Slow Food Nation '08

Emeryville, CA (August 4, 2008) — Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first certified organic retailer, proudly announces its sponsorship of Slow Food Nation 2008, the largest celebration of food in the nation. Specifically, Whole Foods Market will be the lead sponsor of the Taste Pavilions — Slow Food Nation’s grand celebration of good, clean and fair food, featuring 15 individual pavilions showcasing the country’s best cheese, bread, wine, charcuterie, coffee, chocolate, ice cream, pickles and chutneys, honey and preserves, and much more.

“We are proud to lend our support to Slow Food Nation. We share a common desire to unite America’s growing sustainable food movement and introduce a wide spectrum of people to food that is produced safely and grown in a sustainable manner,” said Walter Robb, co-president and chief operating officer of Whole Foods Market. “We hope to empower people to lead a slow food lifestyle by offering a diverse selection of community grown produce and artisan foods in our stores.”

Slow Food Nation, which takes place in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29 – Sept. 1), will bring together tens of thousands to experience an extraordinary range of activities highlighting the connection between plate and planet. In addition to experiencing the Taste Pavilions, participants will meet more than 60 California farmers at a marketplace surrounding the newly planted Slow Food Nation Victory Garden in the urban heart of San Francisco and learn from visionary speakers who will engage citizens in political discourse about shaping a more sustainable food system. Slow Food Nation also will feature a music festival, workshops, films, dinners and hikes.

More than one-quarter of food producers whose products are featured at Slow Food Nation sell their products at Whole Foods Market stores in Northern California. This includes farmers and food artisans who set the standard for community grown, sustainably produced foods such as St. Benoit Yogurt (French-style yogurt producer in Bodega, Calif.), Full Belly Farm (200-acre organic farm in Capay Valley, Calif.) and Massa Organics (family farm growing organic brown rice in Chico, Calif).

“At Slow Food Nation, we are hoping to create a life-changing experience for participants that will encourage a shift in how people shop, cook and eat,” said Anya Fernald, executive director of Slow Food Nation. “Partnering with Whole Foods Market is a natural fit to help broaden the impact of our message.”

Whole Foods Market will be involved in many aspects of Slow Food Nation, including:

• Offering 1,600 discounted tickets for the Sunday Afternoon Taste Pavilion (Aug. 31, 5 to 9 p.m.). Tickets, which cost $58 (10 percent off retail price), will be sold at all 24 Whole Foods Market stores in Northern California starting Aug. 1. Whole Foods Market is the only retailer to sell hard-copy tickets and offer this exclusive discount. For a list of stores, visit: www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

• Hosting two Slow Dinners to benefit the Center for Food & Justice. Both dinners will be held at the Whole Foods Market store in Potrero Hill (450 Rhode Island and 17th Street). Tickets are available by calling (415) 552-1155.

Sunday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Whole Foods Market’s culinary team will present a six-course vegetarian menu with wine pairings highlighting delights from community farms and artisan food producers. The menu will feature heirloom tomato gazpacho, persimmon salad, roasted pepper and corn gallette, vegetable napoleon, artisan cheeses and a trio of seasonal fruit sorbets. $65 per person.

Monday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Whole Foods Market’s culinary team will present a six-course dinner with wine pairings featuring the best that the summer season has to offer from community farms and artisan food producers. The menu will feature corn soup, heirloom tomato salad, pomegranate organic poussin from Field to Family Natural Foods, seafood stew, local artisan cheeses and Frog Hollow Farms peach melba with Three Twins Organic Creamery vanilla ice cream. $85 per person.

• Hosting two workshops at Fort Mason Center. Tickets are available for purchase at www.slowfoodnation.org.

Throw a ‘Slowtail’ Party for Six Friends for Under $60
Saturday, Aug. 30, 10 to 11 a.m.
Fort Mason, Bldg. C, Room 362 – $10
Whole Foods Market will teach attendees how to throw a legendary, but seriously affordable party. The event will feature delicious artisan tastes and sips, including champagne fruit cocktails and four California-inspired appetizers.

Slow Food Meals on a Budget
Sunday, Aug. 31, 10 to 11 a.m.
Fort Mason, Bldg. C, Room 362 – $10
Living the slow food lifestyle doesn’t require selling the family farm. Whole Foods Market’s value expert will share tricks for maximizing shopping dollars while maximizing eating pleasure. A cooking demonstration will feature a four-course meal for four people for less than $50.

• Volunteering dozens of Whole Food Market Team Members to answer visitors’ questions about sustainable agriculture and organic products.

• Supporting the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden with volunteers and catering at the Community Planting and Harvest Days. All food grown in the garden will be harvested and donated to the San Francisco Food Bank.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer. In fiscal year 2007, the company had sales of $6.6 billion and currently has more than 270 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & WildTM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community MarketTM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Whole Foods Market employs more than 53,000 Team Members and has been ranked for 11 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine.

About Slow Food Nation
Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary non-profit of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement. It was created to organize the first-ever American collaborative gathering to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair through enjoyable, accessible and educational activities. Slow Food Nation is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food and aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious.

Media Contact:
Vanessa Cornish
510.428.7054
Vanessa.Cornish@wholefoods.com