groups and boards......

Most here have nominal expendable time, so joining groups or being active on boards is a major commitment. What do you guys belong to, and why did you choose it?

lololol......ok cumputer boards too! It never occurred to me that a website was aka a board....non-techie, computers are just way cool typewriters that make corrections easier and save stuff if you can figure out how to do that.
(just kidding, not really.)

I totally agree with you all about Cheftalk. CC and I joined during Tony Bourdain's live gig 6 years ago July.

So, the boardrooms and groups outside of Cheftalk where I interact with flesh and a voice are:

CFSSA: sustainable agriculture board with members from across Mo. that talk policy/procedures. Housed at University of Mo in Columbia.

SLU Gradens to Table Grant: consulting with farmers, chefs, inner city schools on locally produced products and how to prepare them.

SLOW FOOD: international group devoted to slowing down eating, producing and enjoying a quality of life.

St. Louis Culinary Society, professional local group where the members make their money from food....writing, cooking, owning wholesale biz, food stylists, etc....this year I'm program chair.

Chef's Collaborative, national group that supports ecological sustainable agriculture.

ISES, international special event planners.

There's chef d' cuisine, chien, loads of various wine groups, pastry and chocolatier groups, some certify members with standardized testing....
PTA for your kids, SOS, or various AIDS groups....there are so many out there it's interesting to hear about them. Several of my cooking buddies donate to benefits because a friend asked....numerous work on Star Chefs....some are active in the Originals.....boyscouts, girlscouts....

do they have conferences that interest you?
Is IACC a holdover from the club days or is it relative to you now?

I went to Fancy Food Show in Chicago and New York for several years after a while they looked the same!

Catering Plus (Michael Roman) has catering/event conferences in Los Vegas in Jan. several local caterers went, the feedback was interesting....they enjoyed it and would go back.

Mo. has a farmer's market association that I participate in but will not join, I'll go as a guest to functions. The Dept of Ag who has very little to do with the group has a caveat that their logo goes on your advertising....does not work for me unless they are funding it.

Chef d Cuisine and ACF have some interesting meetings, I got to learn more about seafood once....boy was that an interesting class! Shelf life of a fish.
Just not into certifying....I'm already certifiable!!!! Their competitions are a blast to watch, there are little tips in cutting time or preparing a dish or competing that always come through.

CIRA, or the STL Originals.....group of independant restaurantuers that advertise and have promotions for the group. This year I considered it but dues ended up being $2000. $750 for a new member + a special machine to give out Cards as bonuss for your clients/customers. When I called their reservation line looking for info on the caterers involved they weren't on the ball....if your a restaurant it's a good deal, if your a bigger caterer and can overlook some of the shtuff it's ok.....I chose to spend 1/5 of the dues and join an event planning group.

Can't believe I forgot....Missouri Mycological Society...aka wild shroom hunters. This group is a constant. It's a great group of people who enjoy being outdoors, nature and eating!!! Morels are difficult to find in Mo. at least for me, they are the same color as leaves, they are usually under the leaves and dangit there maybe one instead of a lot....AND it's generally still nippy in April. What I love is taking a butane stove out to the site and cooking what's coming in.....the old timers give me a call when they find a large patch and think I'm a goddess for sauting their mushrooms. Boy when I add cream to morels my statis has risen even higher....where's that pedistal boys?!!!!! Several chefs have wanted to go out and forage but they don't wanna commit the time necessary....only one in the past five years shows up with a basket in hand. When it's a really good Chanterelle year I can harvest 70#'s without alot of major effort. There is nothing like walking out of the woods with a basket overflowing with fragrant shrooms.