On our way...

Thanks so much do David Hoene for hosting a great event at Pauline's yesterday!  We had a great time introducing ourselves to each other and sharing our experiences and impresssions from Terra Madre, the Salone del Gusto, and Italy in general!

My favorite part of the evening, however, was at the generous meal that David shared with us and the discussion that ensued around the dining room table.  The meal began with wonderful Boyden Valley Winery wines, apple cider and an amazing variety of our fantastic Vermont cheeses.  The main meal was Shuttleworth Farm pork with wild-crafted mushrooms from Nova & Les, potatoes, squash and brussels sprouts from Lewis Creek Farm and kale from Arethusa Collective Farm.  The dessert was a fantastic cranberry crisp with ice cream - delicious!  The conversation was riveting and important, and, as tends to happen around a dinner table with a bunch of passionate eaters - at times, raucous!

The main question that floated around all evening was, "How will SFVT distinguish itself from all the other fantastic food organizations in Vermont?"  The main points that I heard voiced as possible directions SFVT could go are (apologies for things I missed!):

1. A focus on food culture and the culture of conviviality should be a central theme - simply getting together with other eaters, creating and enjoying a meal together and taking as long as you'd like to complete that meal.  Gatherings at members' homes for themed potlucks or just a gathering at a local chicken pie supper.  Cheap, easy, and meaningful!
2. SFVT could have a defined educational arm - food tastings and events focusing on the science of taste (apple tastings, honey tastings, maple syrup tastings, cheese!)
   
3. There were a few voices that liked the idea of SFVT distinguishing itself as an organization focusing on the culture of food in Vermont - looking at and educating Vermonters on the foodways that helped to build up our state; maple, dairy, salt pork, etc.  This could also tie into the folks that are already doing "slow food", but don't even know it - the chicken pie suppers are a great example.
4. There was also the general sense that this organization could have more of an emphasis on the eaters - the co-producers, and their experience.  This does not exclude the producers - Slow Food international recognizes the players as the Producers, the Co-Producers, the Chefs, the Educators, the Academics, and the Youth.  SFVT could as well - but perhaps use the other players as the supporters of the Co-Producers' experience.  

There were also some organizational ideas put forth at the meeting: 

• There was a lot of enthusiasm for holding a summit of all the food players in the state to define our roles and see how SFVT could fit in.  
• There was a general consensus that VT needed a lot of chapters that answer to the State chapter (located in Montpelier), and perhaps one meeting a year where all the chapters gather and report on our events.
• Nova mentioned the creation of a "Snail Trail" that identifies restaurants and farms in the state that subscribe to the tenets of Slow Food, the practices of Good, Clean and Fair food.  The locations would have a sign not unlike the VT Fresh Network sign that would signify to the public that they hold up to those standards.
• There was also the idea of a panel discussion being held at the NOFA-VT conference this February on Slow Food Vermont - sharing our vision with the public and inviting them to join.

As you can see, there was a ton of discussion and lots of ideas floating around!  I think that it is crucial to keep this dialogue moving and try to distill what we are moving towards as an organization.  As Deb Shapiro from Edible Green Mountains said last night, "Flash forward a year from now - how has SFVT made the world different?"  This is perhaps a guiding thought for us as we move forward.  I welcome comments, corrections, and further ideas!