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By Silvia Bernardini During the San Miguel Gourmet Fair, many people joined our local Slow Food Convivio. For those who don’t live in or near San Miguel but want to be part of this dynamic, important movement, I suggest forming your own local convivio. It’s a lot easier than it sounds. Initially, you need five “charter” members to petition the general headquarters of Slow Food in Italy, and they’ll send you the application documents. In larger cities, it’s possible—and perhaps even preferable—to have more than one group. Convivio activities can be very creative and diverse: tasting laboratories, Slow Food field trips, presence in local farmer’s markets, organization of food events—any activity or event that promotes living better by eating better and/or preserving indigenous environments, food products and cuisines. We’re inviting everyone to join us for the creation of a new group of Slow Food Convivio in Querétaro. This special event takes place at Café de los Museos, where Carlos Peraza, a veterinarian from Mexico City, will address the new convivio and their guests. Many years ago, Peraza decided to live in the desert and raise goats to make cheeses in the old European way, as a demonstration that you don’t need an independent fortune to survive in the desert. Today, Peraza is a “big cheese” in the Mexican dairy industry. He spends a lot of time traveling around the country, teaching young people how to start and operate a business that’s healthy and environment-friendly. At this inaugural event, you’ll learn the difference between raw milk cheeses and pasteurized milk cheeses. You’ll also discover why many government regulations have a lot more to do with making the big corporations happy than with ensuring the health of the population. While taking in all this information, you’ll also be able to sample different cheeses and wines from La Serpentina, Granja Quesos de Oveja, Cavas Freixenet and Rancho La Romita, among other producers. Again, among the goals of the Slow Food Movement is sponsoring events that give smaller producers access to newer, broader markets, while educating people—especially the young—about nutrition, organic produce and indigenous cuisines. This weekend, Slow Food San Miguel is participating in the Instituto Allende Arts & Crafts Fair. Some local producers will be exhibiting and selling their products at the fair. We hope to see you there, as well as at the inaugural event in Querétaro later in the week. For information, including directions to Slow Food event venues, call Slow Food San Miguel at 152-7333 or 151-0065. |