Slow Food South Willamette is a chapter of Slow Food USA, a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in Italy in 1989 to counteract the culture of fast food. Slow Food brings together the pleasure of taste, the rich history of tradition, the diversity of culture, and the concern for food production to form a movement that encompasses the globe.
What is Slow Food? We’re part of a global movement that believes food should be good, clean, and fair for everyone. We connect people with local farmers, celebrate food traditions, reduce food waste, and ensure our community has access to nourishing food.
Join us to meet fellow food lovers, share meals together, learn about Slow Food, connect with local food makers and growers, and help shape what our chapter could become.
Whether you’re a home cook, farmer, chef, food justice advocate, or simply someone who cares about where your food comes from, you’re welcome here.
Let’s build a food system that’s good for our community, good for our planet, and celebrates the pleasure of eating together.
Our Mission:
Slow Food South Willamette is a chapter of Slow Food USA, a member-supported nonprofit founded in Italy in 1986 in response to the rise of fast food and industrial agriculture. Our chapter works to strengthen the local food community in the South Willamette Valley through education, events, and support for the farmers, producers, and makers behind our region’s food and drink.
Founding Chapter Leaders
Treasurer: Nicole Peltz
Secretary: Katie Neall
Chair: Vanessa Salvia
Co-Chair: Rocky Maselli
Slow Food International was founded in 1986 when a global fast food chain opened up across from the Spanish Steps in Rome. An Italian man, Carlo Petrini, and other co-founders decided that if fast food was to be celebrated, that they would celebrate “slow food.” The group prepared a big bowl of pasta and shared it with the crowd, chanting, “We don’t want fast food. We want Slow Food!” Their action grew into an international movement which is now established in more than 160 countries. Slow Food USA was founded in 2000 and has grown to more than 70 chapters nationwide. Learn more about the history and mission of Slow Food International and Slow Food USA.