09/07/2015 - Slow Food's Ark of Taste and School Garden Programs

Peter Ruddock

Ark of Taste Chairman, Slow Food California

Peter Ruddock is the chairman of the Ark of Taste committee of Slow Food California.  He is a sustainable food advocate and small business consultant, who is working toward creating a more sustainable world, by changing the way we interact with our environment and with each other. He concentrates on food systems change, because given that everyone eats everyone should be able to relate to a healthier, more sustainable food system. He believes that there are four areas where he can best work on fostering this change: educating people about sustainability; creating a resilient local economy; creating vibrant local communities; and changing policies to foster such changes. He is active in a number of grass-roots non-profits to help accomplish these goals: Slow Food, Slow Money, Transition Palo Alto, and the San Mateo County Food System Alliance and the California Food Policy Council.

 

 

Andrew Nowak

Director of Slow Food’s National School Garden Program

Andrew Nowak was the Project Director for Slow Food Denver’s “Seed to Table” (STT) school food program from 2001-2012, growing the program from four school gardens to more than 60 school sites. Andrew helped to develop a “Youth Farmers’ Market” (YFM) program that appeared in 32 school sites last year and received funding from the CO Department of Agriculture to implement the this model in food deserts in Denver. In addition, Andrew developed the food safety protocols and procedures for the “Garden to Cafeteria” program that allows students to grow produce for the school lunch program and is a model for similar programs around the country. For the past five years, Andrew has been the community partner for Denver Public School’s School Food Learning Lab (School Food FOCUS), helping the District source local foods for the cafeteria, to train the school kitchen staff how to scratch cook and to implement salad bars throughout the district’s cafeterias. In 2010, the governor appointed Andrew to the “Colorado Farm-to-School Task Force”.  On the National level, Andrew is a “Hall of Fame Chef” with Share Our Strength’s “Cooking Matters” program and was one of six chefs invited to the White House in 2010 to help develop the “Chefs Move to Schools Program.” He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Iowa and has been a culinary professional for over 30 years.

 

 

Lauren Howe

Slow Food National School Garden Program Manager

Lauren, a native of Western Massachusetts, joined the SFUSA team in August 2014.  She is a 2013 graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, NY where she majored in Environmental Studies and co-founded her college's chapter of Slow Food.  Lauren also served as a U.S. delegate to the International Slow Food Conference and International Congress Terra Madre in 2012 and will represent the Northeast Region for a second time at the 2014 world gathering.  In addition to SF, she also spearheaded Hamilton's Real Food Challenge initiative, the nationwide campaign/network of student activists working to shift 1 billion dollars in university food purchasing from industrial to “real.”  As a 2013-2014 Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Lauren pursued her independent research project "A Sustainable Future for Food and Farming: Modern Technology and Traditional Wisdom" in Tanzania, India, Bhutan, Bolivia, the Netherlands, and Iceland.  A yoga and new recipe enthusiast, Lauren is thrilled to move to Denver where she looks forward to taking advantage of all the Rocky Mountains have to offer.

 

The Slow Food Ark of Taste

The Ark of Taste is a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction. By identifying and championing certain foods we keep them in production and on our plates.

Since 1996, more than 1,100 products from over 50 countries have been added to the International Ark of Taste. Over 200 of these foods are from the USA, which is always seeking more edible treasures to include.

The Ark of Taste is a tool for farmers, ranchers, fishers, chefs, grocers, educators and consumers to seek out and celebrate our country's diverse biological, cultural and culinary heritage.

 

Slow Food USA National School Garden Program Description

 

Slow Food USA's National School Garden Program (NSGP) aims to reconnect youth with their food by teaching them how to grow, cook and enjoy real food. Through increased confidence, knowledge gain and skill building, we want to empower children to become active participants in their food choices. By becoming informed eaters, today’s children will help make a positive impact on the larger world of food and farming well into the future.

The goal of the NSGP is to support local Slow Food chapters and volunteers to become more effective in sustaining school garden programs in their community. We hope chapters will serve as a local school garden hub of important resources and volunteer assistance, as well as a connector that facilitates partnerships on the ground. And with generous support from Chipotle Mexican Grill, the expansion of Slow Food USA’s National School Garden Program brings an abundance of resources to Slow Food chapters and schools across the country.

 

 

 

 

 

08/17/2015 - Mission Cittaslow and A Life in Voice

Slow Living Radio continues in our pursuit to improve quality of life and celebrate those who make that their mission.  Our two guests this evening are dedicated to that goal, in very different ways.  Paul Payten, one of Australia's founders of Cittaslow Australasia, wants more communities in Australia to provide a healthier living environment for all who live there, and Dan Goodman just wants to make people laugh more.

Paul Payten

Cittaslow Australasia

 

Cittaslow is a movement founded in Italy and inspired by the Slow Food organization. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life and traffic through them.^[1] Cittaslow is part of a cultural trend known as the Slow movement.

There are 50 goals and principles that each Cittaslow town commits to work to achieve. They serve as benchmarks to improve the quality of life in each city.

The main aims of the movement are^:

• improving the quality of life in the cities
• making life better for everyone living in an urban environment
• resisting the homogenization and globalization of towns around the globe
• protecting the environment
• promoting cultural diversity and uniqueness of individual cities
• provide inspiration for a healthier lifestyle

On 4 June 2011, Cittaslow Australasia was established in Yea, Victoria. With the successful accreditation of Yea, which joined Goolwa in South Australia and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains NSW, a meeting was held to establish the Australasian Cittaslow Network. It is a requirement for a country or region to have three accredited towns before a national network can be established. Following the experience of the Scandinavian Cittaslow Network, it was agreed to call the organisation Cittaslow Australasia to ease the entry of single towns from New Zealand into this family of towns that strive to improve the quality of life for all who live, work or visit their precinct.

