2007 Press Releases

May 10, 2007
SAVE THE DATE! SLOW FOOD NATION 2008
On May 1 – 4, 2008, Slow Food USA will hold an unprecedented public event, Slow Food Nation, at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.

May 9 , 2007
SLOW FOOD SF'S GOLDEN GLASS EVENT COMING THIS JUNE
Top Italian indigenous & regional wines complemented by gastronomic delights from leading Bay Area restaurateurs and food producers

April 19 , 2007
Native Foods Celebration at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe
Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) and the Institute of
American Indian Arts (IAIA) are bringing together over two dozen farmers, ranchers, gatherers,
historians, cooks and food activists for a Native Food Producers’ Retreat at IAIA in Santa Fe, NM. To
complement this retreat, a free public celebration will be held on Sunday May 20 from 10:00am to
4:00pm on the IAIA campus.

2006 Press Releases

September 21, 2006
SLOW FOOD REVOLUTION: Carlo Petrini in Conversation with Gigi Padovani
Can food be political?  The question might seem frivolous, but to Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food, and to the more than eighty thousand worldwide members of the movement, the question is vital, and the answer is yes, absolutely. 

September 8, 2006
Terra Madre 2006: October 26-30 in Turin, Italy
Largest International Gathering of Small-Scale Farmers and Food Producers, Including 500 from the U.S. Chefs and Universities Will Also Attend  

August 26, 2006
Slow Food USA holds its first Sustainable Seafood Gala
On September 25, 2006, Slow Food USA will hold its first Sustainable Seafood Gala at Agraria Restaurant in Washington, DC, to highlight the importance of responsible fishing practices, sustainable food systems and ocean conservation.

May 9, 2006
Ragya—Tibetan Plateau’s First Yak Cheese Export
The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity and the Trace Foundation announce the advent of Ragya Yak Cheese, a unique and aromatic creation from the high-altitude land of Tibet.

March 14, 2006
Slow Food's Terra Madre Katrina Relief Fund awards grants to 12 Gulf Region producers and restaurant owners in an effort to help rebuild the local food system
New Orleans, Crescent City Farmers Market, March 21st, 2006, 10am: Slow Food USA will distribute $30,000 to twelve local food producers and restaurant owners who have been heavily affected by Hurricane Katrina.

January 19, 2006
The Slow Food Guide to San Francisco
When people around the world think of the San Francisco Bay Area, they immediately think of delicious food. Its restaurants, farms, vineyards and specialty food producers are at the epicenter of cutting edge food in America.

2005 Press Releases

November 1, 2005
Slow Food USA releases 4th Annual State-by-State Guide to American Heritage Turkey Producers
4 Years Later, Slow Food USA Still Connecting Americans to High Quality, Locally-Grown Birds.

September 19, 2005
SLOW FOOD USA CELEBRATES REGIONAL / SUSTAINABLE / ARTISANAL FOODS
On October 2, 2005, Slow Food USA will hold Urban Harvest, its festive tribute to the farmers and food artisans who provide New York and the surrounding region with foods that are delicious, ecologically sustainable, and humanely produced.

February 22, 2005
ELEANOR BERTINO ELECTED TO SLOW FOOD USA'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Eleanor Bertino, noted publicist for many of the Bay Area’s finest food establishments, was elected to the Board of Slow Food USA in January. She is the principal of Eleanor Bertino Public Relations, a San Francisco based firm representing fine restaurants and artisan food producers, which she launched in 1983.

2004 Press Releases

NOVEMBER 9, 2004
THE BETSY LYDON SLOW FOOD ARK USA AWARD GOES TO MICHAEL PHILLIPS, ORGANIC ORCHARDIST
In celebration of the life and work of Betsy Lydon, who devoted herself to sustaining small scale food producers by encouraging local, seasonal eating and an appreciation for diversified farming, the first annual "Betsy Lydon Slow Food Ark USA Award" is to be presented tonight at the Savoy Restaurant, to Michael Phillips, a farmer and author based in the Northern White Mountains of New Hampshire.

AUGUST 26, 2004
SLOW FOOD LAUNCHES TERRA MADRE: A WORLD MEETING OF FOOD COMMUNITIES
An alternative to the current industrial food production system exists: one where food quality and variety are valued, rural regions thrive, and links between producers and consumers are strong.

