Slow Food Seacoast came about not because of any one individual, but because the time was ripe.
Alison Magill had been talking to friends for years about starting a Slow Food group on the Seacoast. Her background as a member of a cooperative grocery had already cemented her committment to fresh, local, sustainably produced food, and she knew there were others like herself. She had talked about the idea with many people who shared her interests, like teacher and gardener Peter Bixby, and soils scientist and fellow UNH faculty member, Serita Frey. Finally, she gathered a few friends who were serious about getting started, and placed a call to Slow Food USA to learn how to create a new convivium, or local Slow Food chapter.
Meanwhile, a few miles away in downtown Portsmouth, another small group had been talking about Slow Food for more than a year. John Forti and Michelle Moon, both staffers at the history museum Strawbery Banke, had been spending a lot of time bringing old ideas to the public — old ideas like saving seeds to grow flavorful heirloom vegetables in backyard gardens, preserving historic foodways and traditions, and eating from seasonally available, locally grown foods. People were more and more interested in using this knowledge of the past to bring a better quality of life into the present day. At the urging of Slow Food Monadnock member Martha Pinello, Michelle and John placed a call to Slow Food USA, too.
Those two phone calls just happened to fall within the same week. Clearly, there was momentum behind the idea. Slow Food USA quickly put the two small groups in touch, and a bigger group was born.
This founding group had begun to put its application together already when UNH announced that it would host a visit from Slow Food’s originator and international leader, Carlo Petrini, who would receive an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters and deliver a public talk . The upcoming visit gave the new group a very strong incentive to get the new convivium up and running as swiftly as possible, hoping to host this admired guest as well as to connect with others interested in his ideas. An application for affiliation with Slow Food USA was filed in early May and swiftly approved.
The convivium organized a spring luncheon at Strawbery Banke for Carlo, collaborating with several other Slow Food convivia in the New England region. But perhaps the most valuable outcome of his visit was the enormously inspiring and well-attended public talk he gave at UNH on May 18. Several hundred people were there, and many stopped by the Slow Food Seacoast table in the lecture hall to give their contact information and indicate their support and willingness to become involved. The talk was truly inspiring and generated even more excitement. In a warm and funny manner, Carlo emphasized that the Slow Food movement is not a food and wine society for the elite, but a campaign for global health, environmental stewardship, food justice, stronger communities, and a more meaningful daily life. The connections listeners made with one another at the talk were the beginnings of the network now known as Slow Food Seacoast.
We hosted an informational meeting and first convivium meeting in June, 2006. The amazing talent, energy, skill, and knowledge, already in the group were a strong indication of good things to come. Around the table that day were farmers and orchardists, gardeners, researchers, historians, writers, herbalists, activists, educators, social justice workers, chefs and food lovers. We shared ideas and talked about what drew us to Slow Food, explored the information from Slow Food USA describing convivium structure and organization, and made the decision to go forward with monthly meetings and to develop projects to meet local needs.
Thanks to the volunteer efforts of its passionate members and supporters, Slow Food Seacoast has already established a strong presence. We have appeared at community festivals and events, spoken out on the community radio station, and talked with local media. Our mailing list now numbers over 160 active and involved people of all ages and a wide range of backgrounds who care about the quality of our food and our lives. During our first full year, 2007, we hope to remain as active as we have been to date, and be a powerful voice for local, sustainable, accessible food, and a healthy and happy way of life for everyone on the Seacoast.
