At the end of July, WhyHunger, the Shore Soup Project and Martha Redbone traveled to Bucks County, Pennsylvania to speak and perform at the fourth annual Big Summer Potluck. The day was full of amazing food, wonderful people and inspiring talks and demos. Here are five takeaways we’d like to share:

1. “When someone does something from a place of love, like making really good food, you can feel and taste that.”

Robyn Hillman-Harrigan told the crowd about the Shore Soup Project’s commitment to giving good, nutritious food made with care to those most in need — in this case, the Far Rockaway community post-Hurricane Sandy.

2. The poems of William Blake are even better when sung.

WhyHunger’s Artists Against Hunger & Poverty partner Martha Redbone serenaded us with songs from her new album “The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake.”

3. The U.S. struggles to care for those in need.

WhyHunger’s Jessica Powers talked us through the history of emergency food in the U.S., how it informs our country’s approach to supporting those in need today and what WhyHunger’s grassroots partners (like Shore Soup Project!) are doing to shift from charity to change.

4. Consider backyard beekeeping.

Coach Mark Smallwood of the Rodale Institute’s Honeybee Conservancy shared the benefits of beekeeping, from combating colony collapse disorder (did you know there are 250 billion fewer honeybees today than in the 1940s? —  see another way you can help here.) to cultivating your own chemical-free, delicious honey (and yes – there were samples).

5. Bloggers care about more than just about how food tastes.

We felt a lot of love from the #BSP4 crowd. Thanks for the wonderful day and for welcoming WhyHunger, Shore Soup and Martha Redbone with thoughtful questions, enthusiasm and support.