After the horrendous acts of terrorism against the American population last week, the delegation of American cheese-makers and Slow Food USA members to Cheese 2001 made the difficult decision to continue with their plans for the event. Patrick Martins, director of Slow Food USA, along with Jeff Roberts and Gregory McClaren (the organizers of the American delegation at Cheese) decided to come to Bra after meeting with the Board of Directors and receiving a flood of messages of support from Slow Food USA members. Patrick Martins explained: “despite the tragedy, the event should still go on. Often in political crises, the first exchanges between nations are cultural ones, and we feel that the cheese presence would be appropriate and a symbolic gesture of keeping cultural ties strong.”
The Slow Food USA stand will offer tastings of a high-quality American artisan cheese (L. 2,000), and sell posters designed by Seattle graphic artist Charles Finkel (L. 10,000 each). Half of all proceeds will be donated to the New York Fireman’s fund to help the families of firemen lost during the tragic events at the World Trade Center.