Thousands of farmers and food lovers united in San Francisco over the Labor Day weekend to celebrate a healthier way of eating at Slow Food Nation, the first-ever event of its kind in the U.S.

Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary of Slow Food USA, a non-profit organization that promotes organic foods and fair treatment of farm workers around the country.

One of the biggest attractions this weekend was the Marketplace, a huge farmer’s market held at Civic Center Plaza. Local farmers played the drums along with spoken word artists, while patrons sipped organic beers and ate Mexican tamales.

Other highlights of the six-day event included sold-out tastings, a massive picnic at Dolores Park and a stage called “Soapbox,” where farmers and activists told stories of struggles against social injustice. The event aimed to have “zero waste,” and planned to have 100 percent of all its building supplies, plates and
food turned into compost.

“Slow Food believes that food is our common language and a universal right,” Slow Food Nation coordinator Gordon Jenkins said. “The way we eat now is making us, our communities and our environment ill.”

Jenkins has been involved with the Slow Food movement since he was a student farmer with the Yale Sustainable Food Project. He helped develop the Marketplace and Soapbox stage. He also coordinates events for the Youth Food Movement, which targets young activists and farmers from ages 16 to 34.

“Despite the mainstream values of the culture in which we grow up, young people all over the country are doing incredible work to bring good, clean and fair food to their campuses and their communities,” Jenkins said. “The Youth Food Movement at Slow Food Nation celebrates these students and young farmers, cooks, artisans and activists and creates ways for them to meet, exchange ideas and build networks.”

The Slow Food movement has recently attracted a growing number of youths who want to invest in a healthier lifestyle, Jenkins said.

SF State alumna Juana Gonzalez feels that eating healthy is the only way to go.

“My eating habits in college sucked,” the 35-year-old said. “I was always so busy. I ate anything I could pick up. Habits like that are what make our country’s obesity problem grow.”

It wasn’t until Gonzalez took a nutrition class at SF State that she changed her attitude about food. The class did a comparison between kids who frequently ate junk food and those who ate healthy foods — and the results shocked her.

“I saw that kids who eat less burgers and pizza actually did better in school,” Gonzalez said. “It really opened my eyes to see that even though organic food is harder to get a hold of, it is well worth it.”

SF State broadcasting major Tiffany Saria agreed that eating healthy is important, but said that buying organic foods can leave a big dent in her wallet.

“Since I’m usually broke I can’t afford organic food,” she said. “College students’ eating habits are bad because fast food is cheaper and they can’t afford the organic stuff.”

In a country where people are always on the go, Slow Food aims to persuade people to slow down and treat their bodies like temples. And as their message reaches more ears, the organization continues to grow. Students, teachers, food specialists and farmers help make up the group of over 16,000 members.

“Our goal for the immediate future is to establish networks that educate and connect young leaders,” Jenkins said. “We want to inspire 50 million people to become farmers. We want to live in — if not us, then at least our children — a true slow food nation.”