In case it’s not obvious, I love food. I’m a big believer though, that if you’re passionate about food it can’t just be about cooking and eating food. To be a truly passionate foodie, you have to also care about that food before it comes to your pot or plate. I believe that passionate foodies should put as much of that energy in to caring about where that food came from, what’s in it, how the workers who produced it were treated, etc as they do making food taste good and so I am always delighted when I hear about other foodies who feel the same.

One such group of concerned foodies is an organization called, Chefs for the Marcellus (C4M). C4M, according to their website, is, “A group of chefs, restauranteurs and food professionals who have come together to protect our regional foodshed [in New York State] from the dangers of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.”

Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is a practice which extracts natural gas deep from within the earth by forcing highly toxic chemicals in to the ground. The practice is riddled with problems and accidents which cause those chemicals to leach in to the area water supply, contaminating not only your water, but your food supply as well (you can’t grown food without water after all) which is why so many area chefs and breweries (beer starts with water) have become involved in the fight to stop it in New York State.

To help raise awareness, C4M has planned a great event this Thursday, July 26th, right here in New York City! The event will feature food cooked by an all-star line up of chefs and will feature beer and wine from the Marcellus Water Gap region of New York.  Plus there’s an awesome after party to follow! Though the main event looks amazing and is certainly fairly priced, it’s a more than I’m able to spend ($125). Tickets for the after-party however are only $25, can be purchased separately and you’ll get a chance to support a great cause and meet those star chefs who will be attending the after party too!