org will be posting a kale recipe every day during March.

Princeton School Garden Cooperative: Kale will be featured at the Garden State on Your Plate tastings at Community Park and Littlebrook.

The Suppers Programs: Thesupperprograms.org is devising new recipes to share and supplying many of the recipes for Princeton Eats.

Zafra Press: Zafrapress.com created a kale information sheet with nutritional information, variety descriptions, and planting instructions, is collecting kale seeds (including some being donated by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange) and growing information for the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative to give to each school garden and has created a Facebook page for the group that includes recipes and activities.

Riverside School Garden: Planting 2 beds of kale at Riverside this spring, 4 different kind,  and will have a tasting event later in the spring.

Cherry Grove Farm: Posting kale recipes on web site and blog.

Some Princeton businesses will also have petitions asking Chick-fil-A to remove their legal team from the case  and instead ask their creative department to find ways to turn the Eat More Kale controversy into a positive promotion that helps small farms, gives a boost to a network of small Vermont businesses, and encourages good nutrition. Along with the petitions threw will be a form to collect ideas for Chick-fil-A kale promotions.