Slow Food Group Participates in National Food Day

The New School Slow Food Group, the campus chapter of the global Slow Food organization, prepared its first community slow cooked meal of the semester last month at the Lang Cafe. Unbeknownst to many, they kicked off this celebration on national Food Day.

Food Day, held on October 24, is a grassroots national campaign for sustainable, healthy, and affordable food. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based advocacy group, initiated the project to promote healthier food policies and slow food practices based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and sustainably raised meat. And this was exactly what was accomplished and cooked by New School students. The menu consisted of a bean salad, potato leek soup, green salad, and a raw pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

“We can use food to fight for worker’s rights and fight for a cleaner world, and a more nutritious and well-fed planet,” said Lang freshman Joe Anderson, a member of the Slow Food Group.

The Slow Food USA’s chapter at The New School aims at connecting with students to spread awareness and knowledge about the slow food movement.

“Everyone deserves to eat in a healthy way which is also affordable,” said Martina Faralli, an exchange student from Pisa, Italy, adding that her passion for organic, clean, and friendly food is what inspired her to join the Slow Food movement. “We hope that in doing this for free or for cheap, prices will bring more young people to our movement.”

Lang sophomore Jill Anderson’s interest in the club began with the obvious fact that she really likes food. “I love that we take food and bring it to another level,” she said. “We come together to eat and to make food. Eating and making food is sort of like a vehicle to talk about issues related to food like workers’ rights, and the environment. And I just love how it can take something that I really enjoy and make it bigger and better.”