COMMUNITY PROFILE local businesses following slow food principles, Il Porcellino Salumi is a business that’s set a standard for slow food philosophies locally by adhering to sustainable food practices that cultivate community and connection. With increasing food and employment costs, traditional high-stakes competition has brought the importance of ethically sourced ingredients to the forefront in recent years. Local Slow Food chapters work to create affordable and accessible events focused on education and outreach. Slow food principles include local agricultural production, equitable working conditions, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and fair prices for producers. These practices are what qualify businesses as members of the Slow Food movement. “As we’ve grown, where we’re sourcing meat from and not working for people that are unethical is a priority,” said Miner. “[Unethical sourcing is] just not the right thing to do. You can tell a difference in the quality of the meat.” As a member of a larger-scale effort to further implement slow food practices, Slow Food’s local chapters in Denver and Boulder are working in pursuit of a more just and sustainable food system. By supporting local businesses such as Il Porcellino Salumi, the movement creates a community for people with a passion for the culture of local food systems. Despite its growth since Il Porcellino Salumi opened in 2015, Miner’s business model has never changed. He and his team are focused on working with small family farms that raise heritage breed animals sustainably. With one of the business’s greatest challenges being labor costs, “it’s tempting to buy bigger equipment and do things in a different manner,” Miner said. “But at the same time, we want to stay true to our products.” According to Slow Food Denver’s programs and outreach coordinator Mary Cappelletti, the appreciation and connection that Slow Food Denver’s organization helps facilitate, both locally and on a broader level, are among the high points of her job. Cappelletti runs the local chapter’s online communications and coordinates their events. “One of the best things about slow food is it’s so driven by joy and celebration,” Miner said. “It’s not about putting people down for doing it the wrong way…it’s about celebrating those that are trying and the many different ways that looks.” As the board chair of Boulder’s Slow Food chapter, Jodie Popma has been working to bridge the gap between healthy, local, and fresh food that is easy to prepare. “Every dollar we make from every event goes right back into our community,” Popma said. “When we do have an event [such as a farm dinner featuring local farmers], we like to pay our farmers rather than asking for donations.” Despite the challenges that rising labor costs present, businesses such as Miner’s Il Porcellino Salumi are leading the way by refusing to step down from ethical, old-world production strategies. The philosophy of the Slow Food movement lies in taking the time to learn and rediscover pleasure in everyday life by appreciating the pleasures and traditions of the table. “I like to think that customers recognize what we’re doing,” Miner said. “They understand the product cost a little bit more but that they can taste the difference in quality in our products.” ■ Denver VOICE readers may wonder why a street paper is spotlighting Slow Food, when it’s likely to cost consumers more money. We feel this effort toward sustainability is worthy of being highlighted, and hope that this movement continues to grow toward a future of clean, healthy food accessibility for all. COURTESY OF IL PORCELLINO SALUMI DONATE YOUR CAR! Need to get rid of your car, truck, or motorcycle? Consider donating it to Denver VOICE. Call (855) 500-7433, or go to: careasy.org/nonprofi t/denver-voice. Your donation helps Denver VOICE succeed in its mission to provide individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty the chance towards a more stable life. The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. VOLUNTEER WITH US! We are looking for volunteers to support our program coordination by helping with paper distribution and basic offi ce administration at the Denver VOICE offi ce (989 Santa Fe Dr.) from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. If you are interested and would like to know more, contact us at: program@denvervoice.org COURTESY OF IL PORCELLINO SALUMI November 2023 DENVER VOICE 7
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