Farm dinners are one of the hottest dining experiences in Oregon this year, with Portland Monthly magazine devoting a full issue to them in April. Everything from dining in vineyards, to 30-mile bike rides ending at a long farm table, to river trips with farm-fresh meals served. Here in the Rogue Valley we are lucky to have not only an ongoing farm dinner series at Hanley Farm, but also to have farmers who work directly with the chef to plan from planting time what type of meal will be served. How unique is this? Very.
But first, a little background on the phenomenon: farm dinners can really be thought of as part of the “Slow Food” movement. The “Slow Food” movement started in Italy in 1986 by journalist Carlo Petrini, as part of a protest against a McDonald’s franchise opening in one of Rome’s famous squares, the Piazza di Spagna. Counterpointing “Slow Food” with “fast food” Petrini developed a vision that placed emphasis on enjoying food through the lens of local economic and environmental preservation. As Petrini states, “Slow Food unites the pleasure of food with responsibility, sustainability and harmony with nature.”
The Slow Food movement has grown exponentially since its official founding in 1989, and currently has over 100,000 members in 150 countries. In the Unites States there are currently 170 chapters, whose mission is to “care, cultivate and connect.” Central to this is bringing people together to not only enjoy meals but to learn about the connection between the food they eat and the environment they live in. As Alice Waters, Executive Chef, Founder and Owner of famed Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, CA, and vice president of Slow Food International says, “When we understand the connection between the food on our table and the field where it grows, our everyday meals can anchor us to nature and the place where we live.”
Which brings us back to Jacksonville, Hanley Farm, and the place we live. While many of the farm dinners organized across Oregon advertise “working with local farmers,” none that I am aware of have the intimate relationship with the farmers they work with, using ingredients specially grown on the farm to create their meals, that is present at Hanley Farm. The food is grown literally just yards from where it is served, and planted there with intention. It is Slow Food at its best.
The next, and final, Hanley Farm dinner of the season will be held on Saturday September 13, from 5:00-8:00pm. Come out. Slow down.
Tickets can be purchased online at http://hanleyfarm.org/origins-dinner-series, or by calling (541) 773-6536 x1002.
Dr. Kerri Hecox is a Hanley Farm Volunteer.