Kim Stacey, owner of Emma’s Eatery, has just returned from a trip that she says will help her educate people in how to buy local, eat healthy and recognize the danger in most of the retail food industry.
The Eastern Passage-based chef was one of only two chef delegates chosen to attend the bi-annual Terra Madre Conference in Torino, Italy.
“This conference was centred around the slow food movement,” she said. “It is a direct attempt to protect our health and our communities by actively informing people of the risks with growing, producing and eating foods that are produced unnaturally and that damage the earth.”
Stacey is a member of Slow Food Nova Scotia. The organization received some support from the departments of agriculture, tourism and Taste of Nova Scotia in sending delegates to Italy. She said in return for that support she is expected to share what she learned and apply it to her community.
“Really the slow food movement was formed to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world,” she said.
But Stacey’s work will first start at home. She wants to plant a vegetable garden in her community and instruct people on how to eat and cook what comes from that garden.
“It is a start,” said Stacey. “And we have to start planning soon.”
Stacey teaches cooking classes for youth at her restaurant and said a new community vegetable garden would be a perfect fit for youth and their families to learn and grow together.
At the conference Stacey learned that the farming, fishing and food production challenges faced by Nova Scotians are not unique. But she said we have to take action and so does government.
“There is a rich history and tradition of fishing in our community and it is also being lost,” she said.
“It would be great to see different levels of government invest in ways to give young people incentives to pursue careers in this traditional industry, as well as in farming.”
But first she has to find some land for the garden.
“If anyone has any ideas or wants to offer their land, expertise or seed donations, I would love to hear from them,” she said.
