Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in Italy in 1989. The organization seeks to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how food choices affect the rest of the world. Today, there are 85,000 members in 132 countries. That’s a lot of people who love and respect food.

Every two years, 5,000 Slow Food members from around the world (mostly farmers, some educators, and a handful of chefs) gather together in Turin, Italy for Terra Madre (Mother Earth). This gargantuan food conference addresses issues from around the world that impact our food supply.

But not just anyone can attend, otherwise I’d be on the next plane over. With limitations on attendance, one has to be nominated by a local Slow Food chapter. Candidates are usually small production farmers who honor the cultural and historical significance of food and value its traditions. This year, just six Oregonian farmers have been selected to attend. And since airfare is expensive, Slow Food raises money in the form of small dinner parties to cover the costs.

As soon as I received an email listing the dates and locations of the dinners, I immediately responded. I was so curious to learn more about the farmers who earned the honor of attending THE food conference. The dinner I selected sponsored a husband and wife team from Dancing Roots Farm in Troudale, Oregon.

I won’t bore you with the fabulous details of the evening. Suffice to say it was perfect. We were served a three-course dinner showcasing produce from the farm, but the conversation was the show stopper. We were seated at a table for eight, guests ranging from a famous Blazers basketball player and his willowy wife to the Dancing Roots farmer. I spent most of the time engrossed in conversation with a local farmer who runs her own CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and community garden in Lake Oswego.

Ever since I heard the word CSA, I’ve wanted to join. For around $500, you buy a share of the farm. The money is due up front, which provides funding for seeds, equipment, and other start up costs. Then every two weeks, you stop by the farm on the designated day and pick up your share of the harvest. You never know what will be in your box, but you can be sure it’s the best produce around, grown without nasty chemicals. After dinner, I went home and signed up for a winter share at Luscher Farm. I can’t wait for the first delivery!

But back to the conversation. We talked about Slow Food as the intersection of food, the environment, and social justice. Cheap food is easy on your wallet, but it’s cheap for your body and the person who harvested it. And now that organic is regulated by the government, it’s become industrialized. Farmers have to meet very minimal standards to be called organic. There’s no way to know if the farmer has gone above and beyond unless you’ve met the farmer and you’ve seen how it’s grown. Even though some farms aren’t certified organic, they could still be pesticide free, recycle their water, use draft horses instead of fuel guzzling tractors, have solar power, and pay their workers a decent wage. To me, that’s better than an organic label I can buy in the store.

The evening came to a close when we all got out our checkbooks and donated generously to a great cause. It was such a perfect evening, and I can’t wait for more to come.

If you’re interested in learning more about Slow Food, visit the US website here. Or if you’d like to sign up for a CSA share, find a farm though Local Harvest.

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