What we’re about
Do you ache to make a difference with what’s happening with our planet? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and engage in effective activism in collaboration with a dynamic, committed community? Or, are you concerned about your own health and the health of those around you, and desire to make some changes!
You are probably aware that our dietary choices impact the environment by contributing to the climate crisis, species loss, deforestation, and many other challenges. Simultaneously, diet-caused chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease lead to disability and early death for far too many of our family members and friends. We can each take action to address these crises by transitioning to healthy, sustainable plant-based diets. Eat for the Earth aids that shift through education, tools, support, partnerships, and love.
Eat for the Earth Santa Cruz welcomes your participation!
Eat for the Earth is working to make it easier for people to eat more plants and less animal products, or to adopt and maintain an entirely plant-based lifestyle for those who are interested.
You might call yourself an environmentalist. Or a vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian. Or a lover of the earth or concerned citizen. Or an omnivore who aligns with our mission.
Whatever you call yourself, we are glad you found this group!
Whatever you call yourself, you are welcome to join this community. If you feel the call, then your unique skills and sensibilities are needed for this movement!
Our vision includes transforming Santa Cruz County into a model of sustainable eating. We offer education about the environmental and health benefits of plant-based and plant-strong diets, provide practical tools and nurture community with our nutrition education and food preparation classes, provide support with our dietary immersion program, and engage in advocacy to change systems. We hope you will join us!
To find out more information, visit the Eat for the Earth website.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Artisanal Plant-Based Cheese, Please!Private Live Oak address provided with Eventbrite registration, Santa Cruz, CA
Learn to make a variety of artisanal plant-based cheeses that delight the senses and are good for you, good for the Earth, and good for all Lifekind.
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and learn how to make delicious cheeses out of plants! RSVP here.
In This Class, You Will:
- Enjoy a tasting party in which you get to try healthy delicious artisanal plant-based cheeses,
- Learn how to make two types of whole plant food, oil-free cultured nut cheeses,
- Learn several variations of each cheese, and get ideas for further variations,
- Find out about a nut-free version of the cheese that is lower in fat,
- Get acquainted with basic equipment for making plant-based cheeses,
- Learn tips and tricks from a master chef,
- Learn techniques for culinary creativity, ingredient substitutions, and making food taste scrumptious without reliance on added salt, sugar, or fats,
- Receive recipes for the cheeses we make in class,
- With a donation, take home a small cheese to enjoy and a ceramic cheese mold to use over and over again,
- Enjoy connecting in community, and
- Have a chance to get your questions answered.
Here is the menu:
- Semi-Firm Cashew Cheese
- Almond Cheese
- Nut-Free Tofu Sesame Cheese
- Numerous variations including Tomato Chipotle, Porcini Balsamic, and Rosemary Garlic!
Class Offered on a Donation Basis.
Eat for the Earth wants to make sure our classes are accessible to all, regardless of income. Similar classes can cost $200 or more. Please be as generous as you can so that we can continue providing quality education, support, and programs for dietary transformation!All Proceeds Benefit Eat for the Earth.
Note: All foods created in this class are delicious and nourishing **Whole Food Plant-Based, and SOS-Free (**free of added salts, oils, and sugars). The exception is miso, which is offered as an optional ingredient.About Rev. Chef Beth Love:
Rev. Chef Beth Love is the author of the Tastes Like Love book series. A gifted speaker, facilitator, teacher, and ordained New Thought minister, Beth has motivated and educated people in diverse contexts such as nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, businesses, and the California State Prison system. She has inspired large and small audiences, in-person and through radio and television, from local community TV to the Oprah show.Rev. Chef Love delights in helping people to create amazingly delicious and deeply satisfying foods that please the palate, nourish the body, demonstrate compassion for animals, and have a light footprint on the earth. Due to her concern about the contribution of animal agriculture to climate change and other environmental issues, she started Eat for the Earth, a movement that partners with institutions to adopt policies and practices that make it easier for people to eat more plants and less animal products to sustain all life on earth. Learn more and find out how you can get involved at Eat for the Earth.
