Peg has already referred to our cheese project. It has been underway in one form or another for nearly two years. A future post will describe how we became interested and how the project has been evolving.
Somewhat related to the cheese project has been our involvement with the Slow Food movement. A daughter bought me a gift membership in the national organization over a year ago. Cheese, now undergoing a renaissance in the U.S. by recapturing rich old traditions and craftsmanship, is in some sense emblematic of slow food, so the connection was a natural one.
Learning of the activities of the national and international slow food organizations was interesting and informative, but the activity became much enriched just a couple of months ago when a local chapter or "convivium" became active. The leaders of our local group in north-central Florida are young, intelligent, and energetic, and the membership seems to span a wide range of ages and life stages. As members, we have been able to visit two farms where local farmers (entrepreneurs?) are celebrating and practicing sustainable agriculture focused on the needs of the local community, and committed to producing food that is safe, fair, and wholesome.
A photo from one of the farms is attached. Possum Hollow Farm in north Florida consists of 30-odd acres, with as few as three or four acres under intense cultivation. Labor is provided by two people--the couple who manage the place--and the small tractor seen in the image. Produce is sold to local restaurants and at local farmers' markets. To make it all work, the farm couple has to invest a considerable amount of hard labor. Planting seeds and pulling weeds is not enough, however, and the greatest value the couple adds to the enterprise is in being smart--doing things right, anticipating problems, and always watching both the top and the bottom lines. They are interesting people, and could easily lead us to supplement our cheese project with a slow food project.
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