2023 Food Almanac

We’re excited to announce our annual Slow Food NYC Food Almanac event with a panel of speakers who truly embody food innovation and are driven by a desire to build a more equitable food system.

Mary Cleaver is the owner and farmer of Green Table Farms, as well as The Cleaver Co. Special Events and Catering. She has over 40 years of experience in the industry, with a special focus on supporting a regional food and farm economy. She ran her business, and continues to run her farm, with a “triple bottom line” – people, planet and profit – philosophy in mind. She was named as Slow Food NYC’s first Snailblazer in 2011 in recognition for her contributions to creating a better, healthier food system for all.

Robert Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC), a non-profit aimed at preventing wasted food and ending hunger. As someone who has personally experienced food insecurity as a child, he understands the issues wasted food and hunger pose on our society. Over the past 8 years, since he left his full-time job to run RLC, the organization has expanded to 8 regions and rescued over 7 million pounds of excess food.

Shani Patterson is a self-employed private chef with an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and Bachelor’s in Business Administration from The Culinary Institute of America. She has over 15 years of experience with clients who require an array of specialized diets, has worked in traditional kitchens, and has done freelance food styling for live television segments. She loves the mission of Slow Food and does her best to intentionally move the industry towards change.