An Interview With Our US Delegates

7 US delegates tell us about their hopes for Terra Madre and International Congress 2012

Slow Food seeks to help us connect to the story behind our food –its cultural and historical context, the politics of its production, and the diversity of our ecosystems and communities.  As 2000 delegates from 130 countries prepare to attend Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre and the International Congress in Torino, Italy from October 25th to October 29th, we thought we’d check in with some of our delegates to hear what’s on their minds.  The delegates we interviewed, like so many others who will be at the global gathering, are the everyday food movement leaders who are “feeding the planet in a good, clean, and fair way”, this year’s theme for Terra Madre.

Greg Boulos
Age: 37
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Slow Food Connection:Mid-Atlantic Regional Governor, farmer (Ark of Taste)

Cynthia Hayes
Age: 62
Hometown: Savannah, GA
Slow Food Connection:Slow Food Savannah Board of Directors

Lauren Lin Howe
Age: 21
Hometown: Easthampton, MA
Slow Food Connection:Co-Founder and Co-Leader of Slow Food Hamilton College

Esperanza Pallana
Age: 38
Hometown: San Francisco, but has resided in Oakland, CA for 8 years
Slow Food Connection:My connection to Slow Food is in the work that I do and my colleagues. I work for Oakland Food Policy Council where we work to establish an equitable and sustainable food system. Personally I believe one of the most powerful ways to affect food choice is to awaken, explore and practice one’s food heritage. I appreciate the message of Slow Food yet also see an opportunity to bridge the dialogue of food injustice to the message of sustainability.

Jim Embry
Age: I am 63 years old but I represent 2 million years of human evolution, 4.5 billion years of Earth evolution and 14 billion years of Universe evolution…so I am as old as dirt!
Hometown: Lexington, KY
Slow Food Connection:I have been a member of Slow Food Bluegrass since 2008, a Terra Madre delegate in 2008 and 2010, delegate to the International Congress in 2012, supported hosting the Slow Food USA National Congress in Louisville, KY this past April, and speak about Slow Food in some 40 talks each year.

Vince Vang Lee Xiong
Age: 38
Hometown: Plymouth, MN
Slow Food Connection: Minnesota Food Association (a friend of Slow Food Twin Cities), farmer

Frances Roberts-Gregory
Age: 22
Hometown: East Coast of the United States (NJ, NC, and VA)
Slow Food Connection:SAAFON, SoGreen Network, Slow Food Atlanta, and I want to start a campus Slow Food chapter at Spelman College

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African American and African Farmers Unite In Turin, Italy for a Global Discussion

SAAFON (Southeastern African-American Farmers Organic Network) will host this historic meeting of African and African American farmers at Terra Madre.

SAAFON (Southeastern African-American Farmers Organic Network) will host this historic meeting of African and African American farmers at Terra Madre. Never before has a Black grassroots organization had the opportunity to connect to the African diaspora and African Farmers on the Terra Madre global platform.

This global meeting will unite farmers of African descent for a discussion on food access; climate change and its impact on farmer’s ability to grow, deforestation, and the importance of maintaining seeds and ancient African growing techniques that continue to thrive in the 21st Century. 

Read below about two delegates to Terra Madre from SAAFON!

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Creative governance: Slow Food Vermont deploys regional captains to expand its reach

Learn about Slow Food Vermont’s unique form of governance.

By Deirdra Stockmann, Slow Food USA volunteer

For many of us, mention of Vermont fills our mind with nostalgic visions of verdant hills dotted with small farms and sugarbushes and populated by cheesemakers and seedsavers. Of course, there is much more to Vermont than fall colors, maple syrup and artisanal cheese. But according to the chapter leaders I talked to, most of whom are also farmers or chefs, Vermont’s food culture and identity has only been growing stronger in recent years. This is great news for the state, and for Slow Food Vermont. The only trouble is that movement is so pervasive that it is hardly possible for the chapter to connect with all of the passionate growers, producers and eaters who want to be a part of it. Hardly possible. Over the last year, the Vermont chapter found a way to empower leaders, build networks, and expand its reach

The challenge

Leaders in Vermont agree that the slow food philosophy, the commitment to growing and supporting local food traditions and economies, runs deep in the veins of many Vermonters. There is a lot of interest in Slow Food Vermont’s full calendar of classes, tastings and potlucks. But over the last few years, local leaders became increasingly aware of a major barrier to engaging with current and potential members and friends of Slow Food in Vermont: geography.

Slow Food Vermont is based in Burlington, which makes sense because it is the state’s largest city (pop. 42,417). About one in three Vermonters lives in the greater Burlington area as do 60 percent of the Slow Food Vermont members. There is a strong critical mass of active members who help plan and participate in the chapter’s many activities. And yet, two thirds of the Vermont population, and 40 percent of chapter members are spread throughout the state’s many other small cities and towns and in every hill and valley.

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Food Day is Around the Corner!

Food Day, a nationwide celebration and movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food, is around the corner.

Food Day, a nationwide celebration and movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food, is around the corner. Food Day is October 24 every year, and is driven by a diverse coalition of national organizations and food movement leaders, including Slow Food USA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Farmers Market Coalition, and many others.

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Fresh From Maine

Slow Food leaders from Maine describe the unique partnership that has made Maine what it is today, a Slow Food mecca for chefs, growers/producers, farmers, and anyone who loves good food.

Written by Michael Sanders, co-founder of Portland, ME’s Slow Food chapter

People “from away”—out-of-staters—often ask me, What’s up with Maine? How has such a cold and far away place grown such a vibrant food scene replete with farmers, fishermen, crazy-mad chefs and their restaurants, and farmers’ markets?

The answer is not so simple. First, Maine is a land of surprises. It has a coastline longer than England’s, more organic farms per capita than California, and a terrifyingly short growing season of just 125 precious frost-free days. Making the most of what we can wrest from the soil or fish from the sea or forage from the woods, this is what Mainers have always done, a rich tradition that, today, feeds the state’s vibrant and ever-evolving food scene, from our farmers’ market to our dinner and restaurant tables.

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Perennial Plate: La Minga

A “Minga” is a traditional form of organization from 600-700 years ago in South America. Today, Nelson Escobar coordinates a large urban farm in order to collectively survive in a competitive society.

The Perennial Plate is a fantastic documentary series that explores socially responsible, sustainable and adventurous eating across the U.S.  Slow Food USA has a video content partnership with Perennial to showcase one of our favorite films every month.

This Month’s Perennial Plate Feature: La Minga

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