How is Slow Food Vancouver like Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz?

These days many of us are aware of the importance of knowing where our food comes from and participation in Vancouver Slow Food events has been enthusiastic. Approximately 1500 participants cycled their way through Chilliwack and Agassiz in our 2009 Slow Food Cycle Tour. Our December 2009 Terra Madre Day celebration featuring 40 local vendors attracted over 200 visitors, and most recently, the film Terra Madre opened Vancouver’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival to a sold-out crowd.

Look behind the scenes of all these popular events and even Dorothy and her friends would be surprised at the very small number of volunteers that drive the organization. Slow Food Vancouver has no paid employees.

In light of its huge success and minimal manpower, Slow Food Vancouver is in the process of setting goals and priorities for its future. The question is how do we continue to meet the demand for these wonderful, labour-intensive events in the short and long-term? More importantly how do we meet the goals of the Slow Food movement which (in a nutshell) are to promote food that tastes good, is cleanly and sustainably produced, and those who produce it are fairly compensated.

As a convivium we would like to send as many local delegates as possible to the Slow Food Terra Madre conference, which takes place every other year. We want to support the education of young farmers as fewer and fewer young people are choosing this way of life. We want to preserve traditional plant and animal varieties to prevent our food sources from dwindling. And of course, we want to continue with our events, to celebrate and enjoy good food.

It’s a tall order for an organization short on help. So if you’re passionate about food please join and ensure Slow Food can continue its important and enjoyable work.