Slow Food Boston

Community Servings Kitchen Volunteer Night + Slow Food Spring Social!

5/5/2019

Hey SFBers,

Come join Slow Food Boston on Thursday, May 9th for a fun night of meal prepping for a good cause! We'll be dishing up some delectable, nutritious eats made from scratch for the beneficiaries of Community Servings, a local non-profit that prepares and delivers meals for our homebound and chronically ill friends throughout the greater Boston area. Mix and mingle with other fellow SFBers in the area while fine-tuning your chopping skills. Then, come reward yourself after all that hard work with a nice, cold one at Turtle Swamp Brewing, Jamaica Plain's beloved local brewery, at our Slow Food Spring Social to follow. Pair your beverage with some freshly grilled sausages from local butcher pop-up, Meadowlark Butcher, who pride themselves in using only pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed meats.

Find details and register here. This one's definitely not to be missed! See you there!

WDSD Week Three: Interview with the Boston Area Gleaners!

4/24/2019

For part 3 of our ongoing World Disco Soup Day interview series, we chatted with Jack Leng, Education and Outreach Coordinator of the Boston Area Gleaners!

About Jack
Originally from Maryland, Jack earned an MS in Environmental Education from Antioch University New England. Prior to that, Jack taught physical education in Virginia, and saw firsthand how important it is for young people to learn how to live an active life, and how good nutrition and access to healthy food can dramatically affect kids' resiliency.

Jack has worked with Mill City Grows, Three Sisters Garden Project, CitySprouts and Waltham Fields Community Farm. He has a deep love and appreciation for the natural world, and believes everyone should get to enjoy its bountiful fruit.

Jack joined the Gleaners in 2016 and was astonished at the amount of good, nutritious food going to waste on local farms. He's committed to reducing food waste and increasing access to fresh local food for more vulnerable populations. Thanks to his enthusiasm, Jack inspires folks to volunteer with us and spearheads our corporate and community group service days. If you're looking for a speaker or to plan a group volunteer trip, Jack's the guy to call.

What is gleaning?
The Gleaners’ define it as the act of collecting surplus crops from farmers' fields. In ancient times, landowners invited peasants onto their fields after the main harvest to take what was left over. Simply put, gleaning was a method of improving food security for the poor.

...And there’s a big need for this, even today! Farming is unpredictable, and farmers need to plant extra to ensure they will have enough produce to sell throughout the year. With an unpredictable market, this can result in surplus food: in fact, up to 20% of the food grown on farms is never harvested. This food could be donated, but many farmers simply cannot afford the labor to harvest and distribute it.

In come the Boston Area Gleaners, whom since 2004 have organized volunteers to harvest surplus crops from local farms and distribute these high-quality, nutritious fruits and vegetables to food banks, pantries, and meal programs.

By the numbers

In 2017, they gleaned over 635,000 pounds of 60 crop types from 50 farms in eastern Massachusetts
Since their start in 2004, they have gleaned over 1.8 million pounds of fresh, local produce for the benefit of people in need.
By 2019, they hope to capture 1 million pounds of crops every single year.

Slow Food Boston is excited to include the Gleaners in this series as they offer a unique, agricultural-based perspective in the Boston Area food rescue scene. Click HERE to read the interview and learn more about how the Gleaners are providing a necessary service in our local community.

Join us at the Boston Public Market on April 28th to celebrate World Disco Soup Day, an anti-food waste campaign, and to meet Jack and other key members in local food rescue!

WDSD Week Two: Interview with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine!

4/14/2019

We’re excited to post part two of our ongoing interviews with Boston’s voices in food rescue in our World Disco Soup Day campaign! This week we’re featuring Rescuing Leftover Cuisine's New England Coordinator, Dana Siles. Dana co-runs RLCMA with Lauren Basler, Massachusetts Branch Head.

About Dana
Like what last week’s discussion revealed with Lauren from Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Dana’s similar experience in the hospitality industry exposed her to the widespread issue of food waste. She joined the RLC team in order to help make food donation a Best Practice for all commercial kitchens and professional chefs who experience food waste.

Lauren has hated seeing food go to waste ever since she was little, thanks to her grandmother’s influence and hearing about all those that go hungry. She is working on a dual Master’s in Food Policy and International Business with a focus on social impact. Lauren has learned that the negative environmental effects from food waste in landfills is almost as disturbing as global hunger.

About Rescuing Leftover Cuisine
RLC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides a volunteer platform to recover excess fresh and prepared food from businesses and bring it to nearby non-profits who freely give this food to those in need. RLC fulfills a unique need in Boston’s food community by relying on volunteers to rescue food not only throughout the day, but also on nights and weekends with “emergency pickups.”

Thanks to the collaboration of their food donor partners, volunteers, and recipients, in 2018:

102,796 pounds of recovered excess food provided about 82,236 meals for those in need throughout MA
And prevented about 38,548 pounds of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere

Read on to find out what makes RLC an important contributor to Boston’s food rescue scene, and join us on the 28th to chat with them and other inspiring organizations fighting food waste!

