fauren

Looking Forward: PF1, Outstanding in the Field and Added Value

Tomorrow is the opening of PF1, the architecture-cum-farming project at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center. I will be out of town this weekend, visiting my folks and newly-into-her-third-trimester sister (yay!), but I hope to make it out there next weekend to snoop around and see what's growing.

I also just ordered my copy of Outstanding in the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook, which Sam Sifton called one of the summer's "most interesting new cookbooks" in the New York Times. I've been a long-distance admirer of Outstanding in the Field for quite a while now, and I'm doubly excited to get this cookbook -- not only will I get to try out some new recipes in the kitchen, but it'll also give me a guaranteed topic of conversation at their dinner in Brooklyn this September. Yes, despite not yet having been economically stimulated by the IRS I managed to shell out for a ticket, which I am sure will be more than worth it.

The dinner was scheduled to take place at Added Value (recently profiled in Edible Brooklyn), which I'm hoping will still end up being the case. I've biked by the farm several times, on my trips to the Red Hook Ball Fields for huaraches the size of my face and ceviche out of paper cups, but I've never gone to take a look. After seeing their new office space on Van Brunt Street shape up on my trips to Fairway and meeting someone who worked for them (my vegetable tour guide at Stone Barns), though, it would be great to spend some time there. But if not dinner, there's always the chance to join in on one of their volunteer days this summer.

Generally speaking, some of my favorites foods are now cropping up at the Greenmarkets. Yesterday, the little market near my apartment in Bartel-Pritchard Square was overflowing with pints of strawberries, and this week's pickup from our CSA yielded some beautiful garlic scape. It's going to be a delicious summer!

MoMA and P.S.1 To Present PF1 (Public Farm One) This Summer

It's been a couple of years since I last braved the throngs of scenesters at P.S.1's summer program Warm Up, but I've just gotten reason to give it another try this year. As winners of MoMA and P.S.1's Young Architects Program, WORK Architecture Company will be building PF1, a.k.a. Public Farm One, at the entrance to the Long Island City museum. It opens June 20.

From P.S.1's press release:

PF1 will work as an interactive bridge between outside and inside, creating multiple zones of activity including swings, fans, sound effects, innovative seating areas, and a refreshing pool at its center. The installation will be a living structure made from inexpensive and sustainable materials recyclable after its use at P.S.1.

And from WORK's statement on the project:

[PF1 is] a magical plot of rural delights inserted within the city grid that resonates with our generations' preoccupations and hopes for a better and different future. In our post-industrial age of information, customization, and individual expression, the most exciting and promising developments are no longer those of mass production but of local interventions.

The bottom line: PS1 will be home to a working farm for the summer, and I've heard from a good friend on the inside that the museum may open a small farmer's market to sell what's grown on PF1 to the public.

Courtesy WORKac.

New York Times, via Architecture Lab: Betting a Farm Would Work in Queens 

March Miscellany

A hodgepodge of some other tidbits I've been meaning to share over the last week:

In the ongoing story of the Westland/Hallmark Slaughterhouse debacle and ensuing beef recall, Westland/Hallmark president Steve Mendell testified before a congressional panel last week, contradicting his earlier written statements by admitting that it's possible downer cows from the plant entered the food chain. (Washington Post: Slaughterhouse Owner Backs Off Claims, New York Times: Meat Packer Admits Slaughter of Sick Cows)

Chinook (a.k.a. king) salmon have literally disappeared from Bay Area waters, meaning the regional fishery there will most likely remain closed through this year's season. The causes are unclear, and though populations farther north may still be fished this summer, don't expect your Alaskan king salmon to come cheap. (New York Times: Chinook Salmon Vanish Without a Trace)

The Times has led me to find a CSA with a pick-up location mere blocks from my apartment. YAY. Sunday's Dining & Wine section featured a piece about the folks behind Hearty Roots farm in Tivoli, NY. (New York Times: Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat)

And finally, yesterday I came upon the website of the Green Edge Collaborative, which is dedicated to discussing "how our consumption choices affect our social, environmental and economic worlds – in our local neighborhoods as well as the global community." I'm excited about this discovery and hope to attend the potluck on the 30th, since home composting is at the top of this spring's to-do list. Report to come!

Talking Water with Peter Hoffman and Fred Kirschenmann

Last night, I attended "Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Watering Our Breadbasket," a talk with Fred Kirschenmann and Peter Hoffman. It was presented by the American Museum of Natural History in conjunction with their current show, Water: H₂0=Life (an exhibit, I must point out, that was partially designed by my hunky boyfriend).

Hoffman, chef at Savoy in SoHo, spoke largely about local issues, explaining how New Yorkers' buying decisions can affect our water supply and describing State governmental efforts to protect our fresh water supplies.

A lot of this segment fell under the category of I Had No Idea. For instance: In 1997, the federal government sued New York State for failing to install a filtration system for its public drinking water. In response, rather than spending the money on building the filtration systems, the State reached a Memorandum of Agreement with the government to acquire land within the New York State watershed and implement protection efforts that would keep our drinking water drinkable without filtration. The five-year MOA was renewed in 2002 and again just this past July.

I always hear people talk about the quality of New York City drinking water, in that it's some of the best in the country, but I never realized that it was unfiltered. Turns out the watershed protection doesn't just benefit those of us who drink the stuff down here in the five boroughs; it's brought about some major successes for upstate farming, such as the Pure Catskills program from the Watershed Agricultural Council.

