This month we are giving a big Slow THANKS to departing Slow Food State Governors Cortney Ahern (IL), Gabby Lothrop (FL), and
John Forti (MA). All three have dedicated years of service to the Slow Food movement and have contributed to the growth and strengthening of our network.
Cortney is a passionate patron of good food. She is currently Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger-relief organization. She has experience working across the food chain on domestic and international agricultural issues. She has been a featured writer and speaker by National Geographic, Food Tank: The Food Think Tank, the Christian Science Monitor, Slow Food, and has provided consulting services for a range of food and community organizations. Cortney has worked on a family farm in Upstate New York and learned the proper technique for catching red ants in northeastern Thailand. Cortney served on the board of
Slow Food Chicago for five years before assuming the role as Slow Food Governor. Cortney will be headed back to school in the Fall to attend Yale University for their Environmental Management Master's Program to study agriculture and climate change. She is excited to take this next step and go deeper into the issues she's worked on for the last seven years!
Gabby became deeply involved with Slow Food and the Central Florida local food scene when she took on the role of Director of the Audubon Park Community Market in 2009, and has worked since then to grow the market and the small businesses that make it a successful weekly gathering. This led her to co-found A Local Folkus, a local food events and marketing company that produces the farmers market, annual Harvest Festivals, and other events that celebrate farm to table living
in Central Florida. In addition to her day job, Gabby has served in various leadership roles with Slow Food Orlando, most recently as chapter leader. She is proud to serve in these various roles, where she has aligned her work and values in an environment where regional food community stakeholders can come together.
John is a nationally recognized lecturer, garden historian, ethnobotanist, and garden writer. He is now the Executive Director of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH. Before taking on this new position, he was the Director of Horticulture for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the oldest horticultural society in the nation. John co-founded and served as the board chair for Slow Food Seacoast (NH). He also serves as chair of the board for the Herb Society of America’s New England Unit, and won the 2014 Award for
Excellence in Horticulture from the national office. He was also recently granted the award for “Civic Improvement through Gardens” from the Garden Club of America.
Buy an Ark of Taste Garden Kit!
Each garden kit includes seeds for Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry, Early Blood Turnip-Rooted Beet, and Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce; a limited-edited poster and stickers; a Slow Food field notebook with recipes; engraved plant markers; and a beautiful cedar sign for your garden. Buy a kit here.