The novel coronavirus has altered lifestyles around the globe, but Slow Food USA is still working to build a better food system. To inform and inspire people at home, the organization has launched Slow Food Live, a series of free, online sessions that cover a range of food-related topics.
“Engaging with Slow Food…is a commitment to envision and work towards good, clean, and fair food for all, and this moment is a unique opportunity to really understand what that means in the present day,” says Giselle Kennedy Lord, Director of Communications at Slow Food USA and Host of Slow Food Live. “The potential and importance of [the movement] is in front of every one of us now in a way it may not have been before.”
Slow Food is a global grassroots movement that aims to reconnect individuals with the people, traditions, plants, animals, soils, and land that produce our food. The Slow Food movement is made up of a community of chefs, producers, small business owners, farmers, restaurant workers, educators, and others contributing to the food system.
Slow Food Live sessions provide a way to engage with and support people in all parts of the food system during this time. Led by members of the Slow Food community, each session gives viewers the opportunity to learn about topics, from cooking techniques and beekeeping to gardening basics. Session ideas come from people across the national and global Slow Food community as well as from participant interaction.
“We have had cooking sessions where people all over the world have a laptop in their kitchen and everyone is making curry bricks or sourdough starter or masala chai at the same time. It’s beautiful to think about,” Kennedy Lord tells Food Tank.
All Slow Food Live sessions launch at 2pm EST via Zoom and provide a 30-minute lesson followed by 15 minutes for participant questions. Those who are not able to attend the livestream can watch the recorded sessions on Slow Food’s website.
Parents can also incorporate sessions into home education plans. Through live gardening sessions, Slow Food can promote growing food as part of any education plan–a mission even before the pandemic. Additionally, sessions around food culture, tradition, and biodiversity have the potential to connect school-issued curriculums to real-life issues.
“Slow Food Live paints a picture of the depth and breadth of Slow Food and both the small and grand ways a person can join the movement by simple, intentional choices and a joyful approach to food in the modern world,” Kennedy Lord tells Food Tank.
Slow Food Live has brought people together by offering a way to connect while celebrating a better food system. “People are logging on from all over the world, ready to get planting, get cooking, and live the Slow Food mission. [It] is not just inspiring, it is what will enable the change in the world that we strive to inspire,” Kennedy Lord tells Food Tank.
Photo courtesy of Woody Roseland
