Terra Madre Fund
Slow Food Vancouver: Terra Madre Fund Campaign
Slow Food Vancouver is raising funds to send representatives from our food communities to Terra Madre, October 2010 in Italy.
This biannual event in 2008 had over 7,000 + farmers attending from 153 countries discussing sustainable food production & biodiversity.
Support making farming a viable career choice.
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Terra Madre is an international conference involving food producers, cooks, educators, and students who are united by a common goal of global sustainability in food. To reach this goal you can assist by donating to the Adopt-a-Farmer campaign. Email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Donate Online Now
Nominations to apply to attend Terra Madre 2010 with a scholarship from Slow Food Vancouver you are invited to download (PDF) and complete the application form. Email the application to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
"Because of the industrialized food system, smaller farmers are getting pushed to the periphery. Terra Madre encouraged all small farmers not to give up and stressed the importance of our efforts.”
Debra Amrein-Boyes, Farmhouse Natural Cheeses
2008 Terra Madre participant
“People always ask me why I farm. I take great pride in my work; because there is nothing like the satisfaction you get from investing yourself in a truly living, breathing business and seeing the results of your labour. I am blessed to work alongside my family in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and like the five generations before me, I know that the greatest rewards in life come through dedication and hard work.”
Devan Toop, Toop Dairy Farm, Chilliwack,
6th generation farmer & nominee
In 2008, UBC student Bryanna Thiel was able to attend the Terra Madre conference as a student representative. “It is hard to describe the energy and emotion one feels in a stadium filled with over 6,000 people who believe in one common goal – a sustainable and secure food system that depends on the diversity of the people of the world and a devotion to small-scale agriculture” said Thiel. Read more of her story here.
The “food communities” of Terra Madre come together biennially to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well. Held in Torino, Italy. Terra Madre has inspired a new framework for discourse on food and sustainability, one where ideas, strategies, partnerships and alliances prosper. Over five days, there are opportunities to hear from notable speakers and participate in Earth-related workshops on themes such as climate change, native breeds, and Participative Development Models. The Salone del Gusto - the world’s largest artisanal food marketplace - is held concurrently, in part for delegates to gain a deeper sense of how small-scale sustainable producers can market their products effectively.
Many delegates have come away inspired from the meeting, with a greater sense of the shared commonalities among the world’s sustainable food producers, cooks, and academics. They have returned to their farms, restaurants, and universities with renewed dedication, empowered with the knowledge that they now belong to the international Terra Madre network.
Net proceeds from the summer Slow Food Cycle Tours along with your donations to the Adopt-a-Farmer campaign will help make this possible. By sending these young farmers to Terra Madre, you are helping to contribute to the food security of your local area, encouraging our youth to adopt farming as a career, and promoting healthy futures for all residents of the Lower Mainland.
