Darina Allen
Slow Food Councillor for Ireland
Slow Food East Cork Convivium Leader
+353 (0)21 4646 785
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Celebration of Slow Food Terra Madre Day
at East Cork Slow Food Convivium
The East Cork Slow Food convivium celebrated Terra Madre Day on Friday 2nd December. A happy group arrived and were welcomed with mulled organic apple juice from the orchard and a taste of local food.
Pat Lalor of Ballard Organic Farm in County Westmeath kindly spoke on the importance of organic soil and the nutritional value that is added to our food.
Pat began his talk with a little historical background. The Lalor family came from the UK in 1844 and Pat is now 4th generation. Ballard Farm was for the first 100 years a working organic farm, then over the next 50 years it used synthetic chemicals to boost crop and animal production and to control unwanted weeds and diseases. Over the course of the last 30 years farming production systems in Ireland became very 'intensive', with the emphasis on maximum production rather than market requirements. This consequently led to over production and the inevitable introduction of 'production limits or quotas'. This resulted in reduced income from mainstream farming systems and hence the need arose for the Lalor family to examine other means of land use in order to maintain a viable family income. Pat spent a few years looking at a small number of alternatives which might meet his needs and finally plucked up the courage to go for fully certified Organic farming in 1999 concentrating on cereals and beef. The key issue which swung it for organics was that there was a clear message coming from the market place; 'we want organic food and we are prepared to pay for it'. Therefore, at that time Pat’s main reason for changing over to organic production was to 'make more money'.
Pat told the group there must be respect for the soil and the nature of organic farming is to work with nature. The organic farmer must understand the science of the soil and work with it. The better the farmer takes care of the soil, the better the soil will take care of the farmer. We must understand the needs of the soil so that it can continue, with our help, to produce healthy food to feed the people of this world as it has done so well since the beginning of time. The challenge of successful commercial organic farming is indeed a significant one.
Pat spoke about building a fertile soil which will have an abundant supply of nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, in addition to a high population of soil micro-organisms. This is achieved by a system of recycling nutrients around the farm based on a sustainable rotation. The rotation used in Ballard Organic Farm is very simple, two years of red clover / ryegrass followed by three years of cereal growing and back to red clover / ryegrass again.
The two organic cereal crops currently grown at Ballard Organic Farm are winter triticale (a cross between wheat and rye) and winter oats. Some of the grain is sold to other organic farmers but most of it is fed to his own cattle during the winter housing period.
The Lalor family are also currently establishing a significant beef enterprise at Ballard Organic Farm. For a number of reasons, it was decided to establish a suckler herd so that all of the beef produced on the farm would be from our own herd of suckler cows. The main reason for this radical change was to significantly improve animal quality in terms of carcass confirmation, meat quality and animal efficiency. To achieve this goal, a herd of autumn calving registered Pedigree Simmental cows was established in 2010. These cows are being crossed with an Aberdeen Angus bull and the first crop of calves were born in Oct/Nov 2010. In 2/3 years, the old system of buying in stock will be phased out, leading to a completely closed herd. Each year, a small number of the highest quality cows are put in calf to a pedigree Simmental bull in order to produce registered pedigree stock either to be kept on the farm as replace stock or to be sold.
Traditionally, cereals have always been grown at Ballard Organic Farm, as part of a balanced and sustainable rotation. Typically, the aim was to produce cereals for the beef cattle enterprise and to sell surpluses to other organic farmers. Over time this practice has changed and while some wheat is still grown for home use, the emphasis now is on the growing of high quality oats for human consumption. Most of this crop is sold to Flahavans for porridge oats but since January 2011, Pat has started to sell his own Kilbeggan Organic Porridge oats. December 2nd was a red letter day for Pat and his wife Lily. The first palette of Kilbeggan Organic porridge was on its way to the famous New York grocer Dean and DeLuca. Pat did a very simple exercise to illustrate the difference in how he produced oats formally as a conventional farm and now as an organic farmer. He had two bowls of organic oats. In a glass there was a mixture of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and fertilizer which he added to one bowl of oats to make it conventional how he used to farm. The other had merely rain and sun. He then asked the assembled audience which bowl of oats would we prefer to eat and feed to our family.
