This is just a reminder about our next event on 15 December, 7:30 at Oxford Brookes. Thank you to those who signed up and to the organisers and supporters. I am really looking forward to what promises to be a learningful adn exciitng evening about food in Romania. Let me know if you need directions or other details. Please see the following information about the Soil Association Annual Conference/Slow Food lunch. Obviously the appeal for help will only be relevant for those living in and around London, but I just wanted to make you aware of the event, should you be interested in attending. The Soil Association, in partnership with Slow Food, will offer a Slow Food lunch to delegates at its annual conference in London on Saturday, Jan 7, 2006. The conference this year, the 60th anniversary of the Soil Association, is entitled 'Feeding our Cities in the 21st century' - see details below. We are inviting members of Slow Food to help us at the event, which will feature producers of organic and wild-harvested food from London and surrounding counties - a wonderful range including apples and cobnuts from Kent, Sussex beef from Sussex, Romney Marsh mutton from Romney Marsh, cholla bread and jellied eels from the East End of London, organic London Gin, damson cheese, steak and kidney pies, native Colchester oysters (an Ark of Taste product), presidium products and much more from over 30 producers. Fiona Richmond will be representing Slow Food UK at the whole conference as a guest of the Soil Association. Several of the producers at the SF lunch are active members of Slow Food and some were at the Congress in Skye in the summer. Sarah Freeman will be there for the whole conference to write it up for the Soil Association and for Slow Food and to look out for potential Ark and presidia products If you would like to join in with helping the producers to prepare and serve their food and drink, please e-mail Fiona Richmond or Pam Rodway. We are looking for about 20 volunteers to help make the event run smoothly. Unfortunately our budget does not stretch to paying expenses, but your contribution will help spread the word about Slow Food to over 600 delegates from food and farming, policy, public services, environmental organisations and people who care about these issues from all over the UK and some from abroad. The event will raise money for Slow Food UK. If you are a current member of Slow Food and a volunteer to the lunch, you will receive a special discounted daytime rate to the conference (excluding evening dinner and ceilidh) of £100 for the Friday and what is left of the Saturday outside helping with the lunch. I look forward to hearing from you and to welcoming you to the highly enjoyable experience of the Slow Food lunch. Best wishes Pam Rodway Slow Food Lunch Coordinator, Soil association Conference, Jan 2006 Soil Association Annual Conference - Jan 6-7, 2006 What do Ken Livingstone, Monty Don, Caroline Lucas and Jonathon Porritt have in common? They're all speakers addressing the challenge of 'Feeding our cities in the 21st century' at the Soil Association’s 60th anniversary conference in London on 6 and 7 January 2006. Don't miss one of the best events in the calendar for networking and debate on issues of organic food and farming and sustainability. For details of a compelling line-up of speakers, workshops, cultural activities and seasonal organic food, click on http://www.soilassociation.org/conference