The “Snail of Approval” is Slow Food USA’s way of publicly honoring local and regional vendors that share a commitment toward “good, clean, and fair food for all.” Through this program, we strive to honor the efforts of local food and drink producers and vendors, restaurants, and eateries that live up to these ideals.

Any food business or organization that produces and/or offers food for public consumption and is pursuing and practicing Slow Food values of good, clean, and fair food for all. These establishments can include: restaurants, farms, ranches, fisheries, cafes, bars, food trucks, breweries, wineries, caterers, markets, and other value-added food producers.

1. If you are a food business or organization that produces and/or offers food for public consumption and would like to apply for a Snail of Approval Award, fill out Slow Food USA's Eligibility Application. Please note, the application consists of 30 multiple choice questions. It typically takes 30 minutes to complete and must be completed once it's begun (it cannot be saved and returned to later!) To be best prepared, here is a preview of the application. If you need assistance with the application, please reach out to us at slowfoodcorvallis@gmail.com.

2. All businesses that receive a score of 56 or greater of the 128 available points will be eligible to receive a Snail of Approval Award. If your business meets this score requirement, a member of our team will reach out to you to follow up and discuss next steps.

3. Our board will review your application and choose eligible nominees to receive the award.

4. Awards are reevaluated every 2 years. This merely consists of completing the Eligibility Application again to update for current business practices. The goal is for businesses to increase their score each time!

Eligible nominees will receive the following:

• Dedicated space on our website and the Slow Food USA website that notes your commitment to Slow Food values.
• Official Snail of Approval window cling to display in your establishment.
• Snail of Approval spotlight promotion on the Slow Food Corvallis social media.
• Opportunities to partner with Slow Food Corvallis.
• Exposure to Corvallis residents who care about food in the same way you do.

While you are not directly supporting the organization, you are supporting causes we believe in. Slow Food Corvallis receives no financial gain from promoting “Snail of Approval” establishments.

We vet all nominees to the best of our ability and ask that applications are answered honestly, but we cannot guarantee that all food at an approved vendor meets 100 percent of our criteria.

The application is set on a cumulative point system, thoughtfully generated by the national team at Slow Food USA.

Whenever possible, we publish the exact qualifications each restaurant has met. In this way, we hope to promote transparency in the food community and encourage vendors to take more measures to promote Slow Food values.