Interested in getting involved with RLC? With just 30-60 minutes of your day, the average volunteer opportunity rescues 50 pounds of food and feeds 40 people! Click here to fill out their volunteer form.

SFB Interviews Local Food Rescue Organizations for WDSD!

4/10/2019

All April long, Slow Food Boston is highlighting our city’s efforts to fight food waste. As a part of the global Slow Food World Disco Soup Day campaign, we’ve chosen to focus specifically on the food rescue organizations in Boston working together to tackle this complex problem.

We’re excited to kick off part one of this series with an exclusive dialogue with Lauren Palumbo, COO of Lovin’ Spoonfuls!

About Lauren
Lauren was born, raised, and educated in the Boston area. Coming from a background in the hospitality and non-profit sectors, she has a unique perspective of the inputs and outputs of food system operations. In 2015, Lauren was recognized as an ‘Emerging Leader’ by Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program, and in 2016, Lauren was selected as one of the Boston Business Journal’s ’40 under 40′, which recognizes Boston’s young business leaders. She plays a vital role on the Lovin’ Spoonfuls team in ensuring timely delivery of nutritious food to recipients across the Greater Boston Area, continuing to lead conversations on the importance of reducing food waste and ensuring access to healthy food for all.

What does Lovin’ Spoonfuls Do?
Lovin’ Spoonfuls is an organization that facilitates the recovery and distribution of healthy, perishable food that would otherwise be discarded. Lovin’ Spoonfuls works efficiently to deliver this food directly to the community organizations and resources where it can have the greatest impact. Lovin’ Spoonfuls is committed to addressing the health, environmental and economic impact that food waste has on our community. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Lovin’ Spoonfuls is a 501c3, non-profit organization. Check out these impressive stats!

11,000,000+ pounds of food rescued to date
Partners with 140 agencies, serving 30,000 people weekly
Receiving would-be wasted food from 70+ vendors, supplying more than 65,000 pounds of food each week
6 trucks that visit 30 agencies each day

Read more about Lauren's passion for fighting local food waste in the first of this blog series here!

How can YOU play a part in the movement? Join us on April 28th at the Boston Public Market’s Agricultural Fest, and engage in our social media campaign - share your efforts to combat food waste by tagging us and using the hashtag #WDSDBoston for a chance to win a Slow Food prize!

World Disco Soup Day in Boston!

4/2/2019

Slow Food Boston is excited to announce that we are hosting a World Disco Soup Day event this month!
What’s World Disco Soup Day, you ask? WDSD is a world-wide initiative launched by Slow Food to raise awareness about global food waste. Armed with beautiful leftover ingredients and a passion for sustainability, the day celebrates coming together to have a bit of fun while tackling this pressing issue. In a nation where over a third of produced food is wasted while one in eight Americans go hungry, we are here to shed some light on this major problem and help the global Slow Food community strengthen our food systems, protect our environment, and improve our health.

This year is a special one for WDSD in Boston: we are taking part in Boston Public Market's Agricultural Festival on Sunday, April 28th to talk to you about what we can do to eliminate food waste! We feel fortunate in the Boston community to have a wealth of notable food waste-fighting organizations tackling this complex problem from all angles, and so to honor this day, each week leading up to the event we’ll be posting a series of exclusive interviews from inspiring leaders of the food-waste movement in the area including Lovin’ Spoonfuls, the Boston Area Gleaners, and more! We’re so excited that they will also be joining us on the 28th to offer a unique, comprehensive picture of how a city can unite forces to solve this large-scale issue.

How can you get involved? Other than coming out to see us at the event, you can take part in our first-ever World Disco Soup Day contest! Share on social media what you’re doing to prevent food waste - tips, recipes, stories, get creative! Oh, and be sure to tag us and use the hashtag #WDSDBoston to be in the running for some Slow Food swag and more.

Lastly (as if it couldn’t get any more exciting), this year’s WDSD marks the launch of the Slow Food Youth Network in Boston and the USA! This is a unique opportunity for aspiring young leaders passionate about promoting good, clean, fair food across the globe to make a lasting difference in making our food systems more sustainable, protecting biodiversity for future generations, and supporting our local farmers and producers. We are looking forward to harnessing the energy of our city’s vibrant youth community to contribute to a better food system, so let us know if you’re interested in getting involved, and stay tuned for future announcements and events!

We hope you will join us in our food waste campaign for this year’s World Disco Soup Day. Tune in for updates, announcements, stories, and interviews as we celebrate local and global efforts to eliminate food waste throughout April!

Announcing our Slow Food Conversation Guest Speakers!

3/16/2019

We could not be more thrilled to introduce our line-up of amazing guest speakers for the Slow Food Conversation on Race, Gender, and Food Justice!

