Slow Food has a South Jersey chapter

I recently found out that South Jersey has a Slow Food chapter. What is slow food?

Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

The Slow Food movement holds that food should be good, clean and fair.

Good - For Slow Food, the idea of good means enjoying delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. The pleasures of good food can also help to build community and celebrate culture and regional diversity.

Clean - When we talk about clean food, we are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies. It is grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity.

Fair - We believe that food is a universal right. Food that is fair should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.

Slow Food of South Jersey is based out of Cape May. Here are some of the events and projects that the group has planned.

• Connecting area school cafeterias to local farms
• Sharing skills, tips and equipment for canning, dehydrating, and preserving
• Extending the season for the West Cape May Farmer’s Market
• Connecting artisan food producers from inside and outside the South Jersey area with local restaurants
• Taking field trips to wineries and other artisan producers
• Collaborating with other Slow Food Conviviums (e.g., attending events in Princeton, Philadelphia, North Jersey or New York City)
• Hosting local, slow food “pot lucks” in members homes, places of worship, and/or public venues
• Having our meetings at restaurants that feature local and/or seasonal foods
• Creating an advocacy group to support all of the above, including perhaps “Victory Gardens” in people’s backyards or community gardens or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms
• Sponsoring the Northwest Earth Institute’s “Menu for the Future” 6-session study series

For more information on Slow Food of South Jersey, visit their website and sign up for their newsletter.