this past weekend, athens hosted the annual georgia organics conference. the event invited thousands of farmers, novice gardeners, and organic enthusiasts together for educational seminars, farm tours, food, and entertainment. on saturday night there was a farmer’s feast which featured foods and wines made by 25 georgia chefs and of course using organic georgia ingredients. the keynote speaker of the event was carlo petrini from italy who is the founder of the slow food movement.
while i enjoyed chowing down on the food and drinking a couple of glasses of local wine, i left the feast completely inspired and reminded of the many ways to help our troubled food system.
i wanted to pass along some quick things that i took from the feast:
-keep food clean; grow, eat and support chemical free food
-good food costs more; it is NOT more expensive. you are investing in a future for yourself and others
-support locally grown food; it helps your local economy, uses less resources, and tastes better
-cheap food is hard on our bodies, soil, and local/national economy
-start a garden and visit the farms where your food is produced
-be a co-producer of your food, know who is growing it and how it is being grown, and get involved
-get imaginative with and eat your left overs
-encourage others to eat SLOW!
-southern soul food is something we should be proud of!!
I have been researching eating more mindfully and healthfully lately, reading some of Pollan’s work on food. This post is great – thanks for sharing the great stuff going on in Georgia, and in your own life!