Pat spoke with great enthusiasm and belief in the importance of organic soil, having good pedigree beef stock and his new venture in organic porridge. Farmers from the local IFA and Macra na Feirme attended, some travelled from as far as Castletownroche, all left with a renewed sense of awareness.
Proceeds from the night went to support the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project
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Slow Fish Conference 2011
Genoa May 27th - 30th 2011
Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery in Castletownshend, West Cork attended the Slow Fish Conference in May. Here is her report of her experience of that weekend. Visit www.slowfood.com/slowfish for lots more information of this bi-annual event.
A trip to Bremen, to discuss a new Common Fisheries Policy.....
Under the auspices of Slowfish, I was delighted to participate in open discussions regarding the proposed new Common Fisheries Policy.........a wide-ranging and frank series of formal and informal sharing of insights and projections, culminating in a request to EU regulators that the proposed Individual Transferable Quota system should NOT be applied to only ‘vessels under 12 metres’, as we felt that this should not apply to owner/skippers of locally-operated vessels within northern European fleets, as, due to diminishing stocks, poor market prices, fluctuating but ever-increasing fuel and insurance costs, desperate owner/skippers may be forced out of business and feel obliged to have to sell their ITQ.........this could result in large fishing companies having access to extra quota in other EU fisheries......as Ireland’s quota within her own waters is already so minute (under 5% of stocks other than herring and mackerel), it was felt that we may lose even more of this tiny quota to non-national fleets. Our proposal is that this quota should be retained within the coastal community and area where it becomes available (tragically) to younger fishermen who may want to enter the industry. At this time, it is nigh on impossible for any young person to gain entry to the fleet, due to the imposed decreases in tonnage of the fleet. If tonnage and quota was made available to locally-operated vessels around our coasts, there would be some hope of an industry in the future. Without this derogation, limiting the accessibility of non-local boats to our own coastal waters, the future looks very bleak indeed. Employment opportunities in both the fishing/catching sector, and, by default, the processing sector, have to be safeguarded and protected for future generations of peripheral coastal dwellers, and not simply for economic reasons.............maintaining vibrant populations of people within these areas is also of prime importance. Too many have already left in search of employment opportunities in other parts of the world, decimating those communities and stealing away their youth and futures.
Great work is being conducted by ‘Responsible Irish Fish’, an organisation founded with the express imperative to ensure that locally-caught, very fresh fish, is made visibly available to consumers within Ireland, to protect local incomes and industry in the face of cheap imported fish. This also has a very negative impact on our own fleet, as it is almost impossible to compete on price..........more and more local skippers are finding it impossible to make a living from the sea on their own doorsteps. As a micro-processor trying to survive in my own locality, and working with locally-sourced raw material, my own survival depends totally on these resources being available to me in the coming years. If the issue of ITQs is not applied with these criteria in mind, the future looks very bleak indeed for indigenous, local fishermen.
Sally Barnes Woodcock Smokery, Casteltownshend, West Cork. www.woodcocksmokery.com
CAP Reform
Letter from Elisa Demichelis Slow Food Italy on CAP Reform
Dear Slow Food Friend
Before the summer holidays, we would like to provide you with a short but important update on the work that we have been doing at the European level.
As you already might know, Slow Food is working to improve its European commitment and we are now launching a campaign calling for a more fair, ecological and inclusive policy. Therefore we have been elaborating a position paper setting out Slow Food's vision for the next CAP. This document - here attached to this email - offers a series of concrete proposals for the reform of the CAP. It is a call to action for all Slow Food members to work to ensure that the principles of a sustainable, good, clean and fair food production system be absorbed as much as possible within the new policy and is an invitation for all those involved to join the campaign.
