Slow Money
One of the many challenges that small farmers face is securing capital for their operations. Our banking system basically doesn’t touch small farms. The nature of the business is that a lot of money is spent early in the year for seeds, planting, feed, animals, etc. If all goes well, and once processing in complete, the farmers then can finally sell their products and get the return on their investment. Some of our small farms that we use here at Forage have tried to address the issue with creative ideas like CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and Crop Shares. Another solution that has been receiving some attention in the media lately is Slow Money.
At the simplest level, Slow Money is traditional investment driven by a set of values on a relatively small scale compared to what investors typically spend. Slow money tries to shift some of the money in our food system toward sustainable agriculture while addressing the needs of the small farmer. An Alberta group headed by Greens, Eggs, and Ham are starting to formalize a Slow Money organization and are looking for investors interested in seriously supporting agriculture in a way that has the best impact. More information about Slow Money can be found at www.slowmoneyalliance.org. If you want to find out more about plans for Alberta, swing by the Greens, Eggs, and Ham stall at the Kingsland Farmers Market and talk to Mary Ellen or Andreas.
Here’s the menu for the week of December 12th:
Monday – Bison Macaroni Casserole
Buffalo Horn Ranch bison, tomatoes, macaroni, peppers, cabbage all topped with cheddar and baked $10
Tuesday – Chicken Paprikash
Sunworks Farm organic chicken in a Hungarian paprika and sour cream sauce with peppers served over egg noodles $14
Wednesday – Squash and Sage Rigatoni
Rigatoni with Sudo Farm squash, spinach, penne, mushrooms, sage bechamel, and mozzarella served with marinated vegetable salad $13
Thursday – Beef Stroganoff
Hoven Farms organic beef with a mushroom sour cream sauce served with white rice $14
Friday – Roast Organic Chicken
Sunworks Farm roast organic chicken served with mashed potatoes and our famous gravy $45 whole $28 half $16 quarter
This Week’s Salad – Spanish Potato Salad $4
This Week’s Soup – Chicken Mulligatawny Soup $7
This Week’s Stew – Beef Chili $7
Something Sweet – Mom’s Chocolate Cake $4
Bread (Available Wednesday Until It’s Gone) – Forage Sourdough $4