slow food nation

Conscious Lifestyle's recent partnership with Slow Food USA included a commitment to send the social innovators leading the Conscious Lifestyle - Slow Food Ventures to Slow Food Nation in San Francisco.

Slow Food Nation (SFN) was a summit of over 60,000 people who celebrated the birth of a broad and inclusive food movement to build an American food system that is sustainable, just, and delicious. It included tastings, a farmers market, workshops, a concert, lectures, and a lot of great food.

Paul Valetutti and Kathy Helfrey represented Slow Food - Rutgers. Their venture connects local growers with Rutgers University Dining Services to dramatically increase the amount of "good, clean, and fair" food served to students.

Genya Erling and Megan Pease attended SFN on behalf of Slow Food - Univ. of Wisconsin Madison. They are working hard to start a sustainable food cart. This would be a pilot program leading to a Slow Food Cafe on campus.

In addition to all of the great food, the weekend was wonderful because it allowed the social innovators to spend time with one-another, as well as Conscious Lifestyle and Slow Food staff. All of the social innovators spoke at events about their ventures.

Conscious Lifestyle and Slow Food USA provided accomodations, access to Slow Food Nation events, and travel reimbursements for the four Social Innovators.

Conscious Lifestyle is proud to be partnering with Slow Food on Campus, the student engagement initiative by Slow Food USA. Slow Food is "a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world." Slow Food has over 85,000 members and a presence in 132 countries.

The partnership was formed to support new projects by Slow Food on Campus chapters. These chapters understand the importance of both lifestyle and institutional changes, so they are a perfect fit for Conscious Lifestyle.

This summer, three Slow Food on Campus chapters will be selected as Conscious Lifestyle ventures and receive up to $1000 in seed money, web space, social entrepreneurship mentoring, workshops and conferences. The money and mentoring will go to a variety of initiatives, such as supporting an on-campus garden or farmers’ market, bringing speakers to campus, or hosting an amazing home-cooked locally grown dinner.

The three projects selected to receive the Youth Venture will be recognized and celebrated at Slow Food Nation in San Francisco in August.