Slow Food Denver builds community, strengthens relationships between local food producers and consumers, and educates people about how the food they eat gets to their tables And speaking of tables, we believe that’s where magic happens — when a group of people gather around the table to share ideas and the pleasures of food, new friendships form, creativity blossoms, and the world becomes a healthier, happier place.
Our Community Table program offers many ways to meet like-minded people and build a strong food community:
Slow Food Denver C.A.F.É. – cultivating Community, Art, Food and Education. The first project is the C.A.F.E. microgrant program supporting innovative and sustainable food initiatives in Metro Denver. Over a delicious and creative dinner, we present three different small projects to the community, and then the community votes on which receives the grant. In 2011, we awarded six $1000 microgrants to individuals, non profits, and small businesses.
Farm Tours — connecting people with local farmers, encouraging participation in the local food community, educating participants about the food system and production practices, and sharing a meal together. Every summer we visit local farms and ranches to learn about how they produce food. After the tour, we enjoy a farm lunch prepared by local chefs with products from the farm. We’ve visited everything from a 30,000-acre grassfed cattle ranch to a five-acre urban permaculture farm. It’s a fun way to spend a summer Saturday with the family.
Crop Mobs — connecting farmers with helping hands. We help Denver urban farmers connect with willing workers for a “barn-raising” style work day, usually to get something big accomplished. But sometimes it’s to just pull weeds. After a morning of hard work, volunteers and farmers share a lunch together.
Fruit Gleaning and Canning — preserving the harvest. The Denver Metro area boasts abundant fruit trees and vines located in yards, alleys, and public areas, yet much of this fruit is never harvested and is often left to rot. We gather fruit that would otherwise go to waste and then learn how to make jams, jellies, and preserves. Some of the bounty goes home with participants, and the rest is shared with a local non-profit. With many of Denver’s fruit trees and vines planted by original homeowners, this project is a fun way to tap into Denver history and today’s desire to eat local.
