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…or should that be a lobster shell? …
 Coburn Park in Skowhegan, ME. I have had a great stay in the Pine Tree State. And have learned a lot about farming and the people involved in the “local food movement” (I always put that in quotes because I think it is a silly name but an easy identifier)!
Well, first, let’s get a few things out in the open. Maine is apparently the only state in the US with a name only one syllable long. And it is also the easternmost state as well as the only state which only borders one other US state. If you know differently, let me know. Or take it up with Wikipedia.
I came up here to attend The Kneading Conference. I made a very quick decision to take the trip and there has been a lot about it that has been quite serendipitous. So, yay for spontaneity!
 Skowhegan, ME The conference itself was incredibly jammed full of information about growing wheat as well as the other stages necessary in getting it to your table. I have a lot to process (ha ha) and will be posting full coverage of the conference in the coming days.
When I first arrived in Maine I had gotten to talking to the lady at the front desk of my hotel. I mentioned that I am a journalist and write a blog on farming. So, yesterday morning she pulled me over to show me a story in a local paper about a lady farmer in a neighboring town – Mary Perry’s Winterberry farm in Belgrade, ME.
I love it when people tell me stories about farms – and it does happen quite a lot, which feels quite positive about the turning of the tide in favor of more farming.
 The mighty Kennebec River. Anyway, today I headed over to the Winterberry farm and found it to be a really nice farm. It is organic – which is the only way Mary knows how to farm. And, there is no tractor – everything is done with a literal horse power.
Oh, and Mary is originally from Connecticut!
I will be doing a separate blog entry on Mary and her farm.
Although, unfortunately, I realized some time later that while I had taken several pictures at the farm, there were none of Mary herself. I do have photos with her cute little four-year-old daughter, Sage. And lots of images of cute animals.
After visiting with them, I headed over to the staging grounds for the conference to take in the end of the artisan bread fair which was being held in connection with the conference. I spoke at some length with Wendy Hebb, a great lady and the conference organizer, and got some wise insights regarding the “local food movement.”
 Coburn Park Finally, I asked around for a tranquil, non-touristy spot to spend a little time. I ended up visiting a local Skowhegan park and getting a nice view of the mighty Kennebec River.
Stay tuned in the coming days for complete coverage … Hopefully, my Internet will be working when I get back home.
Oh, finally, it has been suggested that I start a mailing list to notify people of new blog posts. If you are interested, please send me a message at info@aspetuckmedia.com and I will put you on the list.
Here I am in Maine on the eve of the start of the 4th annual Kneading Conference in Skowhegan. Tomorrow will begin a series of lectures, demonstrations and meals of wholesome local food including an array of artisan breads.
According to their website, “the Kneading Conference began with a group of Skowhegan residents, oven builders, millers and bakers who were motivated by the critical need to address wheat production in light of a growing local food movement.”
One of the things that really make me excited to be here is how spur-of-the-moment it was. Well, on my part that is, not the organizers.
Last Thursday, I was at the Westport, CT farmers market and Jeff Borofsky of Chef Jeff and Skinny Pines, LLC mentioned he would not be at the farmers market this week. That he was going to a conference in Maine.
Naturally, I was curious. In part because I have been looking for an excuse to come to Maine. And sure enough it turned out to be a conference I thought sounded really interesting.
Organic wheat production has been an interest of mine for a while now. This past spring I spent some time looking around for opportunities to learn from someone doing research or outreach who might need an assistant.
One of the people I stumbled across was Ellen Mallory, a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, doing research at the University of Maine. She and I exchanged a few emails but regrettably she did not have any positions available.
Well, when I was checking out the website for the Kneading Conference I noticed that she was on a panel last year and I saw it as a sign. Turns out she will be speaking here again tomorrow and I look forward to meeting her.
I contacted the organizer of the conference and she was extremely nice and helpful and couldn’t have been more encouraging for me to come.
So, less than a week later, here I sit. I spoke with Jeff earlier tonight. He is in town with his brick oven and I expect to meet up with him tomorrow.
I am looking forward to the conference. And, naturally, you will be privy to my observations.
Okay, so I’ve now been called a Slacker for my lack of attention to my blog this summer. But, really, am I the only one out there having a tough time sitting down at a computer during the simmering summertime?
I know, I know, no excuse. But here I am enjoying my time exploring the goodies that summer has to offer in the Northeast of the US and I really should be sharing. I want to! So, allow me to take you along on my journey to the Litchfield Hills Farmers Market in Litchfield, CT today.
It was a beautiful summer day for a drive up scenic Rt. 8. ..
I was really pleased to see a good amount of organic offerings at the market. There was live music, ceramics, soaps – and organic, free trade coffee and tea from coffee-tea-etc. in Goshen, CT. I plan to do a blog on this fascinating gentleman!