MAY 15, 2004
SLOW FOOD USA NAMES ERIKA LESSER AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Slow Food USA is pleased to name Erika Lesser as its new Executive Director, effective June 1st. Erika returns to the National Office in New York City with over four years of experience with Slow Food.

MAY, 2004
SLOW FOOD USA'S CRAWFISH BOIL SPONSORED BY MCILHENNY CO. AND TABASCO
Taste the terroir of Avery Island at the first ever Slow Food USA Crawfish Boil! This afternoon event will be the largest Slow Food USA fundraising event of the year.

2001-2003 Press Release Archive

Slow Food in the Press Archive

If you've got inquiries or would like to discuss story ideas, upcoming events, or the movement in general, please contact Kate Evanishyn at kate@slowfoodusa.org or 718.260.8000.

Kids Dig Healthy Harvest
'Plant A Thousand Gardens' Program Teaches Fifth-Graders At Miami Shores Elementary And Nine Other Area Schools How To Plant And Care For An Organic Garden As Well As How To Use The Produce

By Emily Steven
U/Miami News Service

Gifted fifth-graders at Miami Shores Elementary learn more than traditional curriculum through the "Plant a Thousand Gardens" program, which teaches students at nine area schools how to plant and care for an organic garden on campus as well as /and/ how to use the produce.

Fresh, earthy aromas and the sound of excited children's conversations drift out of Julie Brady's fifth-grade classroom, hinting that the activities inside defy expectations of a normal school day. For Brady's 32 gifted students, the morning of Jan. 23 offered a multidimensional lesson day -- a cooking class that also required creativity and scientific knowledge.

Professional chef Caryl Zook joined the Miami Shores Elementary students at the school's organic garden to harvest ingredients and to show them how to prepare simple dishes using the produce they grew and cared for. Zook, who works for Jeannetti's Catering in Miami Beach, prepared pesto with the students, who impressed her with their level of knowledge and interest in tasting new foods. While some of the class' eager volunteers helped Zook measure and mix ingredients for the main dish -- including basil and tomatoes from the school's garden -- others passed their classmates samples of their garden's broccoli leaves, mustard greens and marigolds to taste while the pesto was prepared.

When asked to describe the day's culinary experience, the children offered adjectives including awesome, healthy, delicious and different.

"It's been a pleasure to work with the kids; they're intelligent, enthusiastic and ask good questions," Zook said. ``Children get too few opportunities for achievements like this -- experimental learning about health and science, about cooperation and sharing."

Zook's in-class demonstration was the first one held in conjunction with the Plant a Thousand Gardens program initiated by Slow Food Miami, the local branch of an international nonprofit organization that promotes using pure food that is local, seasonal and organically grown. Slow Food Miami Educational Director Rachael Middleton said organization members also want the children to pick up healthy habits that will stay with them into their adult lives.

"One of our greatest hopes is that the hands-on connection with growing vegetables will impact the choices they make at the cafeteria, in the supermarket and throughout their lives," Middleton said. "We share the belief that the most important way to impact children's health and combat the childhood obesity crisis is to start at the ground level," she added.

``When children buy into the gardens and take ownership of the vegetables they grow, they are much more open to trying new, healthier tastes and a change in food choices."

Middleton said Slow Food Miami and Three Sisters Farm also partnered with the Earth Ethics Institute at Miami Dade College and the Health Foundation of South Florida for support and the $23,500 needed yearly to make the 10 area school gardens successful. The students planted the garden in October with the help of program partner Three Sisters Farm, a local organic farm that provides participating schools with gardening materials and plants. The class visits the garden several times a week, depending on the weather, to measure, make observations, compare plants, water and fertilize their produce, said Brady, who has taught for 14 years at Miami Shores Elementary, 10351 NE Fifth Ave.

"They're very inquisitive; they want to taste everything, and I like to let them explore," she said. ``It's a great way for enhancing science skills, and they get to use all of their senses."

Brady also said the children have been enthusiastic about getting their families involved, some even bringing family members to the garden to show off the produce they've grown.

"I liked it when we were outside and we saw the tomatoes and bugs and picked stuff," said Lexis Arenas, 11. For students like 10-year-old Justin Mills, though, the most enjoyable part of participating in the program is experimenting and creating new recipes -- like his ``special lasagna."

"I made it by accident with my brothers one day," he said. ``We overbaked it and thought it would be burned. It was spicy, but it was really good."