Darnell Adams, Co-owner of Firebrand Cooperative will be moderating our panel speakers Cassandria Campbell of Fresh Food Generation and Teresa Maynard of Sweet Teez Bakery. Tickets are limited so register here and come join us for a thought-provoking discussion on March 26th!

Moderator:
Darnell Adams, Co-owner of Firebrand Cooperative
Darnell is a consultant for Firebrand Cooperative specializing in project management, brand identity, board and team retreat planning and facilitation for nonprofits, cooperatives and other socially-responsible organizations throughout the U.S. Darnell’s two decades of experience as a director, teacher, mentor and small business owner have allowed her to make a difference in the social, economic and business communities in which she has worked. She is the former Project Manager of the Dorchester Food Co-op and the previous Managing Director of CropCircle Kitchen (now Commonwealth Kitchen).

Panelists:
Cassandria Campbell, Co-Founder of Fresh Food Generation
Cassandria is a Roxbury native and is the co-founder of Fresh Food Generation, dedicated to increasing access to healthy, nutritious, farm-to-table Caribbean, Cuban, and Argentine-influenced dishes to low-income neighborhoods. She became a food justice advocate while working at The Food Project, a nationally recognized model for youth development and sustainable agriculture. In 2011, she received a master’s degree in City Planning from MIT and has since worked in the field of community and economic development. She is proud to be an advocate of housing and women’s rights and serves on the Mayor’s Boston Women’s Commission.

Teresa Maynard, Founder of Sweet Teez Bakery
Raised in Codman Square, Teresa is a self-taught home baker with a passion for delicious treats and also a gifted sculptor who has translated her passion for clay into cakes. In early 2016 Teresa left her position at Harvard University to pursue her passion for baking and decorating. Currently working out of Commonwealth Kitchen in Dorchester, Teresa has produced thousands of cakes, cupcakes, brownies and pies for not only individual customers but for wholesale and corporate accounts such as Whole Foods, Capital One and Babson College.

A Slow Food Conversation: Race, Gender, and Food Justice

3/11/2019

Slow Food Boston is highly committed to supporting food justice, celebrating diverse communities, and sharing the belief that benefits of the good food movement are to be enjoyed by everyone. That is why we are excited to host our first Slow Food Conversation on the intersectionality of race, gender, and food justice on March 26th!

With Black History month still visible in our rear-view mirror and in the midst of Women’s History Month, join us for a lively conversation in recognizing these impressive women who have made a name for themselves as entrepreneurs of the local food scene, hear about the challenges they overcame to achieve success in a male-dominated food industry and take part in a thoughtful discussion on how the Slow Food community can work collectively in developing a more equitable food system that's inclusive of everyone.

Enjoy complimentary appetizers provided by Fresh Food Generation and grab a beer in tune with the seasons and current trends from our hosts Remnant Brewing. Additional food will be available for purchase.

Come Celebrate Terra Madre Day with us!

11/26/2018

Join fellow Slow Food enthusiasts, friends and loved ones for an unforgettable meal at Loyal Nine, where Chef Marc Sheehan brings New England culinary traditions to the forefront in his east coast revival cuisine. A quick google reveals a private supper club, collaborations with Plimouth Plantation culinarian Kathleen Wall and Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of the two Michelin-starred Mugaritz. On this night, hear about the inspiration for the concept of modern colonial gastronomy directly from the chef and enjoy a family-style, multi-course dinner created expressly for guests of Slow Food Boston featuring one-of-a-kind dishes highlighting seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

The evening will be casual and social - the Slow Food Boston Board is excited to meet like minded foodie friends with an appetite for local, sustainable food.

Monday, December 10th at 6:00pm
Loyal Nine
660 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA
$65 per person (includes tax, gratuity)
$130 with optional beverage pairings!

Come and delight in this exciting culinary experience and unique take on New England fine-dining this holiday season.

purchase Tickets

Come Volunteer at Community Servings with Slow Food!

10/6/2018

Join fellow Slow Food Boston members this fall on Thursday, October 18th in preparing healthy, delicious food for families at Community Servings, a non-profit food and nutrition program that helps feed individuals with chronic or critical illness and their families. Volunteers will help produce nutritious meals from scratch and package them for delivery to those in need.

To volunteer, you must be 13 years or older, wear appropriate attire (make sure you're covered neck to toe!), and be healthy enough to handle fresh foods.

Volunteers MUST attend at the exact shift time to complete the orientation; volunteers who don't complete the orientation are not allowed in the kitchen.

For more information and to register as a volunteer, visit here.

Volunteer with Slow Food and show someone you care while hanging out with fellow members in cooking up a tasty dish for those in need!

Gardening with Chris: Part Five has Arrived!

8/15/2018

Here it is, the fifth installment of Gardening with Chris, "It's Good We Aren't Subsistence Farmers," where he covers his successes (and struggles) with a variety of seedlings he's been growing. Read on to see what crops have been showing promise and which ones require a little more patience this growing season. Also, a hearty, delicious vegetable soup recipe not to be missed!

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