Slow Food Eugene

More details and link to a quick online survey are available here.

Slow Food USA just announced the delegates for Terra Madre 2008 in Turin, Italy. All four of Slow Food Eugene’s nominees were approved. Adam Bernstein, David Hoyle, Rocky Maselli, and Andhi Reyna will be attending the conference to be held October 23-27, 2008. Terra Madre is a world wide meeting of farmers, ranchers, fishers, producers, nomads, and chefs from 150 countries.

Here is what we told Slow Food USA about our nominees:

I want to forward to you Slow Food Eugene’s endorsement for Adam Bernstein in the cooks category and David Hoyle and Andhi Reyna in the producer/community category. I also want to emphatically support the application of Rocky Maselli, one of our 2006 delegates, as a returning delegate.

Our convivium uses two criteria for evaluating potential delegates. First and foremost is commitment to Slow Food principles. Second, and very important to us, is the support the potential delegates have provided to our local convivium activities.

I am certain that Adam, David, Andhi, and Rocky have explained their commitment to Slow Food principles. I would like to briefly summarize the local support these four people have provided to our convivium, and by extension, Slow Food USA.

Adam Bernstein has been one of the longest standing members of our convivium and a restaurateur in the forefront of sustainability. Just last year, he volunteered his own time, and paid for his own staff members, to prepare food for 150 people at our One Field Meal Pig Roast. This was an enormous undertaking that Adam took on in the most generous and gracious manner. Several years ago, he took on a similar task preparing a roast lamb for a farm event at John Neumeister’s Cattail Creek Farm. You may remember that John was a delegate to Terra Madre in 2004 and 2006. Adam has been a major force in making our convivium a vital, exciting organization. We recommend his nomination whole heartedly.

Similarly, David Hoyle has given of himself and his farm generously to Slow Food Eugene’s One Field Meal. Aside from being a splendid farmer, he is also a gracious host who groomed his farm so that our supporters could have a wonderful day enjoying and learning about organic farming and the pleasures of the table. David, and the farm workers whom he employs, went far beyond the norm to make our convivium stronger and our event more successful. This level of commitment to Slow Food benefits us locally and nationally and supports our efforts to get the message out to as many people as possible. It also enables us to attract more members.

I also want to mention how Rocky Maselli has helped our convivium over the years. He has been a stalwart. Volunteering his time, his restaurant, and his good nature, Rocky has been a leader in our efforts to make Slow Food Eugene a force on the local food scene. In 2006, Rocky’s restaurant, Marche, hosted a major fund raising event that enabled us to provide critically needed financial support to our producer delegates. Our delegates would have been hard pressed to afford the expense absent the funding raised through Rocky’s efforts. Two years ago, he went to Terra Madre as one of our delegates. He indicated his interest in returning. We believe Rocky would greatly add to the national and international efforts. Rocky has already made himself available to work on fund raising for this year’s Terra Madre delegate. If there is a place for returning delegates in the cook’s category, Rocky has our highest endorsement.

Andhi Reyna is one of those young dynamic cheese producers who will remake the US food scene. She has worked tirelessly to teach new cheese makers and to produce the highest quality goods. Andi provided her wonderful cheeses to a fund raising event for Slow Food Eugene featuring Jeff Roberts, a director on the Slow Food USA national board.

We heartily recommend our nominees. If you need additional information, please feel free to contact me.

Upcoming Events:

May 22-Cafe Moroq Fundraiser and Preview Opening (sorry, *SOLD OUT*)

May 25–Memories Potluck

July 2–Northwest Youth Corp Potluck

More details here (pdf reader required)

Annual Meeting–February 10 , 2008

Last year’s Slow Food Eugene’s calendar of events celebrating good, clean, and fair food was fabulous, but what about 2008? It all starts with our annual meeting. That’s where we gather together, share some delectables at a pot luck, elect officers, and plan for 2008.

DATE: Sunday, February 10, 2008
PLACE: Eugene Garden Club, 1645 High Street, Eugene
TIME: 6 pm Parking is available at the site and across the street in the Planned Parenthood parking lot.

To reduce waste, bring your own durable place settings–plates, cups, and flatware. We will have spares for those who forget. In addition to your pot luck offering, please bring a beverage. Nothing alcoholic please.

We will put them up on a big board and decide what we want to do next year. Here are some ideas to get your creative and salivary juices flowing:

• Mushroom Foray
• Canning and preserving class
• Summer potlucks
• Dinner and a movie night
• Bus trip to a U-pick organic farm
• Pastry or bread baking classes
• Fund raising event

You can also email your ideas to eugene@slowfoodusa.org

Also featured in the February issue of the Slow Food Eugene Newsletter:

• Slow Food Weekend On The Coast–March 8-9
• 2007 Was A Very Good Year
• New Look For The Slow Food Eugene Website
• Safer Food Handling
• Volunteers Welcome