Food alliance wants you to take time to savor its products - Beauchamp and Benda
This originally ran in the Redding Record Searchlight in October 2004Food is Brian Kenny's passion.
But for the Redding native it's more than the just the taste.
It's about where it's grown, who produces it and the economics of putting that food on the table.
"We need to get people to realize that if they buy things that are domestically produced, they can have an economic impact on the fabric of our country's culture," Kenny said.
After the dot-com bust of 2000 cost him his job, Kenny started working for a high school friend, Brendon Flynn, whose family owns Pacific Farms and Orchards in Gerber. One of its products is the highly regarded Pacific Sun Olive Oil.
Kenny's evangelical approach to food has brought together a group of area food producers: Rene-Joule Patisserie bakery in Redding and Matson Vineyards in Redding, Crain Fisheries in Chico, Big Bluff Ranch near Red Bluff, Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese in Orland, Maywood Farms in Corning, Tin Roof Bakery in Chico and Pacific Farms.
The alliance will showcase the fruits of its work Nov. 6 during a public open house at Pacific Farms in Gerber.
"It's not about making money, it's more about educating people," Kenny said.
That means getting consumers to think about where the food they're eating comes from.
If you're buying asparagus in July, there's a good chance it's coming from the Southern Hemisphere, he pointed out.
"We all want to define our products from the stuff you get in the supermarket," Kenny said. "Our goal is to promote our region as a specialty-food production area."
It's also about taking time to enjoy food.
That's why Kenny's group has started a north state Slow Food chapter. The international Slow Food association was founded in Italy in 1986 and has 60,000 members. "A movement for the protection of the right to taste" is the Slow Food credo.
"Eventually, we hope we can get people interested in eating as a part of life other than as a reaction to hunger," Kenny said.
Call 385-1475 for more information about the Nov. 6 open house at Pacific Farms Orchards.
[+/-] read/hide this post
posted by Brian J. Kenny @ 12:36 AM
0 comments
