Join the Slow Food movement for $25!

Slow Food USA wants to add 10,000 more voices to our powerful network of changemakers demanding a just and healthy food system. From now through October 22, 2010, your donation of $25 or more makes you a member of Slow Food USA. This opportunity will be offered for a limited time only.

CONNECT

• Become a part of our active online community. 
Connect with people who care about slow food locally.
• Join your local Slow Food USA chapter (that’s us, Slow Food Seattle!).
• Get a Slow Food USA membership card.

GET INFORMED

• Access information about important national and international food issues and quick updates with the latest food news.
• Access exclusive online and offline content, including opportunities to communicate with leaders in the food movement.

ENGAGE

• Help shape the direction of the slow food movement.
• Receive invitations to attend local, national and international events and enjoy discounts where available.
• Learn about opportunities to volunteer on local and national projects.
• Receive email alerts that let you know when to take action.
• Your contribution of $25 or more makes you a member of Slow Food USA.
• Your contribution of $60 or more also gives you access to special offers just for Slow Food USA members.

Line-up for this weekend’s Artisan Food Festival

We’ve got the schedule confirmed for the Slow Food Seattle booth (look for us near the Chef Demo stage) at the Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival coming up this weekend on Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26.

Our friends at Readers to Eaters will be joining us with books and speakers on both days. Readers to Eaters promotes food literacy through community food events, education programs, book publishing, and a mobile bookstore.

Saturday, Sept. 25

• 12pm – Hsiao-Ching Chou of Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Seattle (JOFRSEA) and Suzuki + Chou Communimedia in conversation with Eric Boutin, Director, Nutrition Services, Seattle Schools.
  School-Food Revolution: What does it take to make a change to the school lunch program and what can parents do to help? Eric Boutin, the new school food program director for Seattle Schools, and Hsiao-Ching Chou, founder of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution-Seattle, discuss the issues and challenges, and ways to get involved.
• 1pm – Amy Pennington, founder of Go Go Green Garden and author of Urban Pantry will be signing copies of her book.
  
• 2pm – Tiana Colovos and Anthony Warner of the Orca K-8 School Garden
• 3pm – Jon Rowley, food writer and Pellegrini Award winner
  Jon will demonstrate how to use of a refractometer in assessing fruit and vegetable quality and flavor as well as taking Brix levels of local tomatoes as part of the 10-Brix Tomato Challenge.
• 4pm – Kathleen Flinn, author of  The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry will demonstrate basic knife skills, plus offer tips on buying and caring for knives. She will also will be signing copies of her book.

Sunday, Sept. 26
Come by and learn more about what we do at Slow Food Seattle, our upcoming events, and how to get involved in the Slow Food movement.

Need a map of the festival? Right-click on the Adobe logo to download. Look for us near the Chef Demo stage.

The last quarter of the 20th Century has seen a craft food renaissance world wide. Slow Food, the powerful consumer movement founded in Italy as a counter to fast food, is said to be the biggest consumer based food movement in history. The U.S.-the country that invented the supermarket-now boasts almost 5,000 farmers markets. At the heart of it all is the famous Pike Place Market. On September 25th and 26th, Seattle will celebrate artisan food in the heart of our country’s oldest public market and a leading food trendsetter.

The Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival is produced by The Market Foundation and is a benefit for the Pike Place Market’s human service agencies: Pike Market Medical Clinic, Child Care & Preschool, Senior Center and the Downtown Food Bank. More info can be found at www.artisanfoodfestival.org.

Seeking Nominees for the Slow Food Seattle Board

Know a good candidate? Help grow our board.

[Thank you for all the nominee submissions, stay tuned for an announcement of the final list of candidates - we are no longer accepting additional nominations.]

The Nominating Committee of Slow Food Seattle (SFS) is soliciting nominations of people who may become candidates for new positions on our board of directors.

The first section below describes the duties and expectations of a board member and the second section is the questionnaire one would use to make an application to the nominating committee.

The nominating committee will evaluate the applications, possibly interview the nominee and determine who would be a candidate based on the attributes they would bring to balance the needs and existing strengths of the board.

The nominating committee will select a slate of candidates for board approval. They will then circulate bios of the candidates to SFS members by email and call for a vote at either the annual meeting or by email.

Please send nominees to info@slowfoodseattle.org no later than February 22, 2010.

Duties and Expectations for a Seattle Slow Food Board Director

1. Be or become a member of Slow Food and commit to a three year term as a (volunteer) director.
2. Attend monthly Board or special meetings throughout the year plus annual retreats.
3. Bring a skill set or cardinal knowledge to the board. i.e. event planning, accounting, IT, marketing, social media, graphic design, farming, fishing, food preparation, etc.
4. Have the capacity to contribute to building the Good, Clean, Fair philosophy in our community and collaborating with other like-minded organizations.
5. Be actively involved in making policy decisions that ensure Seattle chapter activities and communications reflect Slow Food core values.
6. Contribute time, ideas, and effort in creating and implementing at least one event within a calendar year.
7. Support Slow Food Seattle’s effort to recruit and maintain an active chapter membership by creating inclusive and balanced programming.

Questionnaire for Board Nominees

To apply please copy this section into a word document or email, respond to each question and send to our nominating committee.

1. Contact and personal information.
2. Are you familiar with Slow Food and if so what aspects of the organization have been of most interest to you?
3. Which volunteer or professional organizations have you been a member and what was/is the extent of your involvement?
4. Slow Food Seattle is dedicated to activities that create responsible and pleasurable experiences at the table. Please provide a brief description of your interest and activities related to such objectives.
5. What attributes/skills would you bring to the Board of Directors and what roles would you see yourself contributing to on the board.