… and I finally met Facebook friend Alicia Damia Ghio in-person, as well as her husband, Renato (who is now also a Facebook friend.) She was giving a cooking demo. And, of course, many of us have seen her on thenaturalprincess.com!
So, here is a look at the Litchfield Hills farmers market in beautiful Litchfield, CT
 Welcome to the Litchfield Hills Farmers Market ... 
 Alicia of thenaturalprincess.com  Zucchini/raspberry salsa - yum! 
 Naren, the coffee-tea-etc. guy - his story coming soon...  The lazy, hazy days of summer...
Alicia Damia Ghio, a resident of Danbury, CT, is giving a boost to the local food community at-large with videos she produces and stars in for her website thenaturalprincess.com – and I happen to be a big fan.
 Alicia in the kitchen (photo used with permission). The other day we had a really great phone chat. You know how it feels when you connect with someone who feels passionate about the same thing(s) as you? When there is a natural flow to your connection?
Well, that is what happened. And I was not surprised. Since I met her through a mutual friend I have enjoyed getting to know her. And I think her videos are great!
In the videos she will typically profile a local farm and focus on the preparation of one particular food from that farm.
Old meets new
One of the things I enjoy about her videos – and her philosophy – is the alchemy of old ways of living being conveyed through the relatively new technology of videos online.
Connecting to the roots of how we source food is a connection to our roots as a people. There is something really carnal about the impulse to eat food that is produced in our immediate environment.
And it is not really a new way of eating. It is very, very old.
The story of food
Alicia not only visits farms for local food stories, she is a local food story herself, producing vegetables in her garden at home.
“I need to reconnect with nature,” she said.
The disconnect, she believes, happened over time without us knowing. While we were sleeping to a degree.
She said that she feels a “certain pride” in growing food – and being self-sufficient – and she thinks there are real advantages to the slower pace that people are embracing more and more these days.
Alicia feels there has been a “wake-up call” with a collective realization of “wait, food’s not supposed to come from a can.”
And she wants to help people see that it is very much possible to reinvigorate a lifestyle that brings people back to their neighborhoods – and backyards – for more nutritious and tasty food.
 Alicia interviews Kay Carroll at Brookside Farm II (photo used with permission). The labor of love
The Natural Princess videos began two years ago and are a labor of love for Alicia and her husband, Renato, who have run a video production business – RMediA – together for the past 10 years.
They have been in business together for longer than they have been married. And while people thought it was dangerous to start a business while they were just dating they have proven to be incredibly stable and successful. In both their business and personal lives.
“We’re best friends,” Alicia says of her husband and partner. “We trust each other.”
For the Natural Princess food videos Alicia produces and is on-screen talent while Renato shoots and edits. And I can attest to the high production values!
The basic structure for the interviews, according to Alicia, is an “on the fly” approach with a general list of questions.
“I’ll hit a few points,” she said, “then let them talk.”
Her background as a newspaper reporter and editor undoubtedly gave her the experience she clearly represents in putting people at ease and extrapolating candid and informative responses.
Coming soon…
The next story coming up soon will highlight raspberries from a U-pick farm in Katonah, New York. I could not get her to divulge her recipe for the raspberries. So, I guess we will all just have to tune in to her site to find out.
In the meantime, I highly urge you to check out all the “back issues” – her amazing catalogue of local food videos at thenaturalprincess.com – which is also replete with recipes and all sorts of great information!
Oh, and The Natural Princess has a page on Facebook which you can “like” and have updates delivered directly to your feed…oops, there I go again with old and new converging.
Living in a world of sameness where everything is supposed to be identical to everything else can really take its toll on you. I think a good antidote to this malaise is to try new things. New foods!
And summer is the perfect time.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that nature set it up so that nothing is exactly the same – all year round – and there are a bounty of elements to mix and match at whim.
The other day I was at Sport Hill Farm, my local organic farm. And my local organic farmer, one Ms. Patti Popp, gave me a great idea.
In her farmstand, I saw the beautiful beets that were freshly-picked and asked for a suggestion for making a dish with beets. Truth be told, it had been ages since I ate them and my memory was of squishy red things coming out of jars and generally so-so in taste.
Still, they looked great and I wanted to try something different.
Patti told me how she had prepared them recently. She removed the bulbs from one end and sliced them into pieces and sautéed them. Then, she added the leafy part at the other end into the pan. She mixed it all in with some pasta.
Hmm, I thought, very interesting. I am going to give it a try.
So, tonight for dinner I did just that.
I sautéed the bulbs in some canola oil, salt and pepper and added the leafy part after a few minutes. I cautiously ventured in for a sneak peek taste straight out of the pan.
Yum, I thought. The bulb tasted a bit sweet and the leafy part tasted kind of grainy and akin to spinach.
