Savior Seeds Harvest Festival - Future Food Utrecht, Local2Local
Impression of this event
The Savior Seeds Harvest Festival took place on October 28th 2022 at Fort bij 't Hemeltje, from the strategic collaboration between the Future Food Lab of Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 and Amped, in partnership with Local2Local and Grounded. The theme was heritage crops and animal breeds in the context of regional, regenerative food systems.
During the day, participants learned about the historical, social, and ecological characteristics of these crops and animals and how they can help strengthen regional and resilient food systems. In addition, multisensory activities were organized so that participants could smell, taste, and feel these special historical foods. The room was filled with excited researchers and students from diverse disciplines, such as: entho-botany, ecology, citizen science, history, sustainable development, urban design and more. In the morning we dove into the literature and definitions of heritage crops, and made a round to discover how the different research domains relate to this table. We learned about the rich heritage of Utrecht and the relevance of the varieties and seeds for enabling resilient regions with healthy people.
Robbert Jongerius, is one of the last remaining urban farmers in Utrecht. His family used to be one of the many growing heritage crops for generations in Utrecht. Currently Robbert is also working as a landscape architect and he shared his analysis on how Utrecht can be more self-sufficient through spatial planning. He discussed the importance of preserving heritage crops and the potential they hold for a regenerative food system in Utrecht.
Kate Brown, from MIT, also contributed to the festival with her anthropological and historical perspective on how many cities in the states and Eastern Europe, through poverty, actually were very resourceful, self-sufficient, and resilient. She highlighted how, on small plots of land, people were creating wealth from nothing through urban farming, and emphasized the importance of recognizing the knowledge and practices of those who have been marginalized in discussions around regenerative food systems.
The afternoon concluded with a wonderful forgotten vegetable market and tasting station, and a Dj providing some nice tunes while everyone enjoyed some networking in the sunshine. This resulted in great conversation between practitioners, communities, experts, and enthusiasts who shared what they are working on and how they are involved in saving seeds and crops as a cornerstone in the rediscovery and transition to regional, regenerative food systems.