Nearly 90 people gathered at Ninety Farm in Arlington to enjoy lunch at the farm recently. The members of Slow Food Seattle and friends were hosted by Linda Neunzig, who offered the city folk a chance to watch her Corgys chase the sheep, swing under the apple tree, and wander along the bank of the Stillaguamish River, while eating an expansive array of real food.

“I just had to clean up and be ready,” said Neunzig, after most had finished lunch and she was preparing to demonstrate her dogs’ skills at herding lambs.

“They brought all the food,” she said.

Coordinators from Slow Food Seattle, Nina Crocker and Gerry Warren arranged the event, and Warren carved the lamb. All the guests brought side dishes to go with the split-roasted katadn lamb. They also pay $20, or $25 for nonmembers, while children ate for free.

“We provided the lamb and the wine,” Crocker said.

Slow Food events are promoted through a membership newsletter and not advertised beyond that, Crocker said.

“We sold 80 tickets but about 100 people showed up.”

“Our purpose is to encourage people to know where their food comes from,” Warren said.

“We cater especially to people with kids,” he added.

Slow Food Seattle offers about eight to 10 gatherings a year at different kinds of food producers in town as well as at farms around the Puget Sound.

“We’ve been to Full Circle Farm a few times, and then Ninety Farm was recommended to us,” Warren said.

“This is an especially large event,” he added.

Some in-town destinations have included Cafe Vita, a coffee roaster in Seattle, and Theo Chocolates, in the Fremont community of Seattle.

“The slow food movement comes from Italy,” Warren said. “We brought it to Seattle and started Slow Food Puget Sound, which last year merged with Slow Food Seattle. It’s all about sustainable food.” Warren said, adding he is very interested in the origins of food and likes to trace the history of different food items.

“Like the Makaw Ozette potato, which was brought here by the Spanish a few hundred years ago.”

For more information about Slow Food Seattle e-mail to info@slowfoodseattle.org.

Slow Food Seattle Mission

Slow Food Seattle’s mission is to share the pleasures of the table through experiences that heighten awareness of artisan and sustainable foods of our region and the world.

Slow Food USA envisions a future food system that is based on the principles of high quality and taste, environmental sustainability and social justice — in essence, a food system that is good, clean and fair.

Slow Food USA seeks to catalyze a broad cultural shift away from the destructive effects of an industrial food system and fast life toward the regenerative cultural, social and economic benefits of a sustainable food system, regional food traditions, the pleasures of the table, and a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.