This past, Sunday was Slow Food Foothills second annual spring fundraiser at

Overmountain Winery and Vineyard in Green Creek.

A real sense of family and community held the afternoon tightly together while almost 200 close friends ate local foods from Camp Creek Farm in Saluda, Vandele Farm in Lake Lure, Yielding Branch Farm in Columbus and Broken Oak Organics in Marietta, S.C.

Gigi Dover and Big Love played music for us and more than a few people noticed my 40-minute-long smile while I enjoyed my son and his two friends sing beautiful harmonies with guitar as they opened for the big act.

Bob Bowles, Slow Food Asheville founder, and I recognized the Slow Foods board for work well-done these first two years since we started our chapter.

This event brought together the best our region has to offer. Great music, food, wine, beer and some of the most knowledgeable and friendly farmers, producers, and consumers – friends sharing an afternoon of conviviality!

We’ve expanded the board to five officers and four additional voting members with two of those new seats still available. This makes for nine votes on agenda matters and offers a pipeline of experienced board members to serve in the officer roles as people move on.

Then several advisory members, including local organic farmers, will join in June. I will also move from founding president to advisory board member as I focus more time on my family, my businesses, my yoga practice and sleep. The president’s seat now goes to our president elect Mindy Wiener who will willingly and capably lead this expanded board through future partnerships, project development and fundraisers.

The projects we currently work on include Slow Food in Schools, Gleaners for Good and Community Outreach projects such as fundraisers, monthly potlucks and booths at related events. We always need enthusiastic help with these. The work we dare to dream to develop is an extensive list that can also only be accomplished with hands on deck. Enjoy the following wish list of projects that I ask our chapter to dare to dream with me. Then send us a hello at info@slowfoodfoothills.org and tell us if you are interested in getting involved.