By Kathy Gottberg (2/7/10)

             On Monday, January 25^th, Slow Foods Desert Cities held their monthly gathering at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort.   This meeting, as with all Slow Food Gatherings, was a celebration of food, an opportunity to come together to meet other like-minded individuals, and to talk about coming events for the Chapter.

           Slow Foods Desert Cities is a local branch of Slow Foods USA.  Slow Food USA itself is a part of Slow Foods International, which describes itself as “an eco-gastronomic non-profit with over 83,000 members worldwide.”   Collectively they “envision a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet.”  Education is a big way of spreading that word and part of their mission is what they call “Taste Education”.   As their website says, “Good, clean and fair food is only possible with knowledge: the knowledge of those who bring food to the table and the knowledge of those who eat it. Understanding more about our food, how it tastes and where it comes from makes the act of eating all the more pleasurable. Slow Food helps people rediscover the joys of eating and understand the importance of caring where their food comes from.”  That way of approaching food is clearly sustainable and environmentally friendly.

            In addition to their guiding principle of “good, clean and fair” food, they offer educational events and activities to promote sustainability and biodiversity.  That is accomplished by connecting farmers, cooks, educators, students and just about anyone who cares about food and the environment—hence, a local membership branch. 

            Some of the activities underway for 2010 include monthly meetings alternating between restaurants and member’s homes.  A few of the projects on the books are support of at least one local Elementary School Garden with the hopes to adding others in the future.  A cooking and/or tasting workshop, along with group visits to local farms, were other events discussed for the future.