Can’t believe I didn’t see this announcement sooner…my head has been buried in my work lately, I guess.  Please stop laughing.
Schenectady County Community College will join a network of organizations worldwide hosting events as part of Terra Madre Day to share information about the Slow Food movement’s philosophy: good, clean and fair food. SCCC will host A Gathering of Local Food Communities on Monday, Dec. 13, 2010, from 1:00pm to 9:00pm on the SCCC campus.

During this event, the first of its kind on the SCCC campus, local farmers, chefs, students, culinary instructors, representatives from area farmers markets, and food activists will come together to share their successes, issues and stories surrounding food. The day will include a panel discussion, mini trade show, tasting of local products and cooking demonstrations, concluding with a screening of a film yet to be determined.

The highlight of the event at SCCC will be a presentation by Chef Rocco Verrigni, Professor in the Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Department, which will kick off the event at 1 p.m. Chef Verrigni attended the international Terra Madre Conference in late-October 2010 in Turin, Italy, along with over 6,000 other educators, chefs, youth and musicians representing 161 countries. His trip was the impetus for the SCCC event.  Chef Verrigni said:
“Terra Madre was like the United Nations and the Olympics rolled into one. Despite speaking many different languages, the participants were united in a desire to promote sustainable local food production in harmony with the environment while respecting knowledge handed down over the generations.  I wanted to share that sentiment and what I learned at the international conference with students, my colleagues and the community through an event at the College.”
SCCC Culinary Arts students will play a major role in A Gathering of Local Food Communities, helping to organize the event through the Slow Food SCCC Club, in collaboration with Slow Food Saratoga Region. Chef Verrigni is Advisor to the college’s Club and Co-Founder and Vice-President of Slow Food Saratoga Region. He is invigorated by the energy and commitment that his students have shown toward the Slow Food philosophy.
“It’s obvious that the youth food movement is alive and well globally and our students exemplify this momentum. Out of all of the workshops I attended at the international conference, the most enthusiasm was generated from the youth workshops.”
The public is invited to attend this free event.

Terra Madre Day Schedule
December 13 (1pm-9pm) at Schenectady County Community College

1pm –  2pm: Presentation on Terra Madre 2010 (Room TBA)
  • Presenter: Rocco Verrigni
2pm-3pm: Panel Discussion (Room TBA)
  • Farm to Table Movement
  • Preserving Farms and Farmers (Room TBA)
3pm-4pm – Student Presentations, Culinary Seminar Room
  • Chef and Child School Curriculum – Caitlin Sive
  • Skidmore School Garden – Gabriella Stern
4pm-7pm:Food Preparation, Lab B
  • Garde Manger Lab
  • Cooking Demos and Local Products/Food Tasting
3pm-8pm: Trade Show, Casola Dining Room & Culinary Hallway
  • Local Vendors, Farms, College Student Clubs
7pm-8pm: Film Screening (Room and Film TBA)

Hopefully more information will be available soon, and I can replace those TBA’s with actual content!