Society has become accustomed to imported goods and the quick-and-easy life when it comes to food. Life is, after all, a fast-paced adventure for many. Historically, importing goods from far-away countries denoted sophistication and wealth, but times have changed and not all the effects of globalization are good for the planet. In fact, buying, selling and consuming locally may be just what the planet ordered in the way of salvation, and that is the concept behind Slow Food Delmarva.
Slow Food Delmarva is the local branch of an international movement (including more than 225 chapters and more than 180,000 people in the United States alone) and their aim is to focus on sustainability issues specific to their regions.
The Delmarva chapter was started by Brett Bold in July 2010 after a night spent brainstorming with a friend. Bold, who has a background in international affairs, found he fell into the food business easily. He spent a lot of time working in restaurants and traveling, and even spent time in Napa, Calif.
Bold’s love of food, coupled with his background in international affairs, therefore lent itself very naturally to a global-minded approach when it came to food production. And taking that global knowledge and applying it locally makes for a big impact, which is just what Bold has in mind.
Each chapter of Slow Food is unique and spans a region. The region included in the Delmarva chapter extends from Dover, Del., all the way to Ocean City, Md., as well as to Salisbury, Md.
Slow Food Delmarva works on a gamut of issues, including education of the public, and protection of the bays and waterways. The concept is also that “slow food” — food not created quickly but rather sustainably and locally — according to Bold, is “good-tasting, clean and fair for all. This includes the earth and the people.” He and other members of Slow Food Delmarva aim to educate the public about the food that is grown locally and connect people to tap the local resources when it comes to food growing, buying and selling.
To these ends, Slow Food Delmarva will be at both the Rehoboth and Lewes farmers’ markets this year, where they will help people to learn about farming in their own yards or homes to expand the amount of food that is grown locally.
They will also help to educate people about the specific foods that they are buying at the farmer’s markets – something that Bold says the farmers sometimes are too busy to do. In addition to this undertaking, Bold has also assembled a team that is working toward making a cookbook that boasts both local recipes and ingredients, and he has created quite a team.
Heading up the Slow Food Delmarva cookbook are local farmers Bob and Barbara Russell, who have been farming for more than 30 years. They have developed many recipes that they are going to share with the community — recipes they have made throughout the years using their own freshly grown produce.
Next, it will go into the hands of Hari Cameron, executive chef at Nage, who will put the finishing touches on the recipes. Finally, Bold has recruited Lisa Harkin, a nutritionist who will help tie in the healthy elements of the recipes that will be in the cookbook.
Bold is making big moves when it comes to local foods. His big vision, though, extends beyond just education of environmentally friendly foods and local-minded synergy. Bold envisions a 20-by-20-foot garden plot at every home with land, which would enable people to grow enough food for themselves, as well as to share at farmer’s markets to bring in side incomes. But to accomplish this, he says, they need more people to join the movement that is growing and here to stay.
Find out more about Slow Food Delmarva or get involved at www.slowfooddelmarva.org.
