Are you a food systems foodie? Are you one of the folks who are interested in food systems, access to healthy food, food equity and how to improve everyone's eating?

Are you more of the food eating kind of foodie - the one who loves Oakland's growing restaurant and DIY food landscape and wants to be up on everything interesting going on? Or are you a little bit of a food nerd - as in you're into mapping, apps and the technology of food data today?

Oakland Local's first oaktech talk on Thursday night, Jan. 17, should interest everyone who fits into one or more of these categories. We've got two compelling projects - the Food: An Atlas project done by Darin Jenson and a whole horde of Guerrilla Cartographers from around the globe (and right here in Oakland) that put global food stats on the map (literally!); and People's Kitchen, helmed by the always fascinating Saqib Keval, a local food activist and chef whose determination to merge pop-up restaurants with fundraising for local activist organizations - all while using food and recipes to teach about the history of an issue, like the slave trade has led to more than three sold-out events at some of Oakland's hottest spots, including
Cosecha and Miss Ollies'.

Our night is a chance for both of these folks to go behind and inside what you know and tell the story of how they did what they do - how they got and fine-tuned these ideas, the virtual tools they worked with, the coalition building and marketing that happens, as well as the impact (and fun) of what they've done.

We'll have drinks and snacks at Solespace, our favorite Uptown/downtown shoe gallery/activist events space, and they'll be lots to look at (we like Show & Tell), lots to talk about and much ability to interact. Tickets are $10, which helps pay for the space and the grub. You can get them at http://oaktechtalks1.eventbrite.com

On Jan. 16, there are two equally interesting food-themed events: In the morning, HUBOakland's second  Grits & Greens breakfast. This is a panel and discussion with breakfast by Miss Ollie's in Old Oakland, curated by Ashara Ekundayo. The session highlights the creative place-making strategies inspired by the cosmology of Dr. Martin Luther King and features the interesting folks Evan Bissell, artist, activist and educator; Drew Dellinger, poet, activist and Martin Luther King scholar; and Byron Hurt, filmmaker,educator and director of "Soul Food Junkies." Tickets are $12 in advance at http://gritsandgreens2-huboakland-eorg.eventbrite.com/#

On Wednesday night, Bryon Hurt is showing "Soul Food Junkies" in Oakland at Oakland Asian Cultural Center - with an affordable, for-sale meal accompanying the film - and there are 50 new tickets available right here as of Jan 14: http://soulfoodoakland.eventbrite.com/#

Send food event listings and news to oaklandeater@oaklandlocal.com