As the days shorten and our garden beds are put to rest, we're reflecting on all that we've accomplished together with our Slow Food community in 2019. The last of the harvest has been picked at our urban farm and we're beginning to lay the groundwork for our 2020 programs. For us here at Slow Food NYC, November is a time for looking back on where we've been in preparation for a new year ahead.
We're so grateful to the many community members, teachers, gardeners, chefs, and volunteers who have helped us move toward the vision of a good, clean, and fair food system for all New Yorkers.
Here are some of our favorite 2019 highlights by the numbers:
120 students who visited Slow Food NYC's urban farm this summer
1,000 pounds of farm-fresh veggies harvested
13 schools that received a Slow Food NYC micro-grant for their garden programs
2,000 children reached through Urban Harvest programming in New York City
100 varieties of plants grown at Ujima
500 pounds of plant material & food waste composted at Ujima
4 restaurants added to our Snail of Approval network
1 Snailblazer awarded for their work improving the NYC food system — congrats again, Naama Tamir!
What a year it's been! We truly could not do this without the support and generosity of our Slow Food community here in NYC. For the past two decades our organization has grown and evolved to meet the needs and interests of our community members - and the same will be true for the next decade!
This Giving Season, we’re raising critical funds to help continue and expand our initiatives throughout New York City. We also have big plans to grow our Snail of Approval restaurant network and Producer Matrix platform in the next year. You can help us get there by making a charitable donation in support of our work.
Drop us a line at info@slowfoodnyc.org to connect directly with our board and learn more about ways to get involved in 2020. Here's to more joyful transformation for our food system in the year to come!
Words by Kelly McGlinchey, Slow Food NYC Board Co-Chair