Slow Food Offers Good, Clean & Fair Food for All
Do you love food, sustainability and hanging out with friends? If you haven’t heard of Slow Food on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, you’ve been missing out! This sustainable non-profit organization offers good, clean, and fair food for all members of the community.
The original organization was founded in Italy in 1989 by Carlo Petrini to combat the rise of “fast food” and reconnect people with traditional and regional cuisine. In 2007, Slow Food finally came to UW by Genya Erling, who had a vision to bring local foods from Southern Wisconsin farmers to the UW campus.
To this day, groups of students spend time gathering, cooking and serving food to the local community. Social media and marketing have allowed the organization to mature into not only a club about food, but a community where people can draw connections from culture, politics and the environment to the food they consume.
Slow Food UW is based on a board of directors, members, interns and volunteers, all who are committed to their mission statement. Their goal, stated on their website, is “to promote and model an alternative food system where food is good, clean, and fair for all by supporting sustainable food production, creating an inviting community around food, and advancing food justice in the Madison area.”
What I love most about Slow Food is the community it brings together. Every Monday night for dinner, or Wednesday afternoon for lunch, I can depend on a healthy meal to enjoy with friends. Their meals are held at the Crossing at 1127 University Avenue in Madison. “Family Dinner Nights” are held Monday nights at 6:30 p.m with a new three course menu each week. The food is sourced the week before, prepped on Sunday, prepared on Monday and then served individually, with dessert served family-style. “Cafe” is held every Wednesday from 12-2 p.m, including a main entree, sides, and a delectable dessert. These weekly meals began back in 2009, starting only every other week in the beginning, and has grown into…...
My favorite part of sharing this Slow Food meal with the rest of the community is the various ways you can pay. As a financially aware college student myself, the Pay It Forward or Pay What You Can programs provide a free meal at Café and FDN with no further questions. If prices prevent someone from being a part of the Slow Food community, other people can make donations in order for Slow Food UW to provide a meal to anyone, free of charge. Everyone is encouraged to pay whatever they can afford for meals, in the hopes that other guests are able to cover the extra costs. This system is not only sustainable, but equitable for everyone who wants to enjoy a nutritious meal.
My first time at Slow Food, I nervously stood in line and waited to pay for my family dinner meal. I was a freshman, feeling swallowed by such a big university. I sat next to a group of girls who looked approachable, and they welcomed me instantly. Names, majors, hometowns and ages were shared. Slowly, I felt myself relax and join in on the conversation. Aromatic flavors flowed from the kitchen, making my mouth water. As the food was served, we laughed over how our stomachs were grumbling simply from the smell. Joyful chatter and steaming food were the only things that mattered. We dug into our bowls of vegetable curry and sides of homemade garlic naan in contented silence, only pausing stuffing our faces to agree with one another on how delicious the meal was.
I left that night with one of the biggest smiles on my face, knowing that I was hooked on the community. I continued to volunteer to prep and serve food, and even become an intern for the Slow Food social media. As I enter my senior year in the fall, I know Slow Food will always be a part of my college life. It let me ease into my adult life, and get to know people in a calm and friendly setting. I’ll never forget the community that welcomed me with open arms and delicious food.