Ideally we would like this document to be distributed to all the convivium leaders and members in your country to stimulate the discussion. We would like to collect as many inputs as possible from all our Slow Food members. Therefore we kindly ask you to send this document to all the members of your convivium and to the people who might be interested. Also, you can post it on the website of the convivium.
As a suggestion, if you are planning any activity for the next months, it might be interesting to incorporate the discussion about the CAP. These discussions are already underway in many European countries and we now encourage our Slow Food network to get involved.
On the Slow Food International website, we have created a section dedicated to Europe and the CAP. The section is called "Slow Europe" and you will be able to find all materials and information on this theme. Please visit the following link:
http://www.slowfood.com/international/food-for-thought/slow-themes/102602
Thank you for helping us spread the document and for your commitment.
We will remain at your disposal for any further information you might need.
Best regards,
Elisa
RAW Milk Petition
Dear Slow Food Members and Friends
Virtually all Irish milk, with a few rare exceptions, is now pasteurised as well as homogenised. However, in the absence of specific regulations in Ireland and raw milk may be sold to the public. It is legal today to sell raw milk from a farm or through retail outlets.
The FSAI and the Department of Agriculture are planning to ban the sale of raw milk to the public later this year. This removes the choice from those who would rather have unpasteurised milk.
Other EU countries, including Britain and Northern Ireland, introduced a regulated system whereby producers who undertake to operate to a specific production and labelling protocols may continue to sell raw milk to the public. We have frequently asked the FASI and the Department of Agriculture to draw up a protocol for selected farmers who would be chosen to produce the finest milk for liquid milk production. The raw milk would be sold in glass bottles and clearly labelled ‘may contain pathogens’. No one is putting a gun to anyone’s head to buy raw milk but freedom of choice is a fundamental right.
Regulations in the food industry are important but they must be appropriate to the risk. It is estimated the 100,000 people in Ireland regularly drink raw milk. The HSE statistics up to this year do not indicate a linked health concern. Why do we need this new law now? Why can we not adopt the best practice that has been established in other countries that value the naturalness of their foods?
If you feel that we should have a choice please sign the Raw Milk Petition which you can find on www.slowfoodireland.com or contact me directly at
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.
Of course you can always petition your own TD to write a letter yourself to the Minister. You may download the petition letter on the Slow Food Ireland website and post it to the Minister. Please include your name and address in any communication, or it will not be valid.
Kind regards
Darina Allen
Slow Food Grandmother's Recipe Archive
Slow Food Ireland are encouraging Slow Food members and their friends to send a favourite recipe from their grandmother and or a food memory from childhood which will be published on the Slow Food website. I would encourage you to send in a recipe or food memory and it would be extra special if you could include a photograph of grandmother beside the entry. This could build into a wonderful resource and Slow Food Grandmothers archive which can be added to on an ongoing basis. Please email submissions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The GM Issue
There is considerable unease among the Irish people since ex-minister Brendan Smith had a rush of blood to the head before he left office and shot off to Brussels to vote in favour of a motion that a GM product could be labelled GM-free provided it contained no more than .8% of GM material. When Fianna Fail and the Greens were in government Ireland was designated a GM-free island but this is now in jeopardy. The ‘Pathways for Growth’ published by Bord Bia which was based on the Harvard report reminds us of our natural advantages in Ireland. “Ireland has an enviable agricultural situation that almost every other country would kill for. It has abundant fertile land, lots of water, and miles of coastline all situated closely to a collection of 400 million affluent people. It is one of Europe’s largest dairy and beef exporters and home to several world class firms and hundreds of artisan food producers. All this comes at a time when the global demand for food is projected to increase by 70% over the next 40 years. The affluent world is demanding locally grown, non polluting traceable, transparent food.” Ireland the Food Island is well placed to fill this demand but Ireland the Genetically Modified Food Island wouldn’t have quite the same ring to it and would cause serious challenges for our marketing people. We would be crazy to squander our farming future and our priceless green image. It is crucial for the future of Ireland Inc to remain GM free. We have been inundated with queries from people who have concerns but are not familiar with the issues so here are some websites with information that may be of help.
