Slow Food CNY

The Slow Food CNY chapter board wants your nominations for the Snail of Approval Award.  Next Sunday, March 14, 2010, the board will select the next award winner from YOUR nominations.  So think about your favorite local purveyor that brings us all good, clean, and fair food – and fill out the on-line nomination form, found here.

What’s the rush, you ask?  Well, the next Slow Food CNY Community Potluck will be Sunday, April 18, 2010 (save the date!).  We need plenty of time (we’re slow) to notify the winner, so they can join us at the community potluck to receive the award.   Slow Food CNY has awarded a Snail of Approval to the Syracuse Real Food Coop, Empire Brewing Company, and the Regional Market.  Help us keep up the momentum – send us your nominations before Sunday, March 14!

Here’s the agenda for our March meeting.  It’s a little less robust this time around because we want to spend a lot of time brainstorming and coming up with concrete goals for the year.

The meeting is this Sunday, March 7th at 10am.  Send an email to slowfoodcny@gmail.com for location information, we’d love to see you there!

SFCNY Board Meeting Agenda, 3/7/10

* Welcome/introduction of community attendees
* April Potluck Planning — Location, Slow Food intro (what to say/who will speak), assign roles for board members at event, discuss seed swap activity, Snail of Approval, other logistics
* SFCNY Annual Goals — brainstorming session

Our next board meeting will be Sunday, March 7th at 10am.  It is open to the public and we encourage anyone that would like to attend to join us!  Please email slowfoodcny@gmail.com if you’re interested, hope to see you there!

Meeting minutes from our February meeting are available here.

Two upcoming events make the thirteenth a lucky date for CNY growers in February and March.

This Saturday, February 13, 2010, Syracuse Grows and Canopy present Gardening in Syracuse, from 10am – 1pm at the Bob Cecile Center, 174 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse.  Three workshops will focus on managing physical conditions of soil, successful vegetable gardening, and soil toxicity.  Learn more about this free event here.

On Saturday, March 13, 2010, the 2010 Upstate NY Permaculture Gathering, hosted by Alchemical Nursery, will  be at the Gear Factory, 200 South Geddes Street, from 10am-5pm.  RSVP and flyer are now available here.

Both events help us build experience towards a sustainable, self-reliant CNY food supply and fit right in with Slow Food.  To get inspired, take a look at Josh Viertel’s essay in the Atlantic, “Why Big Ag Won’t Feed the World.”  Josh Viertel is president of Slow Food USA.

The trees are bare.  The ground is frozen.  Snow lays heavy on the ground.

What a better time than to flip through seed catalogs and dream of green?  Just remember the Power of the Pocketbook when ordering!  To help you navigate seed ordering, we here at Slow Food Central New York have a few socially and environmentally conscious suppliers for you to consider when ordering:

FedCo Seeds

FedCo is a cooperatively owned seed company (and the only one in the US, they claim!).  They are located in Maine and produce seeds no GMO seeds, and have many heirlooms.  They also select for cold hardy varieties – perfect for our CNY climate!

Seed Savers Exchange

Seed Saver is not-for-profit company dedicated to selling and promoting heirloom seeds.  Become a member and access hundreds of rare heirloom varieties.  Even without membership, you have access to many beautiful and unique seeds.

Collected Seed

We just learned about this place through our Slow Food network.  This Collected Seed is located within New York State – on a farm just south of Albany.  If you want to support a local farm – this place is for you!  Order their heirloom seeds early as they are a small operation and may sell out.

We’ve opened our board meetings to community members, here’s the agenda for the meeting coming up this Sunday, February 7th at 11am.  If you’re interested in attending, please email slowfoodcny@gmail.com for more info.

Agenda Items
1. Mark Spadafore to speak about Alliance for a Healthier New York
Community attendees introduce themselves/share ideas, connections, and suggestions for Slow Food CNY

2. Potluck recap – January 17, 2010 at Westcott CC
•    Location, time, length
•    Eugene’s Regional Farmers Market offer
•    Set the next potluck date?

3. Chapter financial report

4. Empire Brewing fundraiser

5. Meeting with Food Bank CNY

6. The Board
•    Guest members update

7. Website
•    Blogging – update on inviting volunteers

8. Collaboration efforts
•    Raymie update on farmers
•    Joining Alliance for a Healthier New York

9. Membership incentive update

10. Upcoming events/Program Idea: Brainstorm
•    Screening of Two Angry Moms – need to pick a date
•    Studio FX haircut-a-thon, maybe partner with Syracuse Grows and/or CSA-CNY.
•    Dawn speaking at Women Transcending Boundaries event.
•    More ideas?

11. Set next board meeting date

Slow Food CNY and Syracuse Grows will be speaking this Sunday at Women Transcending Boundaries’ monthly meeting, this Sunday, February 7.  All women in the community are welcome to attend.

“From Victory Gardens to Community Gardens.”

