Sandwiched between the two political conventions, a slice of food politics from San Francisco 9

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1. 

   carfree Posted 10:17 am
   27 Aug 2008

   Ciclovia in San Francisco on Sunday!Tom,
   If you aren't too hung over, I hope you can step outside the Ferry Building and witness the big carfree celebration in SF on Sunday. Should be a blast.
   Here is a promo film about it.
   
   http://carfreeusa.blogspot.com/2008/08/come-out-to-play-i ...

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2. 

   Stephanie Ogburn Posted 1:35 pm
   27 Aug 2008

   QuestionsAsk them:
   
   
   
   How can the alt-food movement diversify outside of the upper class echelons where it is now entrenched and appeal to a broader audience?
   
   How does the "just" part of the Slow Food play into what Slow Food has in store for the future?
   
   Is a movement based purely on "taste," which is a subjective sense, inherently limited?
   
   Do the organizers of Slow Food Nation think it's weird that something frequently referred to as a "movement" is so un-movementlike in its organization -- I mean, you have to buy TICKETS to most Slow Food Nation events. To me, that makes it seem not like a movement, but kind of like a concert or a conference, appealing to those already interested but not quite with the momentum or appeal to draw in those passing by. As opposed to many other movement-type things that have happened in the Bay Area.
   
   
   I'm glad you're going, Tom! I can't wait to hear how it goes.
   
   Stephanie

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3. 

   Stephanie Ogburn Posted 1:37 pm
   27 Aug 2008

   Just = FairBTW, I guess the slogan is "good, clean and fair," not "just." But you know what I mean. Substitute "fair" for "just" in the second question above.
   
   Stephanie

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4. 

   Stephanie Ogburn Posted 1:46 pm
   27 Aug 2008

   And one more...As the above questions indicate, I have what I think is a healthy skepticism of Slow Food USA, although I laud the organization's intent. I'd love to be convinced, through your observations, Tom, that Slow Food USA is reaching critical mass in becoming a strong movement with a wide-ranging appeal...so I'd love for you to collect and share evidence that will show Slow Food is moving toward this, if that is in fact what you see.
   
   Stephanie

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5. 

   Wolverine Posted 3:01 pm
   27 Aug 2008

   Criticisms Of Slow FoodThis is not directed at anyone in particular, but attacks on the slow food movement and people like Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, or Calro Petrini are extremely repugnant to environmental goals.  The problem is that all food is not local and organic.  If it were, everyone could afford it.  The disgusting subsidies that allow chemical and long distance food are the problem, not the movement or people advocating for them.

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6. 

   amazingdrx Posted 4:05 pm
   27 Aug 2008

   PracticalityI guess to be really satisfying the whole process would need to be included in the taste.  
   Like a meal right from a garden, with no carbon footprint.  Didn't Wolfgang Puck pioneer that?
   With lots of delacacies flown in, harvested from over fished waters, and slave labor farms, and cruel animal treatment it hurts the art of the thing.  And if food is not art, what is?  
   
   http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

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7. 

   caniscandida Posted 9:37 pm
   27 Aug 2008

   Vandana Shivais a heroine of ours.  She should offer some insight into the social-justice, rich-vs.-poor aspects of Slow Food and buying local.
   
   Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

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8. 

   rtadvocate Posted 3:20 am
   28 Aug 2008

   Questions to Slow Food AdministratorsI'd like to hear directly from people that feed this so-called movement:  The small-scale sustainable organic farmers and artisan producers (not just the fabulously successful few). How does Slow Food benefit them exactly? Are farmers-producers expected to teach-host Slow Food enthusiasts and students for free or peanuts because they supposedly share a common cause?  (Perhaps this is something Slow Food administrators and advocates practically demand only outside of the US.)  If so, how does this actually help to sustain the producers' business?  After all, farming is a profession and farmers don't have time or money to throw parties for people simply because they share their passion.  
   There is no movement without tangible support for the people producing the food we celebrate. A lot of local SF chapters (volunteers) are doing incredible work to support farmers.  But could they accomplish even more without having to give a chunk of their revenues or time to Slow Food HQ?  Is this alliance really helping them?  
   
   

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9. 

   Wolverine Posted 8:44 am
   28 Aug 2008

   Agreed CanisVandana Shiva is a hero.  People like her and Helen Caldicott should be running the planet instead of the egocentric, anthropocentric, myopic, selfish, greedy, power-hungry jerks who run it now.  I'm sure that she and people like those in the slow food movement, along with advocates of "do-nothing" farming, could come up with a much less ecologically harmful way to grow food.  Hey!  I can dream if I want!

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