Give What You Can Day
Earth Day April 22This Earth Day (April 22) will be Give What You Can Day, where any donation amount makes you a member. Please share with your network—it is a great opportunity to get new folks involved. Download graphics to use. Use this link: slowfoodusa.org/give-what-you-can, which will go live on Earth Day. If your chapter is hosting an Earth Day event,
don't forget to add it to the SFUSA calendar.
Chapter Taxes Due May 15Don’t forget that taxes are due by May 15, 2018! If your chapter fails to file, you risk losing your tax-exempt status. Not to worry though! On the Leader Resources page of our website, you will find a guide to filing your chapter taxes.
Once you have filed them, forward the confirmation email from the IRS to chapters@slowfoodusa.org along with the name of your chapter. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the network support team by emailing us. Reminder: Chapters that fail to submit their 2017 annual report will be removed from our website. Please email us if your chapter needs an extension. Complete your annual chapter survey.
Terra Madre Delegate Scholarship UpdateThanks to all that applied to be a sponsored delegate to Terra Madre. Selected sponsored delegates will be notified on April 26. Learn more about the event in Italy, then register to let us know you'll be there. The deadline to register as a self-paying delegate is June 30. Details about delegates here.
The lineup for Slow Food Nations '18 is LIVE! We have a great mix of delicious food, family fun, hands-on workshops, and deep-dive talks. This year, we are centering all activities on Saturday and Sunday around Larimer Square, so it's easier to get around. Be sure to get your tickets before they sell out. As a Slow Food member, use promo code SNAIL18 for a 20% discount off all ticketed events. See you back in Denver this July!
Every five years or so, Congress debates a new Farm Bill – our nation’s largest (and most costly) package of food, farm, and nutrition legislation. The House Agriculture Committee released its long-awaited draft of the Farm Bill
2018. Unfortunately, the bill, as proposed, does not represent the basic tenants of a good, clean, and fair food chain. Read Reana Kovalcik and Ed Yowell of the Slow Food USA Food and Farm Policy Steering Committee's blog post on what makes a Good, Clean, and Fair Farm Bill. Are you interested in getting more involved with local and national policy issues? As a chapter leader, you play a crucial role in the Slow Food community and we're calling on you to become a Slow Food Policy Liaison. If you're interested, email chapters@slowfoodusa.org to find out more.
Local Stories of the Three Sisters: Plant a Seed Town Hall CallListen to Ricardo Salvador (Union of Concerned Scientists) and Alfonso Rocha (Slow Food Mexico) share about the heritage of the Three Sisters and the milpa system in Puebla, Mexico.
New Snails
in the Prairie !
Slow Food Heartland is in the belly of the agribusiness beast, and most of what is grown is not food, but rather feed and fuel. Iowa is home to the very worst, and the very BEST pork in the world. The local food culture is flourishing, due in no small part to the efforts of the late lamented Slow Food Iowa City. "Slow Food Iowa City helped plant that seed here 19 years ago and the fruits of that labor are bearing now. It is important that we reemphasize the debt to pleasure. When we say "Good, Clean & Fair," we mean food that is good tasting and good for the eater and the planet. By clean we mean there's nothing in the food that isn't food (if it wasn't food 100 years ago, it's not food now) and that
the production of that food is helpful, not harmful, to the environment. And by fair we mean that those who produce the food - growers, cooks, and artisans - should be justly compensated for their labor," says board chair Kurt Friese.
Slow Food South Georgia is surrounded by conventional farms yet they are growing traditional southern cuisine naturally, organically, sustainably and making it available to low income communities by partnering with state and local organizations. The chapter will focus on connecting local customers to local foods, creating urban community gardens, and teaching the importance of local food through farm-to-table projects. "Food unites us all, it's a common need and we should all have access to it! Since moving to a food desert, I’ve learned to appreciate good food even more. It is my goal to get everyone in this community access to good food by uniting farmers and consumers," says board chair Amanda
Durden.
A Special Thanks to Outgoing SFUSA Board Members!
This month we are giving a big Slow THANKS to departing Slow Food USA Board members Bob Shaver (Chair) and John Stewart (Secretary). Bob and John joined SFUSA's Board of Directors in 2012 and were critical in implementing and overseeing SFUSA's strategic direction.
Current board members, Julie Shaffer and Joel Smith, have been elected to co-chair the SFUSA Board of Directors. Both Julie and Joel have been part of the Slow Food network for more than fifteen years and will continue to guide SFUSA in our efforts to inspire individuals and communities to change the world through food that is good, clean and fair for all.
Slow Food USA Change of AddressWe have moved to a new, cozier office within our building. Please update your records with our new suite address. Slow Food USA
1000 Dean Street,
Suite 402
Brooklyn, NY 11238
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien
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