So, if you need a break from pouring over the minutiae of the bailout or worrying about your 401K (or lack thereof in most of our cases) here are a few things to keep you busy and maybe even newly inspired.
A lot of you are no doubt already familiar with Slow Food International and their American arm Slow Food USA. If not you should definitely get to know them as they are an important voice in the global (and national) local food movement, here's what they have to say about themselves:
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
Well, Slow Food USA recently wrapped up their annual gathering, Slow Food Nation, and they have now posted all the video online from the plethora of great panels and discussions that took place over Labor Day weekend. They are literally all worth checking out so please do so, but here are a few we recommend.
The World Food Crisis - moderated by Michael Pollan with Anya Fernald, Corby Kummer, Raj Patel, Carlo Petrini, Vandana Shiva.
Aside: if you haven't had a chance to read Raj Patel's book Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System (and it seems not enough people have) you really should make it a priority.
Edible Education - moderated by Katrina Heron with Alice Waters, Anya Fernald, Van Jones, Craig Macnamara and Josh Viertel.
Aside: if this discussion of integrating local, sustainable, healthy food production with educational programs gets you so excited that you just can't stand it email our Education Director Matt Hess and he will get you involved in edible education right here in Waco, TX (if you're not from Waco we feel sorry for you but email him anyway and he'll try to point you in the right direction.) Also, be sure and plan on being at our Fall Farm Day (pdf) to hear John Garland talk about his own work in connecting schools in the Rio Grande Valley with edible education.
Closing Panel - the whole panel is good so watch both parts but I'm mostly putting this here for Wendell Berry's portion at the beginning. It's gold baby.
Aside: "We live in a time when things fall apart. The falling apart of things is bad. But once we identify something that is good and we begin to understand how that goodness ramifies a longer chain of causes, it really ultimately involves everything. Then we begin to glimpse the possibility of entering an age in which things that have fallen apart come back together." If that's not the gospel and the kingdom I don't know what is.
For one final distraction we're going to give you another dose of Wendell. This is his commencement address to last years graduating class at Bellarmine University (warning: video starts as soon as you open the page) and the whole thing is too good to attempt an excerpt.
Well, there you go - economy, shmonomy.
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