Clark Wolf's Rants, Raves, Diatribes...and a few other Thoughts

Food celebration for all on Independence Day

 

Recently I was on a panel at New York University, part of the Critical Food Topics series organized by food consultant Clark Wolf. The topic was "Celebrating With Food," something I do three times a day, minimum. After the presentations, a member of the audience asked the panelists which holiday was their favorite, food-wise.

Cookbook author Joan Nathan said Passover, because it is a feast of tradition. Atlanta chef Scott Peacock spoke of Thanksgiving and particularly memorable pickled peaches and a luscious-sounding cake. Someone said Christmas; another waxed lyrical about roasting a whole goat for Greek Easter. Everyone had a happy memory.

I realized that in my lexicon of happy food celebrations, the Fourth of July was tops. It's tops because it is inclusive for all Americans, and leaves no one out for religious reasons. It's a party for all groups; regardless of how long their families have lived in the country, it is a lazy, lovely day.

There are no starched napkins, no sit-down dinners, no formal attire, no one to impress, no opportunity really for pretentiousness. It is utterly democratic - whatever your social class, when July Fourth rolls around you'll probably be lighting a barbecue. It spans all groups, all regions of the country, all ethnic groups.

It's about celebrating our national freedom even through hard times, recession and difficulties. It's about hospitality and sharing and really just having a nice day off, a day to get together and enjoy a barbecue, family, friends and fireworks.

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Time's up. Food is the most important thing in the world.

From the blog: Food, Farms, and Community: Rural America's Local Food Renaissance at Sterling College:

With dimming light and cooling air, we listened to the soulful strains of Mayfly outside of one of Sterling's residence halls and reflected on a very full day of events. I am honestly awed by the energy of our 50 or so participants and the interactions and conversations among us all.

Some highlights this afternoon and evening (other than the delicious Local Foods Banquet!):

From a session on Saint Lawrence University's blossoming farm program, in response to concerns about farmers resorting to food stamps--and not eating the food they produce themselves--Saint Lawrence's Sustainability Coordinator, Louise Gava, said, "Sometimes I think we should pay farmers more than they are asking" in order to maintain and support vibrant local economic and food networks.

In a talk on religion's influence on food choices, Kate Holbrook, a Ph.D. candidate at BU, offered that "People have been going back to the land since before they left it."

Ulla Kjarval and Annie Connolle highlighted strategies for farmers to use social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs to communicate, collaborate and monetize their operations with little to no overhead (except time). I'd have to agree with Annie's candid assertion that, well, "blogging is awesome!"

Some key moments from Clark Wolf's keynote:

"Time's up. Food is the most important thing in the world."

"I don't believe in training. I believe in education."

"Calling food 'conventionally grown' is lying -- it's industrially grown."

Growing quality healthy food "is not brain surgery. It's common sense."

"It takes a village. It takes a zucchini. It takes a third grade class. It takes dirt."

"All Earth is public trust."

"It's great for food to be a metaphor. It's more important for it to be lunch."

"Men and women in their early 20s want to *do* something. I suggest farming."

There are no "producers" and "consumers" in a healthy food system. There are just people in a relationship with one another.

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