ABOUT SLOW FOOD: in Utah, the United States and the International Movement
What Is Slow Food, Anyway?
- "Slow Food is a non–profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 by Carlo Petrini to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Each of our 80,000+ Slow Food members around the world are a part of a convivium. Our convivia, including Slow Food Utah, are the local expression of the Slow Food philosophy. We build relationships with producers, campaign to protect traditional foods, organize tastings and seminars, encourage chefs to source locally and provide assistance, nominate producers to participate in international events and work to bring taste education into schools. Most importantly, we cultivate the appreciation of pleasure and quality in daily life. Every Slow Food member can participate in convivium activities anywhere in the world."
- "The mission of Slow Food is good, clean, and fair food at fair prices. Slow Food people are connoisseurs of taste, protectors of food heritage, and champions of local producers."
- "All About Slow Food – An Overview of the Slow Food Movement," beginning with the founding by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986.
- "Slow Food is a very big creature, large enough to accommodate more than one point of view as to what it is exactly. Like the blind man patting the elephant to determine its nature, anyone who’s drawn to Slow Food can probably find what they’re looking for based on their own interests. To the gastronome, Slow Food might have to do with artisanal foods and wines. To the person seeking a tempo of life that is more in step with life’s natural rhythms, unlike America’s present fast-paced model, Slow Food offers a sympathetic response. For those whose concerns run to the historical aspects of food, traditional methods of cheese making might be of particular interest, or the examination of traditional foods and food methods found in different regions of the country. Those whose historical quests are more aligned with animals and plants will find that Slow Food, through its Ark of Taste initiative, provides a place to actively debate the merits of old breeds, from turkeys to sheep, or oysters to apples, and to become actively involved with their preservation. If your concerns are with the politics of social change, you may find yourself in harmony with Slow’s commitment to land stewardship and food that’s grown by sound and sustainable methods. And all seekers join hands at the table, for Slow Food sees ’the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community.’ The lens through which Slow Food views the world of food is a wide one indeed."
(From "Slow Food Collected Thoughts on Taste, Tradition, and the Honest Pleasures of Food," Edited by Carlo Petrini, with Ben Watson and Slow Food Editore. From the forward by Deborah Madison.)
- "Through its understanding of gastronomy with relation to politics, agriculture and the environment Slow Food has become an active player in agriculture and ecology. Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility. The association’s activities seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives."
(From the Slow Food Mission Statement.)
- "Slow Food is the intersection of ethics and pleasure, of ecology and gastronomy. A stand against the homogenization of taste, the unrestrained power of the multinationals, industrial agriculture and the folly of fast life. Slow Food returns cultural dignity to food and the slow rhythms of conviviality to the table. Slow Food welcomes with equal ease Japanese chefs and the fishermen of the Chilean Islands, sommeliers from the greatest French maison and Siberian dairymaids. It is a universe of people who exchange knowledge and experience. It is a humanity that has raised the basic enjoyment of food to a political act. It recognizes that behind every dish are the choices made in fields, on ships, in vineyards, at schools and in parliaments."
(From the Slow Food Companion.)
- Slow Food obviously connotes a contrast to "Fast Food." Slow Food is about considering Social, Economic and Political aspects of Food. It is about Making Connections. Connecting Plate to Planet. Linking Producers and Consumers. Linking and Supporting Farmers and Chefs. Building Community through Food. It is about Discovery and Traditions. Discovering and Preserving Traditions of food production and preparation. Traditions of Celebrating with food and food itself. Expanding individual vocabularies of food types and varieties. Discovery of foods that are new and different to what individuals have come to know. Slow Food is about Local Foods, and examining the efficacy of transporting foods great distances. It is about the difference between foods picked before they are ripe, shipped, stored and shipped again, versus finding foods closer to home, shipping them shorter distances and having higher quality foods. Slow Food is about Healthy Food and Healthy Eating. Considering the health implications of highly processed foods and their true costs both economically and physiologically. It is about considering the implications of the use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical treatments of food, and the related impacts on soils, the bio-sphere and human health. It is about putting human health above corporate profits. Slow Food is about preserving ancient genetic food lines both vegetable and animal. Defense and Preservation of Biodiversity. Slow Food is about making Choices. Discovering that we can choose not to live a fast life. Choosing to eat as if life depended upon it. (Hey, we all gotta eat! So, why not eat well, like our lives depended upon it?)
- Slow Food is simply about taking the time to slow down and to enjoy life with family and friends. Everyday can be enriched by doing something slow – making pasta from scratch one night, seductively squeezing your own orange juice from the fresh fruit, lingering over a glass of wine and a slice of cheese – even deciding to eat lunch sitting down rather than standing up.. * Join a local convivium. * Trace your food sources. * Visit a local farmers’ market. * Join a CSA. * Invite a friend over to share a meal. * Visit a farm in your area. * Create a new food memory for a child! Let them plant seeds or harvest greens for a meal. * Start a kitchen garden. * Learn your local food history! Find a food that is celebrated as being originally from or best grown/produced in your part of the country.
