Slow Food CNY

Let’s see how long I keep to the pithy pseudo-agricultural post titles.

So to start a chapter (convivium) of Slow Food USA here in Syracuse, I need to get people to sign up to become Slow Food USA members. This costs money. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really enjoy asking people for money. But many things require money to happen. Money is also a commitment (ie, “put your money where your mouth is”). So let’s talk about the costs of Slow Food membership, what that money gets you, and where it goes.

Membership Costs
This information is taken directly from the Slow Food Memberships page.

• Individual membership: $60 / year
• Couple membership: $75 / year
• Student membership: $30 / year

So, for an individual, it’s equivalent to paying $5 a month. Not bad in greater scope of things. Also, I’ve gotten asked “what makes someone a couple?” Well, that is up to Slow Foods USA. But please don’t short-change the organization. As you’ll see below, they do some pretty awesome stuff.

Membership Benefits
Here are a list of the membership benefits, which were again taken from another Slow Foods USA page…

• A one-year subscription to the Snail journal, which covers good, clean and fair food issues such as: sustainable seafood, food systems education, alternative food distribution, protecting biodiversity and regional food traditions.
• The Slow Food Almanac from Slow Food International that features in-depth stories of the movement from around the world.
• The Food Chain, our monthly e-newsletter that highlights the activities of our 200+ convivia, our diverse programs and the latest headlines in food sustainability.
• A personal membership card and a copy of the Slow Food Companion (for first-time members, mailed quarterly), which details Slow Food’s mission, network and projects.
• Membership in your local Chapter and invitations to local, national and international Slow Food events ranging from seasonal feasts to film festivals, farm tours to taste workshops.
• Discounts on merchandise including the Slow Food Guides to New York City, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as other items in our General Store. Call for member discount or order through the monthly Food Chain.

Phew! Glad I just had to copy and paste all that. As you can see, you get a lot of perks for being a member. And a card. You also get a card in the mail.

Where the Money Goes
Again, I will pull from one of the Slow Food USA pages. I get the feeling I’ll be doing that a lot. The chart below breaks out all the money. I’ll explain some pieces as best I can. However, if you want more detailed information, I encourage you to contact Slow Food USA directly. I’m really just working off what little I know.

First: Slow Food International Allocation. This portion of your money assists with opening up chapters of Slow Food across the globe. And as much as we don’t like to think about it, we in America take up much more than our fair share of international resources. I personally see no problem with having about $20 of my dues go toward encouraging local, sustainable agriculture throughout the world.

Next biggest chunk: Leadership Training & Convivium Development. Well… that’s money going toward helping Syracuse get off the ground. Every new convivium gets a disbursement of $100 its first year to assist with start up costs. I expect it also covers the operating expenses associated with assisting new convivia get off the ground.

Your money also goes toward making the publications happen, supporting Slow Food USA’s programs (which I can get into in another posting if people want) and annual convivia disbursements (the first year we’ll get $100 – every year thereafter we get an amount based on the number of people in our convivia). Oh, and let’s not forget overhead expenses for the organization as a whole.