Slow Movement News
Turkish fast food: Real food fast
The definition of ‘fast food’ according to the Wikipedia is food cooked in build and in advance, kept warm or re-heated to order....
Slow Food in collaboration with the region of Liguria, has just finished celebr4ating the event Slow Fish 2007. It was a great success with 42,000 visitors, a much higher number than expected. ...
National Sea Change Task Force urges more flood studies
ABC Wed Jul 11 07 The Mayor of Maroochy Shire on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Joe Natoli, says it could be another 12 months before the CSIRO is able to undertake a flood modelling study in the Sunshine Coast region because the research body is under-funded. ...
Treechangers change country culture
An influx of treechangers into a rural community can keep population levels steady but it can change the needs and expectations within the community. ...
Slow Movement and You-Pick-It Farms & Roadside Stalls
You-Pick-It Farms – Really getting into the slow movement
U-Pick activities allow consumers to get right in the harvesting activity and develop a real connection to the food they eat. These activities allow consumers to come into direct contact with the farmer on his farm and to experience harvesting without having to do the other, perhaps less rewarding and more time consuming activities of planting, tending etc.
Produce from a You-Pick-It farm is cheaper than any other source because it is free of labour costs.
You-Pick-It farms are gaining popularity and people become more interested in the rustic simplicity of picking their own fruit or vegetables from the bush, vine or plant. Many farmers are taking advantage of the renewed interest in connecting to food and food production by organising entertainment attractions they provide them with additional income. For example, some farmers have ‘agri-tainment’ or agri-tourism activities such as petting farm animals, hay rides, children’s play areas and children’s discovery farms. Some farmers are marketing to schools to provide a venue for school field trips.
Roadside Stalls – Connection to rural environment
Roadside stalls are another way for consumers to connect to the rural environment and to food and food production systems. In some ways roadside stalls offer greater benefits to farmers and fewer issues than You-Pick-It farms. Roadside stalls do not have consumers on the farm with the related legal liability issues, and possible damage to farm equipment. Farmers can also resell produce not sold on the stall.
Roadside stalls provide an easy outlet for farm produce and can lengthen the cropping season. But location of the stall is critical since it usually relies on passing trade. Adequate parking needs to be provided and the stall needs to be maintained to ensure it is not seen as run down or shabby.