- "The Slow Food Companion" offers a well-done and concise overview of what Slow Food is all about. The "Slow Food Companion" is available in hard-copy to new members upon joining, and may also be downloaded as a PDF file in English, along with several other languages: Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. (Japanese version coming soon...)
- For an excellent over–view of many of the issues addressed by Slow Food, please read the September 11, 2006 issue of The Nation, "The Food Issue." More information on "The Nation’s Food Issue" is available on the Slow Food Utah "Articles of General Interest" page.
Slow Food Movement, An Overview
Two postgraduate Master programs were created to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of food and beverages, with particular attention being paid to gastronomic and sensory value and cultural significance. Topics covered include agricultural practices and land use, production processes, culinary transformation, tasting and sensory analysis, distribution, marketing and communications. Both Masters are held at the Colorno campus of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
- Every plate of food in Utah has a story. Slow Food Utah is committed to build the connections between all the facets of the state’s food culture. Farmers, producers, chefs, restaurateurs, and consumers equally share a place at the Slow Food Utah table. We recognize the importance of these local efforts and the existing culinary traditions from various communities and cultures that make up the state’s food tapestry. It is through food and conviviality that these stories are best shared and understood.
- What is Slow Food? Slow Food is exactly as the name implies. SLOWING DOWN. And the wonderful thing about food is that you can do that in many ways. Cooking a meal for yourself or friends. Sharing a meal at a table over lots of conversation and laughter. Within Slow Food Utah, there’s plenty of that. But with such a vast network of talented and passionate people, we also slow down in the name of good food. Meaning, we take the time to get to know the local growers (and there are many!) and what’s in season. We support the resilient local producers who strive to raise the level of good food in our community at the Farmers Market, on various restaurant menus, and through the abundant weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes.
- When people ask "what is Slow Food Utah?" there are so many ways to answer. Ultimately, in a great sense, it’s all about community. Food isn’t just about the ingredients, the meals, the social aspects, or the politics; it’s all of these things. And the only way to fully realize each facet is through cooperation between like–minded folks who believe in the power of the palate to improve our access to food, our appreciation of farmers and chefs, school nutrition, and our relationship to food.
- We educate willing foodies, curious consumers, and kids about the virtues
of knowing your food via the taste buds and stomach, because to us, the food
is the strongest bond for a community. And ultimately, that’s what
Slow Food is about€”community.
- Recognizing that the enjoyment of wholesome food is essential to the pursuit of happiness, Slow Food USA is an educational organization dedicated to stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production; to the revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community; to the invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions; and to living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.
- Slow Food USA is a non–profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America. From the spice of Cajun cooking to the purity of the organic movement; from animal breeds and heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables to handcrafted wine and beer, farmhouse cheeses and other artisan products; these foods are a part of our cultural identity. They reflect generations of commitment to the land and devotion to the processes that yield the greatest achievements in taste. These foods, and the communities that produce and depend on them are constantly at risk of succumbing to the effects of the fast life, which manifests itself through the industrialization and standardization of our food supply and degradation of our farmland. By reviving the pleasures of the table, and using our taste buds as our guides, Slow Food USA believes that our food heritage can be saved. Slow Food USA oversees Slow Food activities in North America, including the support and promotion of the activities of more than 140 convivia.
- Inspiring Local Events: Our 171 convivia are led by dedicated
volunteer leaders who share their time and energy with their communities. During
2006, Slow Food USA has added 16 new Convivia across the United States. Over
1,500 new members also joined during the year! The Slow Food USA office has
grown from 5 to 9 staff. During 2007, Slow Food USA will create
event guides to provide our volunteers with more tools, resources and ideas
for planning great local and regional events. Have an idea? Contact your
local leader (Slow Food Utah)
and volunteer to get involved! In 2007 we will continue to build the Terra
Madre Network that was formed in Turin, as many farmers, food producers,
chefs and educators will continue to make connections and share their experiences.
We will also work on a number of important initiatives in heritage foodways
and culinary traditions through our Renewing America’s Food Traditions
program.
- Slow Food USA Programs & Projects:
- Slow Food in Schools "is a unique national program of garden to table projects with children that cultivates the senses and teaches an ecological approach to food."
- Model Wellness Policy Guide for public school communities, that "addresses the quality of meals served at school, the regularity of physical education, and instruction connected to diet and health. The Center for Ecoliteracy, Slow Food USA and the Chez Panisse Foundation have prepared a downloadable Model Wellness Policy Guide. Please visit Slow Food USA for details."
- "RAFT" — Renewing America’s Food Traditions Project, document, restore, and celebrate the incredible diversity of America’s edible plants, animals, and food traditions. Assessing the status of America’s endangered traditional foods, some of which have already been identified and boarded onto the Ark of Taste."
- Slow Food ARK: "The Ark seeks, first and foremost, to save an economic, social and cultural heritage – a universe of animal breeds, fruit and vegetables, cured meats, cheese, cereals, pastas, cakes and confectionery. Our mission is to preserve endangered tastes ⁷ and to celebrate them, by introducing them to the membership and then to the world, through media, public relations, and Slow Food events."