- Online: Artisanal Plant-Based Cheese, Please!Link visible for attendees
Learn to make a variety of artisanal plant-based cheeses that delight the senses and are good for you, good for the Earth, and good for all Lifekind.
Rev. Chef Beth will show you how to make delicious cheese from nuts. This is a popular class, so get your tickets quickly! RSVP here for Zoom link.
In This Class, You Will:
- Learn how to make two types of whole food cultured nut cheeses,
- Learn several variations of each cheese, and get ideas for further variations,
- Find out about a nut-free version of the cheese that is lower in fat,
- Find out about basic equipment for making plant-based cheeses,
- Learn tips and tricks from a master chef,
- Learn techniques for culinary creativity, ingredient substitutions, and making food taste scrumptious without reliance on added salt, sugar, or fats,
- Receive recipes for the cheeses we make in class,
- Find out about the healing power of cultured whole plant foods,
- Learn how to make cheese that is good for you, good for the Earth, and compassionately produced,
- Enjoy connecting in community, and
- Have a chance to get your questions answered.
Here is the menu:
- Semi-Firm Cashew Cheese
- Almond Cheese
- Nut-Free Tofu Sesame Cheese
- Numerous variations including Tomato Chipotle, Porcini Balsamic, and Cardamom Mango!
Class Offered on a Donation Basis.
Eat for the Earth wants to make sure our classes are accessible to all, regardless of income. Similar online classes often cost upwards of $75. Please be as generous as you can so that we can continue providing quality education, support, and programs for dietary transformation!All Proceeds Benefit Eat for the Earth.
Note: All foods created in this class are delicious and nourishing Whole Food Plant-Based, and SOS-Free (free of added salts, oils, and sugars). The exception is miso, which is offered as an optional ingredient.About Rev. Chef Beth Love:
Rev. Chef Beth Love is the author of the Tastes Like Love book series. A gifted speaker, facilitator, teacher, and ordained New Thought minister, Beth has motivated and educated people in diverse contexts such as nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, businesses, and the California State Prison system. She has inspired large and small audiences, in-person and through radio and television, from local community TV to the Oprah show.Rev. Chef Love delights in helping people to create amazingly delicious and deeply satisfying foods that please the palate, nourish the body, demonstrate compassion for animals, and have a light footprint on the earth. Due to her concern about the contribution of animal agriculture to climate change and other environmental issues, she started Eat for the Earth, a movement that partners with institutions to adopt policies and practices that make it easier for people to eat more plants and less animal products to sustain all life on earth. Learn more and find out how you can get involved at Eat for the Earth.
- The Science and Flavor of Cancer Prevention and HealingSanta Cruz Seventh-day Adventist Church, Santa Cruz, CA
Prevent and Heal Cancer with the Food on Your Fork!
Join Eat for the Earth for a special presentation and food demonstration exploring the powerful connection between nutrition and cancer. Research has revealed that certain foods—especially processed meats and animal-based proteins—can promote cancer, while whole, plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains contain protective compounds such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber that help fight cancer and support overall health.
This class will highlight how nutrition not only influences cancer prevention but also plays a major role in its progression—often more so than the initial exposure to carcinogens. You'll learn about foods that fight cancer, see how to prepare them, and gain practical tools to take charge of your health. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower yourself through food—come ready to learn and taste! RSVP here.
Food Prep Demo and Tastings!
This informative presentation by Dr. María José Hummel will follow a fun and educational food prep demonstration and tastings brought to you by Rev. Chef Beth Love. We will be serving generous samples of the dishes, but not a full meal. You are welcome to bring your dinner if you like.Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the experts!
Donations are Appreciated.
All donations go to support the nonprofit Eat for the Earth.About the Presenters
María José Hummel is a nutritionist, health educator, author, international speaker, and former engineer. She holds multiple degrees, which include a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Cal Poly, a Master’s of Science in Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, a Master’s in Public Health from San Jose State, a certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University, and she holds a doctorate in naturopathy as well as a Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Natural Medicine from the International Institute of Original Medicine.As a health educator and plant-based nutritionist, certified by the American Association of Lifestyle Medicine, María José enjoys sharing not only her knowledge, but her passion for nutrition, health, and plant-based cooking. She has appeared on cooking shows on radio and television networks such as 3ABN, 3ABN Latino, and other radio and television networks. She has taught nutrition courses at the Adventist University of Chile and the Peruvian Union University. María José is the author of two vegetarian cookbooks and a book on reversing diabetes (in Spanish). She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Eat for the Earth.
