March Convivium: Radicchio, Terra Madre & the Power of Connection

Have you ever wondered why the Pacific Northwest is so obsessed with radicchio?

Join Slow Food Portland for our March Convivium with Lane Selman, founder of the Culinary Breeding Network, and Josh Volk of Slow Hand Farm, to hear the story behind Portland’s love affair with this bold, bitter chicory and how Slow Food played a meaningful role in that story.

In 2014, Lane and Josh participated in Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, the global gathering of the Slow Food network. Terra Madre brings together food communities from around the world, small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers, artisans, cooks, and advocates, all working to protect biodiversity and strengthen food cultures rooted in place. The power of Terra Madre isn’t just in the gathering itself, but in the relationships that continue long after everyone goes home.

Through connections formed in Torino and beyond, Lane and Josh were able to access seed, agronomic knowledge, and cultural context from Italian growers that helped Northwest farmers become more successful with radicchio. Those relationships strengthened farmer viability here at home, expanded biodiversity in our fields, and deepened the cultural story behind a crop that now feels distinctly Northwest.

Come learn how a bitter and beautiful chicory became a Northwest icon and sample some for yourself.


Tuesday, March 3
6:00–6:30 PM – Social time, snacks, and drinks available for purchase
6:30–7:30 PM – Presentation
Location: Cookshop 2625 Southeast 26th Avenue

Free and open to the public