FOOD INC., The Movie
Act II, Food (Th)Inc.
MOON IN THE POND FARM TOUR
Join us for a farm tour & a chance to see an alternative to agribusiness
Many of you have seen the recently released movie, Food Inc. The hard hitting no holds barred documentary outlines the issues that we face and has given a lot of people their first real look at the breadth of problems that come with the industrialization of food. Great. Lots of people are left with a question, “What do we do now?” In my opinion, the next best step is some information about alternatives.
In keeping with our mission to educate, we’re offering you an inside look. Come to the farm to see and understand the realities of the alternative. Moon In The Pond is unique in the world of sustainable farms in its diversity, its dedication to heirloom veggies & historic breed livestock, and its strong focus on education.
The tours will take place rain or shine. Space is limited to 20
Sunday, August 16 at 10:30 a.m. for a 2 hour tour with Dom. Cost is $25.
OR
Sunday, August 23 at 10:30 a.m. for a 2 hour tour with Dom followed by a benefit lunch featuring Moon In The Pond hot dogs. Proceeds will go to the Western Massachusetts Tomato Growers Relief Fund. Cost is $50.
Official Food, Inc. Movie Site – Hungry For Change? – Trailer and Photos
In Our Community
Tomato Blight Killing Farms
Read more about the blight in this recent New York Times Article
If you’re reading this, you’ve survived the bizarrely wet weather. Unfortunately many of the region’s tomatoes plants haven’t. The highly contagious fungus responsible for the Irish potato famine has made its way here (reportedly via big-box store nationwide plant sales) and the soggy weather has spread it throughout the area. It’s a substantial loss for our market farmers who’ve invested heavily in this popular crop to overcome the accumulation of setbacks and challenges beginning with the economic meltdown that slowed sales and income last summer. Tomatoes are a surprisingly significant proportion of local vegetable farmers sales, and many farmers increased this year’s plantings in an attempt to balance last year’s slump. That makes the blight a double hit for farms. And it doesn’t end there because the “Tomato Late Blight” is also “Potato Late Blight,” so if it gets into the potato plants, which it has started, it will be rot that crop (underground) too and overwinter in the soil. Triple hit to quadruple and beyond. Growers are ripping out thousands of tomato and potato plants that they’ve nurtured for months—just before harvest. Thousands of dollars already spent and thousands not to come in.
We can help. We all must rally to support local farms. It’s imperative that we all buy and eat locally grown food if we want our farms to survive. Go out in force to farmers’ markets, farms and farm stands and buy what they have. Design your menus on the spot from what’s locally available. Ask at every restaurant and food store, “What do you have from local farms?”
A Friend Of The Farmer Blog
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/5754144 w=266&h=200]Our good friend David Backer, from just across the border in Connecticut, advocates for the small farmer by giving us news, insights, interviews and recipes pertinent to the world of small farming and good food. Recently David interviewed Dom and also Moon In The Pond intern, Tyler Sage about his experience as a new, young farmer. Be sure check out David’s blog for his regular updates!
Our Butcher Shop is Coming!
Jeremy Stanton Dreams Of A Locavore Butcher Shop.
This Rural Intelligence article includes an invitation and menu for a ‘seed money’-raising event. 
A Book Recommendation
Check out this just-out book to see the context of our food system and how the growth of cities has been in direct relationship to the availability of food. It’s especially pertinent to the city-dwellers who wonder about the connection. Carolyn Steel writes with the clarity and precision of her architectural training in this beautiful analysis of the history of food within the context of today’s issues. I absolutely loved the book and though I am really not a ‘reader’ I was amazed that even I could not put down Hungry City. I was actually a bit disappointed when I got to the end to realize that the chunk I thought was still left was foot notes! Carolyn Steel is brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of her work in Hungry City.
(Slow Food Western Mass is an affiliate of the Bookloft. If you would like to purchase this book or any others, go to the Bookloft via this link, and SFWM will receive a percentage of the sale.)
Recipes
Super Simple Salvadorian Fresh Pickled Salad
With fresh ingredients, this is so simply and delicious, it’s astonishing! (But only use garden fresh cabbage.)
Combine the following ingredients with your hands. Extra salt is necessary to draw the sweet juice from the succulent fresh cabbage.
1 Carrot, finely grated
1/2 Head Fresh Cabbage, thinly shredded
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt, lots
Pepper to taste
Serve with any summer meal.
Sensational August 4 ’09 Vegetable Medley
Because what’s available on any given day can make an exciting dish, here’s what we pulled, vibrating with freshness,
off the vegetable stand last night (minus the olive oil, salt and pepper).
3 medium ‘Red Long of Tropea’ onions with greens chopped
1 head of ‘Slovak’ Garlic, minced
2 small (7 inch-long) ‘Costada Romanesca’ Zucchini, chunked
4 large stalks (leaves and ribs) ‘Argenta’ Swiss Chard, chopped, leaves separate
Small bunch of chives, minced
Olive oil, salt, pepper, butter (optional, not really)
In large skillet with plenty of olive oil, sweat the onions and minced garlic. Throw in the squash and swiss chard ribs. Saute on high heat until barely cooked. Add chard leaves and chives. Stir. Salt and pepper generously. Quickly finish with blobs of butter and serve immediately.
Serves 4 in about ten minutes.
We’d Love to Hear from You
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