 Notice how I positioned the bowl between two placemats as if I did not intend to eat the entire thing myself? I had a brainstorm! I rinsed off a handful of sugar snap peas (serious addiction) and broke them apart in the pan with the beets.
Then I tossed the whole thing in with some whole wheat pasta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese and a little more canola oil.
SO delicious!
And ya know, it lifted my spirits at the end of this warm and muggy weekend.
 The media has dubbed the return to sourcing food locally as “The Local Food Movement,” which means the film version is sure to follow. Here is my take on the cast of characters for what it sure to be a blockbuster. Actually, it might even be a good musical …
THE STARS
The Organic Farmer – (S)he is our protagonist. The star of the show. (S)he get their hands dirty and does good, old-fashioned hard work. May also be involved in sustaining and retaining farmland for future generations.
What the hero wants – To be allowed to make a living while growing healthy food in a sustainable manner.
What stands in their way – Genetic Engineering of seeds and land developers.
The “Devil” – The antagonist. He opposes our hero and is the adversary..
This character is a composite. He develops seeds that can grow in spite of all the chemicals in the pesticides he sells. He also finds time to put small farmers out of business and use their land for office developments, factories and condos. This forces the food supply to become exclusive province of other big businesses.
“Friend of the Farmer” – This is the ally. This character is also a composite. The ally acts as a sounding board for the farmer.
Our hero’s ally runs a local farmers market and orchestrates getting the farmer’s food to local sources such as schools and restaurants. At the same time, the character blogs about all the developments in organic farming and our food system to a worldwide audience.
MINOR & PERIPHERAL CHARACTERS
The Old Timers – They are the ones who have been doing this all along. They are sitting around shaking their heads in bemusement that some people think of this as new.
The Converts – I think the converted are really those who are “returning to the fold.” These are people who have roots in wholesome eating but had strayed. They are the ones who smacked their foreheads and said, “yeah, duh, what was I thinking…”
The Media – Minor characters in the show, they are the outlets that are in the business of selling advertisements. The ones who are now straddling the fence between the public’s interest in healthy food and retaining the hefty Dorito Dollars. For decades, they have been skewing the public’s idea of the purpose of food and are now scrambling to redefine their stance on what we should put into our mouths.
The Groupies – These are the people who idolize what the farmers are doing but do little more than look on in appreciation.
The Jumpers – These are the folks who jump on whatever bandwagon is relevant at the moment. Not really committed, they do make a lot of noise.
So there ya have it. Hollywood, are ya listening?
Seeing the ads for the new “Karate Kid” (which is actually about Kung Fu?) I was reminded of the original film. I remember the boy triumphing. It makes me think of farming!
We are all eternally coming-of-age in one way or another. I think we all need to feel our own strength and power to surmount anything. And I think very few things do this as well as planting a seed and seeing it grow.
It reaffirms us. The laws of nature.
Nothing can be as kind or gentle as the earth producing food. Nothing provides a better example of cooperative give and take. You treat the earth well and it will give back to you.
In that way, you don’t even need to plant the seeds, just help preserve their environment.
Then, even on the days when you feel the world is bearing down on your – or people are acting unkind – you will have a place to take refuge. You can get lost in a sunset or marvel at the beauty of a freshly-picked head of lettuce.
Or, yeah, you could escape to a movie.
I watched the film “Fast Food Nation” the other night and have been haunted by it since. And, I think it does beg the question – or beg us to question – how far our responsibility as consumers extends.
In the days since watching the fictionalized account of the nonfiction book by the same name I have become more disturbed and sad about what is obviously very real fiction.
The film begins with parallel action. Illegal Mexican immigrants are snuck into the US to work as cheap labor at the fictional “Mickeys” fast food chain’s meat processing plant while a marketing exec, played by Greg Kinnear, at said chain learns its burgers contain high levels of fecal matter.
I don’t eat meat so even though I was nauseated I did not particularly feel I had accountability for these practices.
By the end of the film though – and I had to shut off the film during the horrifying finale – I was deeply disturbed by what happened courtesy of this “fictional” burger chain.
The next day I stopped in at a Starbucks for a cup of tea. I was reading the napkin. It said that Starbucks sources most of its coffee beans from farmers who treat workers, communities and the environment well. And they are working to make this 100 percent.
I liked that the napkins noted that they are able to make a difference because of our choice to be their customer. Think/feel what you might about Starbucks but I believe that that in and of itself is a very positive message.
Yes, we are all responsible. Not just for what we put into our bodies but for how people are treated thanks to our choices.
I know that I talk about this issue of consumer responsibility a lot and as Bruce Willis’ character said in the film nobody wants to be told what is good for them. But shouldn’t people be made aware of their options? Shouldn’t we be given information to make informed choices?
