Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

As a Slow Food member in the Charlotte, NC region for the past three years we've been tackling a lot of challenges with 100% volunteerism. We do what we can but it's hard work especially with a still very young organization.

Slow Food first and foremost has been an educator. Be glad that some small portion of the population is paying attention to the food crisis and is using the plate as a window into the problems and searching for solutions. Those with means may have helped bring the movement into the States years ago but we have a predominance of educators in our membership.

If you follow Alice Waters at all you know of the edible schoolyard initiatives. All over our state we have helped foster those. In our local convivia we've started a pilot project in lower income educated areas to bring the garden into the school and hopefully we can build a replicate-able program from it. Again, 100% volunteer efforts. I wish we were the Sierra Club or some other large body of lobby intent that could pay for more regional directors to help with coordination and sustain all the free passion that is utilized.

We've been working against the elitist mentality since inception. All you can do is work on bringing in new members, meet, cull projects people are passionate about, and deploy. Make new connections with other like minded groups, and flex your message. Are there expensive food gatherings, you bet. It's how we fund everything. You have another good idea? Let's say we recycle those with means to those without, but don't think it's a lot of rich snobs just lolly-gagging. Everything has a means to an ends and ours brings about a lot of branding, understanding, and vision to those who may have never had it before.

We are at the beginning of a long road and we all need to do our part to help. Which in our area, I don't care if you are a member or not, just come play a role, help help help. Drop your dogma and roll those sleeves up!

-andy | http://slowfoodcharlotte.org