Slow Food Stories

Butter makes everything better, including strategy.  Spending the weekend in the Queen City to meet with fellow Slow Food colleagues in the southern region. Spent a fascinating morning hearing "Ark of Taste" stories from luminary David Shields, acclaimed pommologist Lee Calhoun, and the heir to the famous Bradford Watermelon, Nat Bradford.  Shields spun tales of  benne seeds and the palmetto asparagus, black birch syrup ( who he is working with RVA chef Travis Milton to acquire),and Hayman sweet potatoes.  How can we as an organization empower communities to save heirloom varietals that are disappearing ? Some varietals go away because tastes change, others because of Big Ag.   Heard stories of farmers with 100 varieties of collard greens, and veggies like the "Tanya", the bulb of the elephant ear, and arrowroot, a starchy root that has fallen out of favor.

What memories do you have of foods that no longer are part of our food culture ?