Slow Money group celebrates grand opening in Monterey.

Last fall, the slow money movement came to Monterey through the national ComCap—short for "community capital"—conference. 

Monterey Councilmember Timothy Barrett spearheaded the effort to bring the conference to the city after attending the conference a year earlier in Portland, Oregon.

Barrett believes it's time for investing in sustainable and responsible community businesses—that create a healthy food system and are good for both the economy and the environment—to become the norm.

After the September conference, motivated participants continued to grow the movement locally, leading to the formation of Slow Money Central Coast.

The local group is attached to Slow Money Northern California, which already had a well-organized chapter and website, says Barrett. 

"They're helping to provide some of the support to get us going," he says.

The group is having a grand opening event from 6-8pm, Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St. in Monterey.

Presenters include Arno Hesse, co-leader of Slow Money Northern California; Merilee Olson of Preserve Kitchens, a Northern California business that supports small farms; Sherry Flumerfelt, director of the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust; and Pam Burns of Monterey's Wild Plum Cafe.

Barrett says the plan is to have regular meetings in the future, bringing together entrepreneurs and local funders.