Denver (USA)- Slow Meat

This weekend in Denver, CO, we will be hosting Slow Meat, a national gathering of practitioners and experts who share a connection to the agricultural economy of meat, from field to fork.

Be they ranchers or eaters, animal welfare advocates or butchers, meat sits not only in the center of the plate for most diners in America, but also at the center of many debates: climate change, rural development, childhood obesity and the homogenization of taste and ecosystems.

Ever since Dan Imhoff's groundbreaking collection, “CAFO: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories,” and online video project, “The Meatrix,” the veil of secrecy that shrouds animal production is giving light to new calls for transparency in our food system — calls for return to common sense and appropriate scale in animal husbandry, and general decency for animals in production.

It is for these reasons that we are especially excited to host Slow Meat.

There are so many promising practices that demonstrate that alternatives to this industrial meat complex are possible. Over several days, we will work with leaders and eaters in the field to construct a menu for us all to take action around Slowing meat down.

What will this menu look like? We have a hint, thanks to prior gatherings likeHack Meat, and thoughtful work by organizations like the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network, who have identified gaps in services.

We hope to connect these many dots and take measurable action towards better meat, less.