Rev. Chef Beth Love has been creating luscious, vibrant foods that deeply nourish on all levels—palate, body, planet, heart, and soul—for over four decades. She is a gifted teacher and speaker, ordained New Thought minister, personal coach, and author of the Tastes Like Love book series. Beth has brought a message of transformation to multiple audiences with her speaking and facilitation skills, in contexts as diverse as the California state prison system, schools, churches, businesses, radio, local community television, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is known for her fierce commitment, wise counsel, strategic mind, and huge capacity for love.
Rev. Beth’s life calling has taken many twists and turns, but has always been centered on human transformation. She has taught in and run Montessori schools, helped to found a New Thought church and served in various capacities in that community for over 20 years, run non- profit organizations focused on the topic of child abuse, and done extensive volunteer work with prison inmates. Due to her concern about the contribution of animal agriculture to environmental breakdown, Beth started Eat for the Earth, an organization that supports a human dietary shift towards more plants and less animal products to sustain all life on Earth. Learn more and find out how you can get involved at Eat for the Earth.
To Find Us
Drive towards the back of the parking lot. About halfway down you will see a smaller parking lot towards the left. We are in Sundean Hall, between the side parking lot and the street. - Tiny Experiments: Discovering Your Path to Health & HappinessSanta Cruz Seventh-day Adventist Church, Santa Cruz, CA
Play to Succeed!
This sequel to Dr. Steven Leib's previous presentation about Tiny Habits is based on the concepts in the new book Tiny Experiments (2025) by Anne-Laure Le Cunff, PhD. Dr. Le Cunff is a neuroscientist and founder of Ness Labs, a platform dedicated to neuroscience-based learning and creativity. Her thesis challenges traditional goal-setting by advocating for a playful, experimental approach to personal growth and habit change. It encourages small, low-risk experiments that embrace curiosity, uncertainty and even failure in ways that promote adaptability, self-discovery and long term behavior change.In this inspiring presentation, Dr. Leib will engage participants in a discussion of these concepts as they might specifically relate to plant-based nutrition and healthier behaviors in general. RSVP here.
Let's Eat Together!
We will start our time together with a whole food, plant-based potluck. Please bring a dish to share that is made exclusively from whole plant ingredients and is free of added oil. Please avoid bringing dishes containing meat, dairy, fish, eggs, or other animal-derived ingredients.Here are some recipe sites for inspiration:
If you are new to this way of eating, feel free to bring something simple like a fresh fruit platter or green salad.
Join Eat for the Earth for a delicious, healthy meal and learn how you can craft a healthy, happy life!
About the Presenter
Dr. Steven Leib is board certified in Family and Lifestyle Medicine. A 1978 graduate of UCSF School of Medicine, Dr. Leib served a residency in family medicine at UCLA from 1978–1981. He supported hundreds of patients to transform their lives through lifestyle changes as a physician in private practice in Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley for forty years.Dr. Leib currently facilitates the Lifestyle Medicine Book Club that meets monthly at the Felton Library. He also leads a Walk with a Doc experiential Henry Cowell State Park program incorporating many of the pillars of lifestyle medicine in the healing environment of nature. To sign up for this free program, go to Mountain Parks and look under the “Redwood Rx” list of activities. Offered every third Saturday at 12:00pm through the month of October.
What to Bring
in addition to your plant-based dish to share, please bring your recipe or a list of ingredients. And please invite your friends!To Find Us
Drive towards the back of the parking lot. About halfway down you will see a smaller parking lot towards the left. We are in Sundean Hall, between the side parking lot and the street.Donations are Appreciated.
All donations go to support the nonprofit Eat for the Earth.
