Slow Food CNY

My name is Meredith Perreault. I work for a local environmental organization, but outside of work hours, I live to eat.  I come from a long line of good cooks (and good eaters). I learned early that one of the most important foundations to a meaningful life is through food: chosen with the earth in mind, cooked with love, and shared with friends and family. As a Slow Food CNY board member, I can work towards good, clean, fair food as an attainable reality for our community.

My name is Melissa Young. My love of food and people primarily has to do with the amazing cook and humanitarian in my life- my mom. Working with the SUNY Binghamton Food Co-op comes in second place. Currently, I am part of Slow Food CNY, running NYFoodTrader.org, shopping at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, meeting local farmers in CNY, and try as much as I can to volunteer on farms- all of which are continuing to shape my interest in food production and cooking. My favorite Syracuse band is Animal Pants.

My name is Emily Alexander and I’m originally from Long Island, where I grew up watching my mother and grandmother cook everyday. Using whole foods and avoiding overly processed ones was a priority in my family. After graduating from SUNY ESF, my travels and employments with the YMCA and ADK awakened a desire to educate others about the natural world and connect people with their surroundings and landscape. After returning to Syracuse and working two years at the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, I realized that food is both common and at the same time unique to everyone! In September 2010 I took the NOFA Locavore Challenge, eating locally sourced food down to the ingredient for the whole month. I hope my time on the Slow Foods CNY board will allow me to educate about local, sustainable and regional foods and food systems, as well as wild edibles of the Syracuse area!

My name is Abigail Henson and I was born and raised right here in Central New York.   It wasn’t until I left and came back however, that I could truly appreciate the increasingly rich culture of our local food scene and the abundance of bounty (and wild edibles!) that surround us.  Since graduating from the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan I have worked as a chef at two different Farm-to-Table establishments, harvesting at dawn, serving dinner by dusk.  Although I’m generally disgruntled by our colder months, I’ve learned to balance my disdain by increasing my appreciation for slow roasted root veggies, and have found creative ways to enjoy the hardy Cucurbita (squash and pumpkin family)  while enduring the longer winter season. I am delighted to be on the Slow Foods CNY Board and look forward to interacting with our community through upcoming culinary outreach initiatives.