Happy Holidays!
|  We wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season. The staff here at Slow Food USA looks
forward to working with you in the new year to create a food
system in which everyone can enjoy food that is good for them, good for
those who grow it and good for the planet.
| Your Letters Make a Difference in
Getting Real Food into Schools
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Momentum continues to grow
for improving school food: USA Today recently reported that fast food chains have stricter food safety standards than the National
School Lunch Program, and the USDA recently hosted an event to offer lawmakers a sampling of
school lunches. In announcing the event, USDA Secretary Vilsack bluntly
explained what it’s going to take to improve school food: “It’s
going to take more resources.”
| Tell the DoJ Your Opinions by Dec. 31
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Maybe you've noticed prices rising at the supermarket even while most big food companies made record profits this year, or perhaps you're a farmer who has trouble getting your meat to market because there are no small-scale processing facilities in your region. You may be concerned about food safety and the spread of bacteria like E. coli, which happens much faster when meat and vegetables are process in big centralized locations. Perhaps you have watched a local farm go out of business because it couldn't compete with the prices set by industrial farms and consolidated buyers. You're probably aware of people who have trouble finding good food at affordable prices, as well as farmers having trouble getting good food into mainstream markets.
The DoJ is seeking stories about how corporate control of the food system affects average citizens. If you're concerned that just a few big businesses have so much power over where your food comes from and how it's produced, tell your government. Your comments will help to inform a series of DoJ workshops on these issues in 2010.
E-mail your comments to agricultur...@usdoj.gov by December 31. Or, you can submit two paper copies of your comments to Legal Policy Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 5th Street, NW, Suite 11700, Washington, DC 20001. All comments received will be publicly posted - if you'd like your comment to be anonymous, please note that in your e-mail.
| Slow Food on Campus Raises Awareness for Fair Food
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 For the past few months, Slow Food on Campus chapters have been focused on raising awareness for good, clean and fair food. In November, campus chapters partnered with the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) to host fair trade Thanksgiving potlucks to share and
enjoy food that was produced justly, as well as help educate their
communities on the importance of fair food. They organized excursions
to local farms that use fair farm labor and discussed how food produced
under these conditions often results in a higher quality product. Learn more about what these chapters have accomplished over the last few months by visiting the Slow Food on Campus web site. | |
Hoop Houses Extend White House Growing Season | |
 A great idea for anyone trying to extend their garden's growing season, but the concept of hoop houses definitely gets more visibility when one of the most popular gardens in the country takes the advice (ha, ha) of one of Slow Food USA's bloggers. However, if you're interested in how the White House planted its winter garden using hoop houses -- and want to learn more about some of the efforts of USDA's "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" program, watch the video of Sam Kass, Kathleen Merrigan and others talking about hoop houses as a way to extend your growing season. A trial program is being implemented to get farmers interested in using hoop houses across 38 states.
| Read the December Slow Food & Terra Madre
e-newsletter from Slow Food International
|
 Food is a common language and universal right. Slow Food USA envisions a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet. In essence, food that is good, clean and fair. For more information, visit www.slowfoodusa.org.
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December 2009
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Welcome!
If you just joined Slow Food
USA or are a long-term supporter to our efforts, FOOD CHAIN is our
monthly e-newsletter detailing news and information about our programs,
initiatives and campaigns. If you would like to learn more or are
interested in advertising, please contact us at food...@slowfoodusa.org. For more information, go to our web site at www.slowfoodusa.org.
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Upcoming Events
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|  | Just for Farmers
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Help Line Available for Small Meat and Poultry Processors
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) launched a new
help desk for operators of small meat, poultry and egg processing
plants. The toll-free line will be staffed by specialists who can
answer producers' questions about agency requirements. The new service
will support USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food'
initiative by helping small processors save time & money.
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Don't forget to post your chapter events on the Slow Food USA web site.
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To update/change your account click here
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