Slowly Learning About Slow Food

It has been a few years now since my friend in Columbus, Eric Stetler, introduced me to the concept of Slow Food and what some might call the Food revolution which has really been gaining ground over the past several years. We viewed a documentary about food and the Agricultural industry which made me want to go home and throw away anything that might have genetically modified (GMO's) corn in it, growth hormones (dairy etc) and the like. I think the film was called the Future of Food.

Although I sensed the passion and connected with the vision for a better approach to food, I just didn't seem to have enough motivation to follow through and really change our own approach to food. When you exist within the complex system of a family with many pre-conditioned eating habits...
...okay, I'm just making excuses.

I want to look into this idea of slow food a little more and would love to find local food as well as engaging the soil with my own kids to grow some of our own food. The ways in which we eat as Americans are generally unhealthy. The ways in which we purchase and use food is not a sustainable or farmer/grower-friendly system.

And just as I cannot hardly stomach the taste or idea of bad coffee and bad espresso...I think it's time to realize some higher standards for our food as well.

This statement on their homepage resonates with me.

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Have you been "slowing" down your approach to food? How has everyone in the family responded? What have been the challenges? The successes?