Slow Money was an idea, then a book, then a massive movement. Just as Slow Food encouraged great local eating as an opportunity for relationship building, Slow Money invites us to know—and love—the people, projects, and businesses in which we invest. Next month, Slow Money will have a huge gathering in Providence, RI, that all MSJ Extra! readers should consider attending. To learn more about what Slow Money is now doing and its plans going forward, we interviewed founder Woody Tasch. Of special note is Tasch’s SOIL Trust, which gathers charitable donations and provides 0% return loans to local farms and food businesses—a design that requires zero approvals from federal and state regulators. In other words, you could start this kind of fund in your town tomorrow at no legal cost whatsoever.
You will also find our latest listings of local investment opportunities across the country. Dig in!
~ Michael Shuman, Publisher
One of the most influential books launching the local investment movement was Woody Tasch’s Inquiries Into the Nature of Slow Money (Chelsea Green, 2009). Readers were not just enthusiastic about the book; they became evangelists. Woody created a national organization called the Slow Money Institute, and as you’ll read, they have a big conference coming up on November 13-14 in Providence, RI.
