Slow Food, Vermont, Leaders and Tea

Where to begin? I am brimming with joy and happiness at the future potential of Vermont on the food map. This state is filled with food warriors that are vehemently moving forward in their particular way. I wish there was a venue to celebrate ALL of them. This is my goal with Slow Food. Today I met with Susan Buchanan, co-leader of Slow Food Vermont, and am happy to report that we are entirely on the same page with where Slow Food Vermont needs to move in the future! She has wonderful visions of having fundraising events so that we can subsidize different grades of membership (ie a farmer class of membership, perhaps a chef class as well...), of hosting tasting events and dinners that don't cost $50 a person - I couldn't agree more. The point of food is that it is a commons that should be accessible to everyone, and further, the idea that is central to Carlo Petrini's original imagining of Slow Food - the convivial sharing of meals, tastes and culture of food - we should all be experiencing this. So, I feel very privileged to live in a state of leaders that are all so motivated to push forward their agendas, whatever they may be - in a time where people have a tendency to be apathetic, I feel that at least in the world of food there are folks that are very passionate, whether they be eaters, farmers or chefs. Susan and I met at Dobra Tea here in Burlington - a place I like to frequent for lots of reasons; there is never pressure to hurry up, free wi-fi, great tea and snack selection, inspirational music, terrifically inclusive menu, you get to beckon servers with bells and above all, they are dedicated food warriors! All of the devoteas here at Dobra are encouraged to travel around the world seeking out the world's best teas in order to support families, fair trade, and conviviality. They even support this little farm in the summer months by purchasing veggies from us for their babaganouj platter, and other veggie plates. Check out their website by clicking on their logo above. Better yet, treat yourself to a great pot of tea, my personal favorite right now is the Iron Goddess of Mercy - nice for cool November afternoons. Keep an eye out for some accessible and inspirational food events in your near future - I'll definitely keep you posted!