Inspiration can be so random sometimes.

Case in point: I had mentioned yesterday the idea of Slow Food UW starting their own food cart. I had read a post on Facebook from the Vendy Awards that had a link to this story about food truck lobbying in Philadelphia and it mentions this guy, Andrew Gerson, who's spearheading this movement. What struck me about the guy wasn't his activism, but where he went to school and the title of his master's thesis.He went to the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Turin, Italy. Not a gastronomic sciences department at some university, an entire fucking university!!!! God, I love the Italians! And the title of his thesis? "Food Trucks Can be Utilized to Promote Sustainable Agriculture in Urban Environments." I so wish I could find this thesis and read it! Maybe I should write this guy. Anyway, the title makes so much sense to me. What better way is there, (besides farmer's markets) to promote local, sustainable foodstuffs at the ground level than a food cart? I haven't had a chance to talk much with the Slow Food UW kids yet. Perhaps I should pass this idea on to them when I do.

I do wonder, though, is this an idea worth trying? Besides the obvious learning curve, start up costs, licensing, etc., what could keep this from working?

My budding food activism

As a student, my time is partitioned out in multiple directions,

sometimes simultaneously. Getting a job means even less free time.

 Despite not having enough hours in the day, I want to connect with the food scene here in Madison in some meaningful way. I see it as a part of my continuing education in all things food. Starting a food-oriented Facebook group was just the start. I'm looking at two other groups to get involved with this year: Slow Food UW and F.H. King Student Farm.

Both of these groups are student organizations within the UW. Slow Food UW is a student run extension of the Slow Food movement with an emphasis on educating fellow students, creating a relationship between local farms and the university, and redirecting university food service resources towards more local and sustainable food purchasing practices. F.H.King Student Farm is pretty self-explanatory: they have a two acre plot on campus and a greenhouse they use to grow crops.

Both organizations have internships that I could apply for. F.H. King would be during the growing season only. Slow Food UW is year around and has several different internships to choose from. I'm not sure what direction I want to take just yet, but I do have a rather grandiose idea for the Slow Food folks...they should open up a food cart!

Tomorrow's post will explain why this idea came to me, after reading about someone's Master's thesis. Stay tuned!