Getting Ready for Terra Madre

In a few days I will be 30,000 feet over the Atlantic. We are in a mad rush to get all of the preparations made for our for our visit to Terra Madre 2008 in Turin, Italy. Judy and I are fortunate to have been invited to participate in the event for a second time. Slow Food Calgary nominated us and Slow Food International invited us to attend. In 2006 we attended for the first time an this event made us look differently on what we do, which is bison ranching and how we do it. One of our main focuses in our business is controlling the process from conception to consumer. We look at ourselves as food producers first and bison ranchers second. Since we sell directly to the consumer every week at the farmers market we get feedback with almost every sale. We have found that by controlling almost every aspect of the production process we can produce some of the best bison meat anywhere. Attending Terra Madre again will hopefully strengthen how we raise our bison, care for our land and service our customers. We are trying to always improve ourselves and our business. Our goal is to conduct our business in an ethical, environmental freindly and socially concious manner.

Meanwhile back at the ranch we are trying to get all of the work done before we leave the ranch to our housesitters. Mostly they will be caring for Dixie our dog and our cats. But the bison, horses and cattle will need checking on. Terra Madre 2006 showed us that October is a great month for our annual vacation. The weather is still quite good, there is grass in the pastures for the livestock, the water is still running and we are tired after a long busy summer of farmers markets and all of the repairs an maintence that a farm requires. In a few more days we will have everything winterized, we will complete our last meat deliveries and we will be on our way.

Our travel plans have us flying to the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein where my family still farms near the city of Lübeck. My mother's family the Steens first settled here in the 1100's and most of my relatives still live in this part of Germany. I will be good to get back to land I know so well and am connected to. After almost two weeks here we plan to travel to Italy with some time in Bergamo, Milan and then into the Val d'Aosta in the Alps for some hiking in Gran Paridiso National Park. Then a few days on the Ligurian Coast in Portofino and Cinque Terra. Finally we will finsih with the Terra Madre in Turin.

I will try posting when I find time and computer access to update my travels and adventures during this trip.