Novembr Day of Action

This month Slow Food has partnered with the Student/Farmworker Alliance to support and raise awareness of "fair" food in the United States. What exactly is "fair" food?

"Slow Food USA and Slow Food on Campus chapters seek to inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces to guarantee equity, sustainability and pleasure. Fair food encompasses good food that is accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and are justly compensated for their labor. To make fair and lasting change a reality the integrity of the food we eat must be secured, and good treatment of the people who produce it must be assured."

The Student/Farmwork Alliance is an organization that works with farmworkers in Southwest Florida to eliminate sweatshop conditions and modern-day slavery conditions. The SFA has be successful in raising awareness and working with many fast food companies to elimate their dependence on these farms. For more information on the SFA check our sfalliance.org.

Slow Food on Campus at the University of Delaware has decided on the following activities for our November initiative:
1) We are going to write "fair facts" aroudnd campus on the sidewalks. This will provoke thought between individuals and hopefully inspire individuals to do more research about the food that they eat and other, more fair options that are available. (If for some reason it should rain, which it always does in Delaware, we will be passing out the facts in the Student Center.)
To get all individuals in the group to participate in bringing facts into our next meeting, there is a competition, with prizes for the individuals who bring in the most facts. (First, second and third place!)
2) We are planning on screening a free documentary provided by the SFA.

Hopefully these activities will inspire students all across campus to take action and ask that their food be fair: to those who make it and those who buy it.

Clean Initiative: Success

As discussed in our previous posting we had to take an initiative to try to educate or provide individuals with "clean" food on October 24th for the worldwide day of activisim for 350.org.

Our chapter's initiative was a great success, we co-sponsored a 100 mile meal with the Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware. (We decided to take the 350 mile meal idea to the next level) The meal took place on Friday October 23rd, Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th. A special menu was created by the chef at the hotel and everything came from within 100 miles. We had carrot and apple soup, an herb salad, gnocchi with a red sauce and homemade pumpkin ice cream. Everything was priced to attract students (with many of the prices including 350!) however, all individuals throughout the community were invited to attend and a blub was even put in the local newspaper, bringing individuals from around Newark and Wilmington.

Our chapter had an information table during each dinner providing information on Slow Food, local food options, 350.org and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Also table tents that were provided by Slow Food were placed on each table. We are recylcing the table tents and are going to use them in local restaurants around the town of Newark to keep informing individuals about the clean initiative and 350.org, even after October is over.

Everyone is strongly encouraged to check out 350.org to see the over 19,000 pictures that were sumitted from around the world supporting the 350.org initiative. Our group will be taking a 350 picture somewhat late (this coming week) if you would like to participate feel free to contact Kathleen at kabrown@udel.edu for more information.

We are excited to see what Slow Food has in store for us for our initiative for November!!