This is Susan Slesinger. Susan has four Jewish environmental bike rides under her Pearl Izumi waistband, the most recent on a tandem bike with partner Marvin Fields. Susan plays and teaches music and does fiber arts. She resides in Seal Beach, Calif. In this moment, she is standing outside of Merrill Hall at Asilomar Conference Grounds near Monterey. Behind her, a bustling shuk (market) selling cookbooks, local honey, kosher muffins, blown glass, and organic clothing is closing out the Hazon Food Conference.

Susan shows one of the many faces of the New Jewish Food Movement, a groundswell of people of all ages and connections to Judaism who care deeply about creating sustainable food systems and healthier communities.

Susan probably won’t make it into the posts and articles I write for other blogs and news sources. But I wanted you to meet her.

Stay tuned for more dispatches about the Hazon Food Conference. If you can’t wait, check out the Jew and the Carrot coverage or these highlights from outside the (CSA) box, or read about the Jewish Climate Change Campaign.

Update! Here are photos of Susan and Marvin in 2006 and 2009. Thanks, Susan! Love the Cat in the Hat jersey.