- Slow Food Presidia: "If Ark products can have an economic impact, they can be saved from extinction. This is the simple reasoning behind the Presidia; small projects to assist groups of artisan producers."
- Slow Food USA Guiding Principals & Values:
- Sustainability
Recognizing the interdependence of people with one another and with our environment.
Caring for the land and protecting biodiversity for today’s communities and future generations.
Promoting pure food that is local, seasonal and organically grown.
- Cultural Diversity
Recognizing food as a language that expresses cultural diversity.
Preserving the myriad traditions of the table.
Cultivating and reinvigorating a sense of community and place.
- Pleasure and Quality in Everyday Life
Celebrating the diverse expressions of our earth’s bounty.
Appreciating and encouraging creativity, passion and beauty.
Respecting and supporting artisans who grow, produce, market, prepare and serve wholesome food.
- Inclusiveness
Following democratic principles in a spirit of sharing and service.
Educating members and others about Slow Food’s mission.
Dedicating ourselves to local cooperation and global collaboration.
- Authenticity and Integrity
Insuring our values are embodied by all staff, board members and convivium leaders.
Manifesting these values in all of our events, projects and publications.
Committing ourselves to partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations.
- Slow Food USA Advisory Board:
- Joan Dye Gussow – The Mary Swartz Rose Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University and former head of the Nutrition Education Department.
- Brian Halweil — Worldwatch Institute & Edible Communities.
- Corby Kummer — Senior Editor, The Atlantic Monthly.
- Patrick Martins — Founder, Slow Food USA and co–founder, Heritage Foods USA.
- Marion Nestle — Professor – Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, New York University.
- Michael Pollan — Author, The Botany of Desire & The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
- Eric Schlosser — Author, Fast Food Nation.
- Alice Waters — Owner, Chez Panisse Restaurant & Vice President, Slow Food International.
Slow Food (International – Italy) (www.slowfood.com)
- Slow Food Mission Statement
- Through its understanding of gastronomy with relation to politics, agriculture and the environment Slow Food has become an active player in agriculture and ecology. Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility. The association’s activities seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives.
- Defense of Biodiversity Slow Food believes the enjoyment of excellent foods and wines should be combined with efforts to save the countless traditional cheeses, grains, vegetables, fruits, and animal breeds that are disappearing due to the prevalence of convenience food and agribusiness. Through the Ark of Taste and Presidia projects (supported by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity), the Slow Food Award for Biodiversity and Terra Madre, Slow Food seeks to protect our invaluable food heritage.
- Taste Education In a world where the pleasures of taste are not always learned through leisurely meals around a lively table, we must make a conscious effort to explore, question and experiment. This is the aim of Slow Food’s taste education initiatives. Convivia activities introduce new foods to members while Taste Workshops offer guided tastings with food experts. Our youngest eaters benefit from Slow Food in Schools and true gastronomes are trained at the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
- Linking Producers, Co–Producers and Consumers Slow Food organizes fairs, events and farmers’ markets to showcase products of excellent gastronomic quality. The huge success of the international food festival Salone del Gusto, with its cornucopia of foods to be tasted and bought, supports producers while offering up a world of delights to the public. Other events include Salone del Gusto, Cheese, Slow Fish, Aux Origine du Goût and A Taste of Slow.
Carlo Petrini: President and Founder of the Slow Food Movement
- "Born in Bra on June 22, 1949, Carlo Petrini became the president of the Slow Food Movement in 1986. All of Carlo Petrini’s charisma, passion and conviction lie in the principles of the Slow Food philosophy, which seeks a rediscovery of authentic culinary traditions and the conservation of the world’s quality food and wine heritage.
However, Petrini’s contributions to Piedmont, Italy, and the world, began well before 1986, as he expanded on his work for charitable organizations and ventured into politics through his pioneering of Italian independent radio programming.
Following this notable chapter in Petrini’s life, in 1977 he was elected to be an advisor to the mayor of Bra. His main contribution in this capacity was the founding of Cante’ J’Euv, a week long revival of a medieval tradition, which would become the largest folk festival in Europe. Over 200 musicians from Morocco to Sweden performed in piazzas, markets, schools, streets, and theaters around Piedmont. To involve the local population and save money, Petrini arranged for the artists to sleep in private homes harking back to the times when musicians would come to people’s farms to perform.
Petrini began writing about wine and food in 1977. He wrote for hundreds of Italian periodicals starting with the national newspapers Il Manifesto and L’Espresso, doing the weekly restaurant reviews. In 1983, Petrini was instrumental in creating and developing the Italian non–profit food and wine association, Arcigola, that had previously been a branch of a much larger association called ARCI (Italian Recreational and Cultural Association).
Today, Slow Food boasts over 35,000 members and 340 chapters in Italy. During the annual assembly meeting in May 1986, Petrini was unanimously elected president and has since been re–elected every year. Petrini founded Slow Food as a response to the opening of a McDonalds in Piazza Spagna in Rome in 1986. In Paris in 1989, the Constitution for the International Slow Food Movement was undersigned by over 20 visiting delegations from around the world. Today the movement exists in over 50 countries and has over 80,000 members and supporters.
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