At Slow Food Nation, Day One

Allison Cash (Group Account Director here at Marlin) and her husband Cody Cash (writer extraordinaire at deep) are attending Slow Food Nation ’08 in San Francisco. This is Allison’s daily diary. More pictures after the jump.

Friday, August 29

Because of Chloe

Once Cody and I had our first child, we realized we were responsible for teaching her so much. A philosophy of consumption was one of the most important things. A key part of consumption is food and beverage and we took a hard look at what we modeled for our daughter. Because of that analysis, we have made a move to more scratch meals, more fresh fruits and veggies and as much organic as possible. If you looked in our cabinet today you would still see Peter Pan peanut butter and Rice Krispies Treats cereal, but you would also see organic fruit strips and organic cookies. We have tried to make small, incremental changes in our family diet. We also switched our milk consumption to a local dairy that doesn’t use any growth hormones. As we looked at what went into Chloe’s body, school lunch became a topic. A big one. We realized that school lunches hadn’t changed a lot since we were in school and the quality and variety is questionable. We began to discuss how the school could support local farms, serve their products and teach the children about where food comes from and what grows in their region. During this discussion and the seeking of information on Farm to School programs is when I discovered Slow Food.

So when we found out there was a tour of a successful Farm to School program occurring at Slow Food Nation, we knew we had to go. That tour was today. This morning we met a group at the Civic Center downtown for a Slow Journey. The civic center area is a hub of activity for the Slow Food event, with a special community garden, informative displays and a farmer’s marketplace. It was starting to gear up as we hopped on a bus headed north for Davis, CA. The Slow Journey we are on is a look at Edible Education and highlights how the community of Davis has developed an integrated approach that supports the local farms by locking arms with the school district, University of California-Davis and the community.

I have been thoroughly impressed and inspired with the sights we have seen looking at Edible Education. At UC Davis, the ecological garden was gorgeous. An idyllic setting full of a variety of flora, it begs children to explore. We heard from Delaine Eastin, the former superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of California. She spearheaded the Garden in Every School program in the state. She was a strong speaker and drove home the importance of enhancing children’s education by utilizing gardens. It made me think. Of course a hands on learning approach is important. Especially hands on in a garden. In our culture of nutritionism and packaged goods do kids know where food comes from? How did we move so far so quickly? How can we get back to showing kids the cycle of life through what they eat?

By taking small steps. I know I will be starting a garden next season. There is no time to waste.

The garden was amazing. A giant fig tree forming a cozy canopy of shade and a trellis so dense a tunnel is formed, lined with growing grapes and kiwis. The Field House, built in the 30′s, was aged but graceful — full of notes of gratitude from children who have come there to learn. Across the way, a 20-acre student farm was in full production mode, gearing up for fall crops. We saw what $17 a week will buy in their CSA basket. Truly impressive. Grapes, tomatoes, corn, green beans, many peppers and more I couldn’t even identify. Even more spectacular was their campus dining. Managed by Sodexo, they have a wide variety of delicious organic, vegan, locally grown and beautiful choices for students. Their drive to be zero-waste was astounding — they compost over 100 tons a month. That compost stays in the area. Some is used by a student Project Compost and the rest leaves the campus and is distributed back to local farms which will in turn produce for the school. Beauty.

We stopped by the central kitchen of the Davis school district and listened to their foodservice director highlight the changes they have made. Again, she emphasized the slow change in order not to alienate too many parents and students. This is key to me. The guided tour was led by Ann Evans and Georgeanne Brennan, two local leaders in Slow Food. They have been intimately involved with the Davis Joint Unified School District and worked with the foodservice team to develop menus that highlight local produce in seasonal dishes. Two fantastic women, strong in their beliefs.

The journey was long — 11 hours total but motivating. Passionate people taking the time and effort to work toward change. I do think it starts with me (the individual) but also know we must speak to the next generation. My interest is great and I can’t help but wonder how many other people are passionate about this in Southwest Missouri.

Looking forward to tomorrow and the Taste Pavilion.