Kirschenmann spoke to the larger issues of water consumption and sound agricultural practices, along the way delivering some startling statistics.

Michael Pollan on WNYC

A brief addendum to yesterday's post: Michael Pollan was a guest on the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC this past Wednesday. Here's the audio from his segment.

(If the embedded audio doesn't work, you can find the page for the show here.)

Dan Barber, How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the ways:

1. Blue Hill 
2. Blue Hill at Stone Barns 
3. The Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
4. That MTV Extreme Close-Up picture of the wild boar testicles you showed to a packed auditorium the other night

Four. I love Dan Barber four ways.

This past Tuesday, Michael Pollan and Dan Barber gave a talk at the 92nd Street Y that was moderated by Joan Dye Gussow. The theme was Hedonistic, Healthy, and Green: Can We Have It All? When I walked into the lobby, the place was absolutely packed, and everyone seemed eager to make it quickly up to will-call so they could take their seats and rain silent praise down upon a couple of our greatest contemporary advocates for local and sustainable eating. I was no exception.

I didn't know what to expect, but the event was pleasantly free-form, with Gussow, Pollan, and Barber each giving a short presentation of sorts from the podium at the beginning but taking comfortable seats on the stage afterward to have a conversation about modern American eating habits. Pollan is fresh off the publication of his latest book, In Defense of Food, which sort of naturally led him to do much of the talking, but Gussow peppered the talk with some personal insight, and Barber forever endeared himself to me with his self-deprecating (and perhaps, at moments, unintentional) comic relief. I mean, after his detailed Powerpoint presentation about how he agonized over what to do with Boris, his wild boar at Stone Barns, when the animal was no longer able to... perform, I kind of had no choice but to love the guy.

Among other things, I came away from the talk feeling reassured that Pollan, who easily runs the risk of becoming a figurehead for whatever you want to call this movement toward more conscious eating choices, is still ceaselessly performing research and ready to not only share his findings, but to interpret and back them up.

Issues of elitism, class, and other impediments to accessing whole, healthy, and/or environmentally friendly foods came up a handful of times, too. I was really pleased to hear Pollan and Barber (whose restaurant is most assuredly guilty of "sticker shock," as Gussow put it) willingly acknowledge that such problems are very real, and also to hear them offer ways in which the public can help change that.

It was really encouraging to see the auditorium at the Y filled to the rafters with folks who are excited about what Pollan and Barber have to say. I may live in a neighborhood that's home to three regular Greenmarkets, a food co-op, and a few CSAs, but despite that (or quite possibly because of it), it's still sometimes hard to tell whether the things these guys and their peers are spotlighting are taking root with the general public. The turnout at this modest talk, however, made it hard to deny.

Video of the talk on the 92y.org blog
The first chapter of In Defense of Food

Some Things Are Just Worth Going Broke For

What a beautiful sight:

It's the most wonderful time of the year... NYC Winter Restaurant Week 2007!

I have been keeping very busy the last few days sorting out where to eat and when.  One could have worse problems.   Thus far there's dinner at The Beacon, The Modern, Alfama, Artisanal, and Bolo,  lunch at db, and a spot on the wait list for lunch at Gramercy Tavern.  If I can handle it, there may be another one or two, though the other places I was hoping to hit for lunch -- The River Cafe and Cafe Boulud -- are completely booked. 

Goodness.  I'm feeling tired (and full) just thinking about it all.

Food, Ethics & the Environment on the Web

I'm happy to report that the webcasts of the Food, Ethics & the Environment conference sessions are finally up on the Princeton WebMedia site for your listening pleasure.  I would particularly recommend the presentation given by Paul Shapiro of the Humane Society in Session III and the entirety of Session IV, which was a pair of talks given by Michael Pollan and Bob Langert, the Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at MacDonald's (quite a pairing, to say the least). 

If you listen to no other part of the latter, I would suggest at least skipping to the Q&A at the end, beginning right at minute 58.  Mr. Langert, to whom I give much credit just for being willing to speak to a roomful of people who probably haven't patronized MacDonald's in years precisely for ethical reasons, was put to the test, and the back and forth between him, Pollan, and the conference attendees was unlike much I've ever experienced: entertaining, frustrating, tense, and engaging.  (Mr. Langert makes reference to the MacDonald's corporate responsibility report in his talk, and it can be found here.)

Enjoy.

Food, Ethics & the Environment webcast
(no permalink available; search for November 16 and 17, 2006)
 

'Tis the Season

This is just a quick note to say that the Green Drinks Holiday Party is coming up on Tuesday.  I'll be there, celebrating the completion of my second-to-last final for the semester.  You should come, too.

Gravy Wishes and Cranberry Dreams

The car is packed and ready to hit the road when I finish my three-hour work day tomorrow.  I'm off to my parents' house for my favorite holiday.  I've been slow to update around here, thanks mostly to school, but these next few days will be a welcome break from all that.  It'll give me a chance to catch you all up on a few things, not the least of which is the conference, which was amazing.  I also indulged in some homemade pear, plum, and fig pie with hazelnut crust at a friend's house last night.  What a way to kick off the most gluttonous week of the year...

More soon.  Happy almost Thanksgiving, everyone.