Another inspirational, thought-provoking day curated by Nourish. The organisers engaged delegates with really thoughtful activities and a generous programme of Open Space sessions crowd-sourced from the audience.
The theme of the day – how can we enjoy, and bring joy to, the journey towards a Good Food Nation – centred people, relationships and the feeling of being in a movement. And Pete Ritchie’s moving opening address focused on the idea of food as care. Of course there was criticism of business as usual – the Good Food Nation bill as it currently stands came in for criticism for not being braver, and bolder, with more substantial practical commitments, and resources with which to implement them.
In any movement there are the old guard – who have ploughed the furrow steadily for decades, creating fertile ground for the next generation to sow seeds of progress. However, these experienced activists need to be able to make room for new ideas and new members of the movement – those who bring in the ‘Why don’t we try…’?
Power point presentations were kept to a refreshing minimum, and the focus was on interactive discussions within our groups. I was introduced to the Two Loops diagram which was an engaging way of discussing and engaging with where we are in the process of creating alternatives to the current system – there are the stewards of the current system and the innovators and activists curating the emergence of a new system. This led to some fascinating discussions about the balance between idealism and realism, and many of us felt the need to be bridging the two in our work.
The Open Spaces spanned a range of topics including Can Moray Feed Itself ? (Moray Climate Action Network has created a toolkit for other communities to use), Salmon Farming vs Wild Fishing, a Living Lab walk, the Basic Income for Farmers campaign, Cultural Food and the Right to Food, and The Scottish Agroecological Partnership talking about the Just Agricultural Transition.
The lunch was a whole event in itself – February usually considered not the most abundant time of year for seasonal Scottish produce – yet we were treated to a rich smorgasbord of flavours including venison charcuterie, a dahl made from Hodemedods pulses, an incredible focaccia made from Balcaskie Landrace flour, smoked mackerel and herring, pink fir potatoes, beetroot and a smoky carrot dip. There was even a pudding – Yorkshire forced rhubarb and bread and butter pudding with Mossgiel cream. Lots of full and satisfied bellies and it’s always nice to enjoy a sit-down meal (public diner-style) too!
I came away feeling energized and proud to be part of a strong (and radical) bunch of people working towards a better food system in Scotland.
