Lots of talk and lots of workshop when the project Tomorrow's farm shops invited to an afternoon among The Culinary Farms' crops in Hallaröd
On May 23, MittSkåne Development organized an inspiring afternoon at The Culinary Farm in Hallaröd, where local producers got to take center stage. The event was part of the pre-study ”Tomorrow's Farm Shops,” which aims to map small to medium-sized producers with farm shops and their conditions, challenges, and future prospects.
After I as project manager have spent a spring conducting in-depth interviews with thirteen individual producers, I have gained a stronger and clearer insight into the important role that tomorrow's farm shops play, both in terms of rural development and place development. In other words, an important decisive (and delightful) next step in the pre-study was to ensure that we could all gather, converse, and discuss future opportunities and challenges. To raise the volume even further, the municipalities in MittSkåne, chefs, speakers, and restaurants were also invited.
What could be more delightful than meeting outdoors among flourishing crops in a lush cultural landscape at The Culinary Farm? The small-scale organic farming in Hallaröd is run by Saba Nazarian and Kristin Montague Evans, who are passionate about cultivation, food, and meetings.
Inspiring lectures were held, conversations flowed, experiences, insights, and prospects were shared, ideas sparkled.
Last but not least, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner signed by all the producers – charcuterie from Skärhus food craft, lamb roast from Ormanäs farm and Ekastiga farm, drinks, homemade ice cream and cake from Bränneriet's farm, honey and rhubarb from Lillgårdens Bi and garden, beef shin from Idas Köttlåda, and a variety of vegetables from The Culinary farm. All prepared by the chef, inspirer, and speaker Frida Nilsson, gastronomic leader for Ess Group.
The event resulted in several insights and concrete proposals that will be valuable for the continued pre-study. We explored and discussed the importance of raising awareness about local food production and how to strengthen collaboration between producers and other actors in the community. The concrete proposals and ideas developed during the day were documented and will be used to create conditions for future projects and initiatives.
The most important thing I take with me from a magical and action-packed afternoon is that small and medium-sized producers are not just suppliers of food and farm shop owners; many of them are also important cornerstones and meeting places that strengthen the cohesion in their respective local communities. The producers' adaptability, local engagement, and willingness to create, rather than extract, value make them potential heroes in our modern, sometimes fragmented societies. By the very fact that these passionate individuals operate in and from a place where the products are largely sold locally, the revenues are reinvested back into the community, creating a circular economy over time. By supporting them, we are not only investing in local food production but also in sustainable and resilient communities in rural areas. Looking forward to an exciting continuation and thanks to everyone who participated and contributed to an inspiring and educational day. Together, we can continue to strengthen and develop tomorrow's farm shops, local food production, and a vibrant countryside!
Linda Dahl
Project manager for Tomorrow's farm shops as part of MittSkåne Development