GOOD, CLEAN, & FAIR FOOd (AND FLOWERS!) FOR ALL
Good, Clean, and Fair Food for All. Whose motto is that? Ding, ding, ding! If you guessed Slow Food, you are correct! If not familiar with this organization, let me introduce you - Slow Food International was founded by Carlo Petrini and a group of fellow activists in Rome, Italy in 1986 in response to the opening of a fast food restaurant near the Spanish Steps that resulted in national protest. Striving for good, clean, and fair food for all the world’s inhabitants alike, the organization has at its core the principles of maintaining biodiversity and local food tradition through education and advocacy. As we collectively navigate the climate crisis, the organization works to secure sustainable food systems through global initiatives and provide a platform to producers, chefs, individuals, and institutions alike to support, promote, and collaborate with one another.
In September of 2016 I had the great honor of attending the organization’s Terra De Madre Salone del Gusto as a delegate from the Denver, Colorado chapter of Slow Food. This festival which took place in Turin, Italy was a nearly week-long celebration of the diversity of foods and cultures from around the world. I was joined by several thousand delegates from all corners of this earth and attended cooking classes, tasting workshops, and presentations in venues across the city in addition to the blocks-long food and drink fair held in the city’s center. I had the tremendous pleasure of being hosted by an Italian couple that brought me to their open-air markets, cooked simple but exquisite meals for me showcasing their regional specialties, and introduced me to this culinary mecca in northern Italy where we could learn with and from each other. The Slow Food organization and its mission have always had a special place in my heart and have continually provided behind-the-scenes impetus and inspiration to the work we do on our farm.
Slow Food provided a framework and shared ideology for the Slow Flowers Society which was started in 2013 by Debra Prinzig. This might ring a bell as I’ve mentioned this organization in a previous newsletter some time ago. Recently I read this article from Scientific American titled “The Beauty of ‘Slow Flowers’ versus the Pretty Poison of Plants Grown with Dangerous Chemicals”. It’s long, but an excellent read. In it, the author Maryn Mckenna explores the complicated history of the floriculture industry in the United States and discusses the origins and implications of our flower business being outsourced to mostly developing countries without strict environmental or labor standards. The effects of this negligence and neglect run deep in their exploitative and destructive impact. You will see, this story often parallels the journey that conventional agriculture took in the late 20th century as consumers became informed and transitioned to supporting organic and local vegetable production whenever possible.
As we embark on our Annual Dahlia Tuber Sale which opens tomorrow, Saturday, March 1st, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of these environmental, cultural, and social impacts of how we spend our dollars and what businesses and practices we choose to support. Modern technology has brought with it tremendous advances, but, in some cases, we must ask, at what cost? Our dahlia tuber sale will include all tubers that are organically produced on our farm in Cedaredge. They are studied, nurtured, cared for by the hands of a farmer who you know and converse with each week at market. They are grown on land and in soils that will never ever see a synthetic pesticide or fungicide. They produce blooms that support a thriving pollinator habitat. They offer a connection to the place in western Colorado where we all call home. They support a local business thereby keeping dollars in our local economy.
McKenna closes her article with: “Flowers are like food for the soul. They fill a different kind of need. Some people might think of them as frivolous, but they bring people joy.” In today’s changing times and in the daily assault upon our nervous systems that our news feed brings us, food for the soul sounds more appealing than ever, I must say. We invite you to peruse tomorrow’s sale, maybe plant a tuber (or ten), and discover the good, clean, and fair effects of supporting slow flowers for yourself.
In solidarity for a just, clean, and kind world for all,
Melissa & Cale
PS Don’t forget our upcoming Spring Dahlia Workshop! If you’ve never grown these tubers before or even if you have a few seasons of experience under your belt, this promises to be a lovely, interactive, and community-building learning experience. Learn more or register here.
