Welcome! First off I’d like to thank our new website and electronic communications manager, Marshall Wright. He created our shiny new website and got us on twitter. Sometimes all this technology seems a little too fast-paced for Slow Food. At the same time, maybe connecting over on the web in a Facebook chat or a twitter conversation might be our equivalent to an after dinner conversation on the front porch. As long as all this technology isn’t replacing our quality time preparing and sharing food, then I’m all for it.
Whether you just stumbled across the Slow Food movement or you’re already an expert, let me tell you a little about Slow Food and the Austin chapter.
Slow Food International was founded in Italy in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions. They wanted to counteract people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, and how it tastes. The goal is to help us all understand how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
In 2000, Slow Food USA was established, based in New York. The international, national, and regional movements are based on a simple yet profound philosophy that when it comes to food, pleasure and responsibility are inseparable.
As one of more than 200 local chapters of Slow Food USA, Slow Food Austin carries out our grassroots mission on a regional level, while participating in a global movement for real food.
As you can imagine, Slow Food Austin bring a unique energy to the Slow Food movement.
I’d like to share a little history of our chapter. We were founded in 2003. The Slow Food movement was new and few people understood the importance of food issues so growing a local Slow Food community was challenging. After years of dedication, the original board members of Slow Food Austin slowly began moving onto other endeavors. By 2008, the original leadership team had dwindled to 3 people. In early 2009, we renewed our commitment to the chapter and elected 7 new board members. The new incarnation of our leadership board brings a fresh wave of enthusiasm and excitement.
Our mission…
Slow Food Austin reconnects people with the food they eat. Our educational initiatives, social activities, fundraising events, and community volunteer projects, inspire respect for where food comes from and awakens true pleasure in eating.
I want to inspire you to reconnect with food. I want to enjoy the pleasures of the table with you.
On the website you can learn about what we have planned and sign-up for our newsletter so you don’t miss anything. I also hope that you will join us in continuing to grow and enrich our local chapter. I’d love to hear what kinds of event or activities you think Slow Food Austin should be doing. You can email president@slowfoodaustin.org
Slowly,
Sara Weber
President, Slow Food Austin