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Spannocchia Symposium
“Food, Landscape, and Community in Tuscany & New England”
February 12-15, 2009
Day One (Thursday, February 12) — Landscape and Cuisine, an Historical Overview
Morning: Overview and History
- WELCOME – Randall Stratton, Erin Cinelli
- SYMPOSIA OVERVIEW – Brian Donahue
Revitalizing rural land and culture: connecting historical and ecological understanding of the countryside with viable economic, political, and educational action today. New England/Tuscan comparative settings and models. - INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW – John Elder
Agenda for next four days - HISTORY PROGRAM: Tuscany and New England
- TUSCAN LANDSCAPE AND HISTORY – Mauro Agnoletti and Sandra Becucci
Natural, cultural and economic forces that created distinctive Tuscan landscape (a deeper history of landscape creation than New England notwithstanding New England’s underlying Native tradition), and mid-20th century decline. - NEW ENGLAND LANDSCAPE AND FARMING HISTORY – Brian Donahue
Natural, cultural and economic forces that created distinctive New England landscape, its ecological structure, and change and decline from late 19th century.
Lunch: Prepared by Spannocchia
Afternoon:
- TOUR OF SPANNOCCHIA FARM AND FORESTRY OPERATIONS – Randall Stratton
Emphasis on both its land management history and current use: Cinta Senese pig operation, production kitchen and aging room; olive grove and vineyard; forestry practices including coppicing of chestnuts and charcoal production, discussion of mezzadria system.
Pre-Dinner Discussion:
- THE ROLE OF LAND CONSERVATION IN PRESERVING RURAL LANDSCAPES AND CULTURE – Nora Mitchell, Conservation Study Institute and John Piotti, Maine Farmland Trust; Domitilla Nonis – Riserva Naturale Alto Merse.
Dinner: Featuring primarily Spannocchia products, with a pre-dinner antipasti tasting of salumi products
Day Two (Friday, February 13) – Terroir and the Local Food Movement
Morning:
- REGIONAL FOODS – Discussion of the development of a regional cuisine and how it relates to each region’s landscape. Focus on some exemplary foods from each region — their history, practical efforts to sustain and/or revive their production today, and barriers to their long-term sustainability.
- TUSCANY – Olive oil, Pecorino cheese, Wine, salumi, stone fruits
Prof. Alessandro Falassi, Stefano Magazzinni & Janet Shapiro, Marco Bechi, Isabella dalla Ragione, Claudio Cavazzoni, Dante Lomazzi & Helena Variara, Riccio Pigozzo - NEW ENGLAND – Maple syrup, Artisan cheeses, Dry beans, Wine, Hard Cider
John Elder, Amy Trubek, Sam Hayward, Mateo Kehler, Chris Granstrom
Lunch: Built around tastings of highlighted regional foods from morning session
Afternoon:
- TOUR OF TWO LOCAL FARMS: Poggio Alloro (Sarah Fioroni) and Colombaia, Dante Lomazzi & Helena Variara
Dinner: Ristorante Grotta Santa Caterina “da Bagoga”, Siena
Day Three (Saturday, February 14) – Marketing and Distribution of Local Products
Morning:
- FORUM WITH ATTENDING CHEFS – MAKING THE FARM-TO-RESTAURANT CONNECTION WORK: Pierino Fagnani, Doug Mack, Sam Hayward
- OUTING TO A MODEL FARMERS’ MARKET IN MONTEVARCHI, WITH ATTENDING CHEFS PURCHASING INGREDIENTS FOR SUNDAY DINNER: Marco Onofri, Claudia Panichi
Lunch: At the market
Afternoon: Local Food Marketing Innovations and Challenges
- PRESENTATION BY NEW ENGLAND GROWERS: Gloria Varney, Nezinscot Farm and Pete Johnson, Pete’s Greens
- PRESENTATION BY TUSCAN PRODUCERS ON CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH MARKETING, MAKING LOCAL MARKETS MORE COMMUNITY BASED: Andrea Battino, Fattoria Bagnaia; Riccio Pigozzo, Tenuta di Spannocchia; Costanza Boschetti, mercatale di Sovicille; Valentina Pascucci, Mondo Mangione
Pre-Dinner Discussion:
- “FACE, TASTE AND PLACE,” BUILDING INTIMATE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LOCAL GROWERS AND CONSUMERS – Russell Libby, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Dinner: Pizza Night
Evening: MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT: Bennett Konesni and Riccio Pigozzo – with short discussion of Bennett’s studies involving work songs.
Day Four (Sunday, February 15) – Education and Future Symposia
Morning:
- TUSCAN FARM-BASED EDUCATIONAL EXAMPLES, OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES –
Andrea Battino, Fattoria Didattica
Alan Pink and Bridget Matthews, WWOOF program, Carrie Curtis Sacco – Spannocchia Internship Program
Carole Counihan, University of the Science of Gastronomy, Slow Food - NEW ENGLAND FARM-BASED EDUCATION – Megan Camp, Shelburne Farms and Jean Hamilton, NOFA
- NEW ENGLAND YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT –
Alida Payson, Cultivating Community
Monica Pless, The Food Project and Caretaker Farm
Rachel Schattman, grad. student
Rachel Horner Brackett, grad. student
Bennett Konesni
Lunch: Prepared by Spannocchia
Afternoon:
- SPREADING THE WORD: Discussion of follow-up mechanisms such as publications, conference panels, farm tours, incorporating new ideas into farm educational programming – Deb Burd, facilitator
- 2011 SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSION: Forests, Energy and Climate in New England and Tuscany – Rolf Diamant, Brian Donahue, Randall Stratton, Mauro Agnoletti
Dinner: Featuring regional Tuscan specialties and ingredients from the Montevarchi market and from farms visited on previous days – collaboration of chefs attending the Symposium, led by Tuscan chefs.