SAN FRANCISCO—This Labor Day weekend, a group that trumpets artisanal foods produced through eco-friendly farming and fair labor practices is about to make its first major foray into the cultural and political scene of our nation.
Slow Food Nation, the largest celebration of sustainable, local and artisanal food ever attempted in the U.S., will take place in San Francisco, a city that has long been known for some unusual events. And the event location, just outside the City Hall, where the lawn was ripped up and dug out to make place for an edible, organic garden is no different.
The sustainable garden dubbed by its organizers “The Victory Garden” located in the heart of San Francisco has served as a demonstration and an educational centerpiece for visitors and locals alike, providing them with the opportunity to learn about organically grown production. Slow Food Nation’s four-day food festival and political convention is meant to underscore the connection between the plate and the planet.
And as the Labor Day weekend is approaching, event organizers will try to prove to our time-starved nation that a change in our current industrialized food system is about to shift the tide against America’s cheeseburger and French fries fast food culture.
“There are consequences to the decisions we make every day about what we eat. If we support the people who take care of the land, cook the food ourselves and come back to the table, we will discover a delicious way of life,” said the Slow Food Nation’s founder and a renowned chef Alice Waters.
At the peak of the Harvest season and on the eve of a Presidential election, Slow Food Nation promises to bring together farmers, food artisans, political leaders, environmental advocates, health-care experts, and artists to engage people to think more about where, how and by whom their food is produced.
Participants will savor organic food and wine from throughout the nation at a 50,000 square foot pavilion; meet farmers and producers at a marketplace surrounding the 10,000 square food newly-planted vegetable garden; and learn from visionary speakers about a more sustainable food system organizers say is capable of altering the appetite of the average American.
“Slow Food Nation will catalyze a huge shift in how Americans perceive and prioritize food,” said Anya Fernald executive director of Slow Food Nation.
The Slow Food movement has a European counterpart. The Slow Food International movement was started by Carlo Petrini in 1986 who protested fast food chains pushing out small family restaurants in Rome.
The organization, which is booming in Europe sees itself as an alternative to fast and industrialized processed food and supports eco-friendly food, humane and socially just practices.
Organizers expect 50,000 people to attend the event, mostly from Northern California, but many international supporters are also expected from around the world.
For more information of the upcoming international event, please visit: http://www.slowfoodnation.com.
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