Slow Money Gathering

“The world will be saved by the western woman” – The Dalai Lama

We talk about conscious consumerism but few of us realize the power that we, as western women, have as a whole to create change on this planet simply in the ways we shop. One area that is still frequently overlooked pertains to the food we buy. Increasing interest in farmer’s markets, CSA’s and local foods is steadily growing. It’s popular, tastes good and builds community. But it is more than that. 

Supporting local small food enterprises grows the local economy. There is an international movement based on the book Slow Money by Woody Tasch. The mission is to build local and national networks, and develop new financial products and services, dedicated to:

• investing in small food enterprises and local food systems;

• connecting investors to their local economies; and,

• building the nurture capital industry.

Soil fertility, carrying capacity, sense of place, care of the commons, cultural, ecological and economic health and diversity, nonviolence -- these are the fundamentals of nurture capital, a new financial sector supporting the emergence of a restorative economy. These are the fundamentals of the Slow Money Principles. Slow Money's goal is: a million Americans investing 1% of their assets in local food systems within a decade. Let us, as western woman, be part of that 1 percent!

The second national Slow Money gathering is happening at Shelburne Farms in Vermont on June 9-11th. For more information about Slow Money go to www.slowmoneyalliance.org