Ten Reasons to Say No GMOS by Carlo Petrini of Slow Food Italy
Italy - 05 Mar 10 - Carlo Petrini
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Summarizing complex issues, such as all those concerning food and agriculture, is not easy, nor is it necessarily a good thing. However I believe that it could be helpful to list the reasons why we and others say “no” to GMOs. Not because of ideological positions or prejudices, as those who think they are the only repositories of knowledge love to claim, but for serious and justifiable reasons, shared by many researchers and scientists.
1) CONTAMINATION: Here in Italy, and in many countries, safely cultivating GMOs is impossible because of our small farms and lack of adequate natural barriers to protect organic and conventional crops. Additionally, agriculture is part of a living system which includes wild fauna, the water cycle, the wind and the reactions of microorganisms in the soil; GM crops cannot be confined to the surface of the field in which they are being cultivated.
2) FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: How could organic, biodynamic and conventional farmers be sure that their products are not contaminated? Even the limited spread of GM crops in open fields would change forever the quality and the current state of our agriculture, destroying our freedom to choose what we eat.
3) HEALTH: It has been shown that animals fed with GMOs can develop health problems.
4) FREEDOM: GM crops denature the role of farmers, who have always improved and selected their own seeds. GM seeds are owned by multinationals to whom the farmer must turn every new season, because, like all commercial hybrids, second-generation GMOs do not give good results. It is also forbidden for farmers to try to improve the variety without paying expensive royalties.
5) ECONOMY AND CULTURE: GM products do not have historical or cultural links to a local area. In Italy for example, a significant part of its agricultural and food economy is based upon identity and the variety of local products. Introducing anonymous products with no history would weaken a system that also has close links to the tourism industry.
6) BIODIVERSITY: GM crops impoverish biodiversity because they require large surface areas and an intensive monoculture system. Growing only one kind of corn for human consumption will mean a reduction in flavors and knowledge.
7) ECO-COMPATIBILITY: Research on GMOs has so far focused on two kinds of “advantages”: resistance to a corn parasite (the corn borer) and resistance to a herbicide (glyphosate). Supporters of GMOs say that they allow the reduced use of synthetic chemicals. But crop rotation is the only real way to fight the corn borer, and herbicide resistance will only lead to freer use of the chemical in the fields, given that it harms only undesirable weeds, not the actual crops.
8) CAUTION: Around 30 years since GMOs began to be studied, results in the agricultural sector concern only three crops (corn, rapeseed and soy). In fact the plants do not support the genetic modifications very well and this science is still rudimentary and partially entrusted to chance. We would like to see a more cautious and careful approach, as in Germany and France, where some GM crops have been banned.
9) PROGRESS: GMOs are the result of a myopic and superficial way of seeing progress. The role of small-scale agriculture in the protection of local areas, the defense of the landscape and the struggle against global warming is increasingly clear to consumers, governments and scientists. Instead of following the siren call of the market, modern research should support sustainable agriculture and its needs.
10) HUNGER: When it comes to hunger, the United Nations says that family agriculture will protect the sectors of the population at risk of malnutrition. Multinationals instead promise that GMOs will feed the world, but since they began to be marketed around 15 years ago, the number of starving people in the world has only grown, just like the profits of the companies that produce the seeds. In countries like Argentina and Brazil, GM soy has swept away energy-providing crops like potatoes, corn, wheat and millet on which the daily diet is based.
First Slow Food Ireland Convivium
Slow Food West Cork launched 1998
From left to right Annie Barry, Sally Barnes, Bill Hogan, Giana Ferguson, Myrtle Allen, Garret Fitzgerald and Darina Allen
Weekly Recipe using a Wild Food