Slow Food, “Give What You Can,” is September 15th

This Thursday, September 15th, is “Give What You Can Day” and, for this day only, you can become a member for one year with Slow Food USA for less (or more!) than the usual membership fee which is $60. If you know anyone who is interested in joining, then please let them know about this promotion! Sign up here and spread the word!

May All Americans Eat Good Food

It is my belief that everyone deserves to eat good, clean, healthy food, and especially when going through times of hardship. Right now, there are hundreds of people gathered in North Dakota from Native American tribes that come from all over the nation, to fight together for sacred land sites, rights to water, and most rousingly, their desire to ‘return home’.

This past month a great article was published by the NY times regarding a growing movement to revitalize indigenous culture, and specifically, that of Native American cuisine. Our support for such unique flavors and the preservation of diversity can make a difference and lead to a healthier future! We can push back against monoculture and big agriculture businesses, which aggressively dominate and corrupts our food system, by helping to save culture, people, and tastes that are so delicately on the verge of becoming extinct! For more information visit Slow Food USA to learn more about Biodiversity and the Ark of Taste.

Greenmarket Food Hub Reaches the Bronx

Last month, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, launched magnificently the New York State Grown and Certified Program, which aims to increase farm-fresh produce available in the city and to promote upstate agriculture. The governor, along with GrowNYC, then announced their plans to build a 120,000 sq-ft warehouse for regional farmers to distribute produce wholesale at a dedicated site in the Bronx. The Greenmarket Food Hub will be next to Hunts Point (the world’s largest food distribution center), however, will hopefully bridge the gap between urban dwellers and small-scale farmers who want to buy and sell their produce for a fair and affordable price. After all, supporting our local agriculture is one of the best ways to flourish and build a vibrant community.

Summer is almost over, so I hope you enjoy your last days of going to the beach and your local farmer’s market!

Technology That Tracks Seafood

The same ‘shared public ledger’ technology which first powered Bitcoin, an online network where you can exchange money peer-to-peer, keeps track of what is being moved and to who it is moving to. This technology, called Blockchain, is expected to ‘revolutionize‘ the way we do business, finance, and most importantly, the way we communicate to one another. Food suppliers could be asked to provide information to consumers, including details about where their food comes from and how it got into their baskets. For seafood, and other consumers goods such as ‘clothing made by slaves‘, Blockchain technology provides supply chain transparency and could lead consumers to more effectively influence the marketplace. Some optimists believe that it could help improve industry standards and restructure systems, so that (sea)Food is kept clean, fair, and sustainable. Either way, the potential is there for food companies to increase customer trust by offering (digital) visible assurance of their authenticity in relation to health and the environment.