“Fast Food Nation” seems like a documentary. Perhaps because of how real the story feels. Or maybe it is because of the realistic nature of the tragic fate of the immigrants being brought into the country to be cheap labor. And what Greg Kinnear….sorry, got lost thinking about him there for a minute… what his character discovers when he tries to make a positive difference.
The pitch of the film is raised so skillfully throughout that you are anticipating something bad will happen. But I still wanted everything to be okay.
Sometimes I feel an overwhelming combination of disbelief over news about the food industry and a “why am I not surprised” attitude. How much any of us “need” to know is up to us as individuals, as are our choices.
This blog entry has probably taken me the longest to formulate of any I have written so far. I think it is because my learning curve has been the steepest.
Marina Marchese of Weston, Connecticut wrote a book called “Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper” and it was suggested to me that I meet her and read the book.
That was months ago!
It took me a while to absorb everything and the experience sent me off on a bunch of tangents due to my new understanding. I wanted so badly to do justice to this very important topic.
And I hope that this entry will inspire you to learn more.
Entering the world of bees
As of right now I have read the book but only met the author online and over the phone. Her impact on me though has been quite significant.
I am thinking that at some point in my life I must have learned how important honeybees are but like so much else I lost that bit of information somewhere along the line.
Or, maybe it just got clouded over in a world filled with overstimulation.
Bees have the right idea. A simple and productive life.
When I first met Marchese over the phone I sat there stunned by all the information I was taking in from her. It seemed almost like a fairytale. These colonies of bees have a wondrous way of living. It is downright enchanting.
What’s more, bees have been around a really long time. Way longer than anyone alive today. And yet, it is the people who are around today that are likely killing off these amazing creatures. The toxins we pollute our environment with are destroying our food supply.
Without bees what will pollinate our plants? What will become of our fruits and vegetables that depend on bee pollination to grow healthy and strong? And in turn how will future generations be nourished? What will livestock eat?
It is staggering.
In my head I just keep coming back to the fact that honeybees have been around for many, many generations – perhaps as much as a million years – and yet it is OUR generation that is killing them.
The book
I wish everyone would read Marchese’s book. It helped bring me to an understanding of the life of honeybees. I see that these bees are yet another part of how nature provides and how much we need to be careful and protect this precious gift.
Marchese begins the book by telling us the story of how the bees captivated her and drew her into their world. She liked it so much that she left her job as a graphic designer and took up residence in the world of the honeybee.
Her journey as told in the book weaves together her learning – and loving – experience with tons of information about bees and her journeys to the far east where honeybees are valued even today.
She now keeps hives and has created a full line of products including pure, nutrient-rich honey and skin care products.
Save the honeybee, save the food supply
Something really interesting – I have always been confused about why people use weed killers. It seems to me that weeds aren’t gonna hurt us. If you don’t like them, mow your lawn. Right?
It seems there is much, much more to it. Apparently, honeybees benefit from weeds. So, the next time you consider using something toxic on your weeds remember that a honeybee might just need the weeds and will then take the poisons back to its hive.
One thing of interest is the fact that honeybees have a great filtration system in their bodies to eliminate toxins. And yet we are challenging them, taxing their systems.
I could continue for a while here but will wrap it up for now.
In the meantime, do yourself and future generations a favor and check out Marchese’s fact-packed charming story in her book “Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper.” Check out her website at www.redbee.com – take a peek into the world of bees.
Tonight I watched “Julie & Julia” and found the idea of being redeemed by food kind of compelling. Up until now I had always thought it was love that was the one great redeemer.
Much of what we see in literature, film and television instructs us that we can completely screw up our lives but if we can only manage to love another then we get a second chance.
There might be some truth to that. But I suspect there are other ways to express our evolution. And isn’t “evolution” just another word for “redemption”?
So, why am I writing about our food system and the societal implications of (and parallels with) our country’s move away from small family farms? Whatever someone is dedicated to must be a part of who they are – and how does that apply to me wanting to address these issues?
I will have a think about that.
Do we all reach adulthood with a great deal that needs to be healed? And do the times when we grasp for something reflect what needs to be healed or what is inside us that needs to be heeded?
I have more questions than answers honestly.
Perhaps nobody sets out as a writer unless they want to connect with others. And what is more personal than food?
I don’t think that anyone has anything to say that has not been thought up before. But maybe if we are honest about why something appeals to us or what motivates us then we can connect with others.
That is probably why so many people thought so highly of the film. The two leads found themselves through their cooking and shared their motives and their journey. They not only showed that people can achieve success externally, but also within.
Maybe we do not always have to be noble each moment of our lives. Maybe we are designed to fail at times to compel us to become better people.
And maybe obstacles in life are best used to our advantage to help us reveal ourselves to ourselves and those we want to connect with – much as obstacles in films and books and television shows reveal the characters to an audience.
Food might just be a great redeemer. After all, it is something we all have in common. And our choices when it comes to food do reveal much about us.
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