Speakers will share information  about a collaborative organic garden on the North Side created by and for refugees and other North Side residents; the Slow Food movement, founded to counteract fast food and fast life and honor local food traditions; and Syracuse Grows, an organization dedicated to just food distribution and urban gardening in Syracuse.     We are also going to have a fun time learning about Companion Planting.

The meeting is from 3-5 p.m. at Jowonio School, 3049 East Genesee Street, across from Nottingham High School, Syracuse. For more information and directions, visit www.wtb.org.

We wanted to pass this along from our friends at NOFA, looks like an exciting opportunity…

WORK FOR NOFA-NY!
POSITION RE-POSTED!!!   APPLICANTS FROM FIRST POSTING ENCOURAGED TO RE-APPLY

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) is the oldest and largest organization in New York devoted to organic and sustainable farming and gardening, and counts over 1100 farms among its 2200 members of farmers, gardeners, and eaters.

We are seeking an Education and Outreach Coordinator to work with the Executive Director and other staff to lead the organization’s farmer, gardener, consumer, and small business educational initiatives including the annual conference, field day series, and general education and outreach.

The position requires a self-starter who has a background in and/or experience in organic farming, event planning experience, and excellent organizational skills. The person must be passionate and knowledgeable about organic farming and gardening and have staff management experience. The Education and Outreach Coordinator is based in the new NOFA-NY office in Rochester, NY and reports to the Executive Director.

Specific Responsibilities
·              In coordination with the Executive Director and policy committee, sets annual education and outreach goals, develops strategies, and coordinates initiatives to meet these objectives.
·              Coordinates all details for the annual NOFA-NY winter conference for 1,000+ attendees.  Organizes over 80 workshops covering 10 interest tracks, coordinates the trade show, manages conference program ad listings, coordinates the silent auction, creates conference ads and manages the publicity, coordinates volunteers, etc.  Manages the conference budget and conference staff.
·              Coordinates all details for the NOFA-NY field day series across NYS.  Organizes over 25 diverse field days in all regions of NYS, and is responsible for expanding the series to be year-round.  Coordinates volunteers to help staff field days and manages event publicity.
·              Provides some technical assistance to farmers and gardeners through phone and email.
·              Manages general organizational education outreach to public.  Helps coordinate volunteers to support outreach efforts.
·              Works with Assistant Director to create education and outreach materials for the speakers bureau.
·              Notifies membership of educational events via the newsletter, e-news, listserves, and website.
·              Occasional public speaking.
·              In coordination with the Executive Director, hires and trains education and outreach staff and ensures that individual performance goals are met.
·              Assists in writing grants to support education and outreach work.

Compensation
Competitive salary, dependent on experience. We offer a full benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid medical insurance, 50% employer-paid dental insurance, and a 403(b) retirement plan.

Qualifications
·              Education: Bachelor’s degree required.  Master’s degree preferred.
·              Knowledge: Extensive knowledge of organic and sustainable agriculture and the educational needs of farmers and gardeners.  Experience: Organic farming, event planning, and working with volunteers.
·              Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal, supervisory, planning, and training skills; excellent organizational skills; strong computer skills required; familiarity with database programs helpful, graphic design interest helpful, Spanish language skills helpful.
·              Capabilities: High energy and enthusiasm. Ability to work well with a wide range of people, work well under pressure, handle multiple tasks at once, and adapt to changing situations on a daily basis.
·              Conditions: Strong interest in and commitment to promoting the goals of NOFA-NY.  Some statewide travel required.  Must have a car.

How to Apply
Position open until filled. Please send cover letter, resume, three references, and a short writing sample to director@nofany.org by February 20, 2010.

NOFA-NY is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Date: Wednesday, January 27th
Time: 6:00-8:30pm
Email: info@baltimorewoods.org

The Woods presents the documentary “Fresh”, a film that explores creative ways thinkers and business people are overcoming challenges to eating locally. Before the movie enjoy a dinner of local foods and discussion with and local farmers. Accommodates 18-60; registration required before Jan 23. Members $10, family $30; nonmembers $15, family $45.

Click here for directions to Baltimore Woods.

Winner of the Best of Fest prize at the Syracuse International Film Festival, “Skritek” will screen on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (2384 James Street, Eastwood). The showing of this popular tragicomedy is a joint effort of The Syracuse International Film Festival and SyracuseFirst to benefit the Food Bank of Central New York. Tickets, which are available at the door, are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. If you bring a canned good to donate, you will receive a $1 coupon for future Palace Theater tickets.

SU News Services says of the film, “Filmed in the Czech Republic, ‘Skritek’ tells the story of a butcher and his family, and their hilarious, everyday adventures. The adult comedy follows the butcher, his wife, his teenage vegetarian son, his young daughter and the Skritek—a leprechaun-like figure in Czech myths. Like an old silent film, the story unfolds entirely without words. Its simplicity, playfulness and pictorial storytelling make the film understandable anywhere in the world, even without subtitles.” For more information, visit Inside SU and IMDB.