 Dan Goodman

Local author Dan Goodman tours America with his one man show. This fun filled farce explores the Vaudevillian romps of the past, combined with the angst of the modern man. He is known for his books such as "I'll Take the Spiked Mustard" and "Meditations for a Miserable Christmas."

 

From buffoon, to actor, to hambone Hamlet, to logistician, to gold medalist freestyle swimmer, real estate broker, raconteur, insurance agent, tournament caliber table tennis player, character model, award winning principal performer in TV and radio commercials, production control, the culinary arena, the sewn products industry, polyethylene products, assignment in the Arctic, desert duty, to horseplayer, Daniel S. Goodman has traveled in a curious sphere of diversity.

Daniel S Goodman is known for his off the cuff,tongue in cheek, dark comedy writing. His books have been filled with meditations comparable to the Stuart Smalley meditations book - I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggonnit, People Like Me - these humorous reflections are sure to put a smile on even the most miserable person's face.

 

08/03/2015 - The Art of Entertaining

Slow Living Radio brings you the story of two guests who began their lives in entertainment: one in the theatre and television, and one as a musician and composer.  Both took a career change as the industries evolved.  Their stories are fabulous, and each has, not only gained great success in their new careers, but intertwined their background throughout.  Our guests will also give us their opinion on what technology, millennials and gen ex, and "fast" living is doing to their trades.

Michael Madden

Insight Editions

Michael Madden approaches Music like he approaches his next wave: creating opportunities out of challenges and enjoying the ride.

Michael is a singer song writer that started composing music at 14 years old. By the time he graduated high school he had already written over 50 compositions including the scores for several theatrical productions, a theme song for a television show, and his class song.  

After graduating from a Mid Pacific Institute School of the Arts, Michael left his home town of Lanikai, Hawaii,  moved to Los Angeles and began working in recording studios with the likes of Brian Adams, Sting, and The Lemon Heads. In 1995 Michael left the music business to begin his career in publishing.  Michael launched Insight Editions, an art book publishing imprint with a strong music focus, and has now worked with Insight Editions for the past fifteen years. Michael has developed successful publishing campaigns for entertainment giants such as Sony Pictures, Fox, Lucas Films, Quincy Jones, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen and many more. Michaels musical influences included Sting, Billy Joel, and Elton John to name a few.

Michael lives in Yountville California where he was instrumental in getting The Napa Valley Performing Arts center at Lincoln Theater reopened and held the position of Executive Director there from 2011 through 2014.

 

Jeff Prather

Certified Master of the Obvious

 With decades of experience in the food and wine business, Jeff Prather shares his wealth of knowledge through engaging, and often amusing, wine content for the website and wine shop. Having been an actor in his earlier years, Jeff is a natural as one of our entertaining tasting class instructors.

 After opening the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley in 1995 as the Restaurant Director and Cellar Master, Jeff served as Director of Wine Education at Shafer Vineyards, Flora Springs Winery, as well as the historic Beaulieu Vineyard. After serving as Senior Wine Merchant for the original Wine.com with Peter Granoff and Bo Thompson, Jeff was the managing Director of Azalea Springs Winery.

 Jeff became known for his decade of work as Wine Director for Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle which merited him several awards, including four James Beard Award nominations, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine’s Best American Wine List, Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, and Restaurant Wine Magazine’s Wine Marketer of the Year nominee.

 Jeff judges at wine competitions and is a frequent speaker and guest sommelier at national wine events. As a writer, he has been published in several magazines, was a correspondent for the Microsoft Online Network (MSN), a contributor to Oz Clark’s Microsoft Wine Guide CD-ROM and is co-author of the book “Northwest Wines.”

07/20/2015 - Two in the Kitchen

Slow Living Radio welcomes husband and wife team, Christie Dufault and Jordan Mackay, who have a shared passion for wine, food, spirits and travel.  Both are multi-awarded, Christie as a Sommelier turned lecturer and Jordan as a writer and author. Together they co-authored a book, Two in the Kitchen and Jordan’s latest book, Franklin Barbecue, is a tome for all things “smoke”. A must have for anyone with a passion for the Texas-style barbecue!
 

Christie Dufault
Wine and Beverage Instuctor,

CIA Greystone

Christie Dufault is a San Francisco based sommelier and wine educator.  She is member of the faculty at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in the Napa Valley, where she has been an instructor for twelve years. Previously, Christie worked as the wine director for some of the Nation’s finest restaurants including Gary Danko in San Francisco, where she was featured on the Food Network and earned the Grand Award from the Wine Spectator.  As the head sommelier at Quince, Christie was awarded “Best Wine Director 2007” by San Francisco Magazine.  In 2009, Christie helped open RN74 in San Francisco, a Michael Mina restaurant.  She is a guest lecturer at the San Francisco Wine School and a regular contributor to the publication Somm Journal.  In 2012 Christie co-authored a cookbook, Two in the Kitchen, with her husband, the writer Jordan Mackay. 

Jordan Mackay

Author and Journalist

Jordan Mackay is a James-Beard-award winning writer on wine, spirits and food. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Texas Monthly, Decanter, The Art of Eating, Wine and Spirits, Food& Wine, Gourmet and many other publications. His first book, Passion for Pinot, was published in 2009. His second, Secrets of the Sommeliers, co-authored with 2-time James Beard Award-winner Rajat Parr, won a James Beard award in 2011. Two in the Kitchen, written with his wife Christie Dufault, was published in 2012. His latest book, Franklin Barbecue co-written with James Beard Best Chef Southwest Award-winner Aaron Franklin, was just released in April, 2015 and spent its first 5 weeks in print on the New York Times Best Sellers List. Jordan lives in San Francisco and travels extensively, writing and speaking about wine, spirits and food.