Slow Food First Coast Meeting Minutes
24 September 2009
Datil Pepper Fest is this upcoming weekend, Oct 3-4. We will be selling beverages as a fundraiser. If you are able to volunteer to help out either day, please contact Richard at rvilladoniga@yahoo.com.
Farm City Awards Banquet will be held Nov 19 at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center. David Dinkins has invited us to be co-sponsors of the event and present our Spirit of Slow Food Awards. Richard nominated the Barnes Family of Hastings for their work to improve conditions for migrant workers and 29 South Restaurant of Fernandina Beach for setting up a network of local family farms that provides food for their eatery. If anyone has other people/businesses/groups that they would like to nominate, please contact Richard.
It was suggested at the meeting that we have a field trip to 29 South (read: eat there for lunch). A date is forthcoming. It was also recommended we ask 29 South and the Master Gardeners to put on a clinic for St. Johns County restaurants interested in learning how to cultivate a network of local farmers and/or build a small restaurant garden to supply their needs. We will work with 29 South and the Master Gardeners to make this a reality.
Richard thanked Tracy Chamberlain for her hard work in organizing the recent Eat In held as part of Slow Food USA’s Time for Lunch Campaign to reform the National School Lunch Program. About seventy-five people attended the event that kicked off the national campaign. We will try to continue the momentum locally, including improving our Farm to School program with South Woods Elementary and building other school gardens.
Richard thanked and introduced Guerry Bradley and Tracy Chamberlain as his new co-leaders. He is also in the process of creating a steering committee to help take Slow Food First Coast to the next level. IF YOU ARE A DEDICATED SLOW FOOD MEMBER AND WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE, PLEASE CONTACT RICHARD!!!!
Jim Quine’s Faces of Farming artwork is now on the wall at the Hastings branch library thanks to the donation made by Slow Food First Coast. Please stop by and check it out.
The next meeting is tentatively set for Oct 27 with guest speaker Brendan Burke of the St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological and Maritime Program. He will speak to us on the history of shrimping in our area and how we can keep our seafood industry alive. Save the date!
Richard thanked Marcia MacPherson, Mimi Ianuzzi, Amy TerKeurst, Marcia Lakovitch, Linda Zupko, Dulcy Freeman, and Ed Lalor for their outstanding work to create the exciting Snail of Approval program, which will recognize farmers, restaurants, and other businesses that work in the spirit of Slow Food to bring food that is good, clean, and fair to our region. The program is transparent, can be replicated by other chapters, consistent with our guiding principles, and has already been tested with success in New York City. It is easy to nominate someone for the Snail of Approval, as long as you are a current paying member of Slow Food First Coast! You can do so by visiting www.slowfoodfirstcoast.com/soa.html and following the instructions. Once nominated, the Snail of Approval committee will visit the business and evaluate its merits. If approved, the business will be reevaluated annually to ensure it is still working in the spirit of Slow Food. Those that make it onto the list will be rewarded with a decal or sign to display to the public.
Francisco Arroyo of KYV Farm will be holding a workshop for small farmers on Oct 29 to advise aspiring farmers on how to run a CSA or small organic farm. Contact Francisco at kyvfarm@aol.com if you or someone you know is interested in attending.
Bill Hamilton encouraged members to check out Lester Brown’s new book on world food issues and sustainable development titled Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. You can learn more at http://www.earthpolicy.org/index.php?/books/pb4
Bill Hamilton also notified the group that the Van Doren’s orange grove in Pomona Park has been taken over by Slow Food member Hannah Murray and her boyfriend. We are excited this will continue as an organic orange grove and hope to support them.
Richard reminded those in attendance that there are a few more days left in September to take advantage of Slow Food USA’s offer to make ANY donation and renew your membership or become a new member. Visit HYPERLINK "http://www.slowfoodusa.org" for details.