While a student at Emory University, you started a chapter there. What did your chapter accomplish? Why should universities consider establishing Slow Food chapters?

I credit my mentor, Julie Shaffer, with inspiring me to start Slow Food Emory. At the time, she was in charge of Sustainability Education programming on campus and came to one of my classes to talk about Slow Food. Julie, who has been a long-time leader in our movement, started Slow Food Atlanta and served a full term on the Slow Food USA Board, which includes her time as co-chair.

Our chapter put on a few food tastings, panels on fair farming practices, and hosted a visiting chef to teach students basic cooking skills, which included a tutorial on how to cook and break down a chicken. If you’re considering a Slow Food chapter at your school, the key thing to remember is that you must have support from a university staff member. As students gain leadership skills in Slow Food chapters, they’ll benefit from the guidance of an established employee. A professor or staff person can provide guidance and continuity as students graduate and move on to their local chapters. I also recommend inviting incoming freshmen into your Slow Food chapter to engage them on the pathway to future leadership. In terms of programming, keep it relevant and nourishing to your group! The beauty of Slow Food is that we have a place for you regardless of where you plug into good, clean and fair food. 

You then became a board member for Slow Food Atlanta. How would you describe the foodways in the Atlanta area, and how did your chapter nurture connections and advance good, clean and fair food for all?

Atlanta is my birthplace and in the interest of maintaining my commitment to serving the entire Slow Food network as interim executive director, I’ll refrain from highlighting the superiority of the food cultures that thrive in our metropolitan area — haha. One interesting fact is that the most ethnically-diverse square mile in the United States rests in an Atlanta metro area neighborhood called Clarkston. The city’s history runs deep, and many refugee families (like mine) call this vibrant slice of the South home. 

The Slow Food Atlanta chaptered nurtured connections (and continues to do so) through community events, the Snail of Approval program, an incredible Annual Meeting which I got to attend this year, fostering meaningful relationships with local farmers, centering social justice in their work, and fundraising to send delegates to Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Torino, Italy.

Mental health is a critical topic of conversation for all workers, especially those throughout points of the food system. What have you seen in your work supporting increases in mental health support for farmers, and what’s the best advice you can give to folx in the food system who are struggling right now?

I have been lucky to work a wide variety of food service jobs — these experiences have helped inform my work today. My first job was at a grocery store in Conyers, Georgia, and it wasn’t the last time in my career that I’d work in grocery. I’ve waited tables and farmed (often holding both jobs at the same time). It wasn’t until I started running a therapeutic gardening program for a psychiatric health facility a few years after college that I truly observed the need for a comprehensive behavioral health support system in our country. I’ve seen organizations like the I’ve Got Your Back Project in California and The Giving Kitchen in Georgia provide excellent services for restaurant workers. Initiatives like these must be expanded and supported nationwide.

It’s rare to hear about mental health for farmers, but the work can be isolating. The lack of access to land can be demoralizing. The financial pressures of farming compounded by climate change have created an agricultural dilemma that makes entry into this professional field incredibly difficult and continued success quite stressful. It is important to note that the rate of death by suicide for farmers in the United States is two times the national average. Before stepping into this role, I served as a group facilitator and mental health consultant for a USDA-funded program (via the Farm Bill) called Cultivemos. This Northeastern United States program aims to improve behavioral health awareness, literacy, access and outcomes for farmers, ranchers and farmworkers in the Northeast by developing a service provider network that can assist and meet the unique needs of agricultural workers. This funding is typically distributed to regional extension services in the U.S., and a coalition of agriculture nonprofits in the Northeast tried something different a few years ago. My hope is that it’s funded again when we see the new Farm Bill implemented.

The US-based association you now lead is part of our million-person global Slow Food movement. What excites you about these global and local connections, and what’s in store for these relationships in 2024?

This year is a big one for Slow Food USA. We just saw the pilot of Terra Madre Americas in Sacramento, California, in May, which was a collaboration with Slow Food and Visit Sacramento. The boundless energy of the local Slow Food network there was truly inspiring, and I see this event developing into a major partnership for our organization. The work we do locally powers the work we do globally, and building connections amongst ourselves and our international partners in the Americas will lead to an expansion of our network and immense knowledge sharing.

This year is also the 20th anniversary of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Torino, Italy. Our chapters are busily fundraising to send their delegations and support the North America booth at the event. Our colleagues at Slow Food International are preparing a spectacular convergence this year, and I hope to see many of you there.

These global and local connections excite me because many of us across the world experience similar challenges (be it running a business, farming, teaching, cooking). and have nurtured ways to thrive in spite of them. By becoming even more deeply connected with one another, we start identifying and adopting solutions. 

Speaking of in-person events, can you talk about some key Slow Food events taking place this year?

I’ve mentioned Terra Madre, and I also want to highlight that we are actively organizing Slow Fish Charleston in November. I’m particularly excited about this event and invite all of you to join us to celebrate all things seafood!

In October, following Terra Madre in Italy, our Slow Food International President Edward Mukiibi will be joining us here in the United States to meet a few chapters with me! Stay tuned to hear more about where our joint tour will take us.

We bring our whole selves to the Slow Food movement. What one experience has most influenced your decision to be a leader in the national and global Slow Food movement?

Hearing about the incredible Slow Food work happening across the globe during the most recent International Council meeting was what deeply cemented my conviction that our movement is capable of achieving good, clean and fair food for all. In particular, I was inspired by the collaborations in the Slow Food in the Philippines network.

What’s one thing that we can all do to advance good, clean and fair food for all?

Very simply: Be an ambassador for Slow Food. Tell people joyfully and often about what connects you to food, and let them know that our network is a place where they can find belonging.

What food item or cooking technique has brought you joy recently?

I recently learned that snapdragon flowers are edible! As a dedicated gardener, I am hungrily eyeing my flower beds in a new way.