Food Fact Friday: Slow Food

The new term, "Slow Food", is becoming more and more popular. There was even an event in San Francisco called Slow Food Nation recently. I know it is mostly about eating locally grown food, but I wanted to find out more...

The Slow Food movement was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 to combat fast food. It claims to preserve the cultural cuisine and the associated plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming within a local region.

The Slow Food movement incorporates a series of objectives within its mission, including:
- forming and sustaining seed banks to preserve heirloom varieties in cooperation with local food systems
- developing an "ark of taste" for each ecoregion, where local culinary traditions and foods are celebrated
- preserving and promoting local and traditional food products, along with their lore and preparation
- educating consumers about the risks of fast food
- educating citizens about the drawbacks of commercial agribusiness and factory farms
- teaching gardening skills to students and prisoners
- encouraging ethical buying in local marketplaces

I try to eat local when I can, but I feel this is pretty difficult in South Florida. I even went to a farmers market and everything was imported. Anyone have any good tips?