A major transformation of our food system is underway and the debate about what a sustainable agricultural system will look like in the coming decades has become increasingly polarized. The discussion is diverse and complicated and has stemmed from an industrial archetype that emerged with the fossil fuel economy. The effects of the neo-caloric era have shaped our modern global society. The collective agreement and embrace of this input economy has both provided opportunities beyond any our species have ever imagined and created challenges (climate change, resource limitations, genetic patenting, land access and political unrest) that threaten our cultural sovereignty. A new way of thinking and collaborating can be gleaned from this experience.

The brilliant agrarian thinker Fred Kirschenmann wrote this excerpt in 2013:

Any farmer interested in farming successfully, and any government, interested in a secure food system for the decades ahead, must anticipate these impending changes and begin designing an agriculture that can adapt to them.

This redesign will need to be differential – a paradigm shift! Simply modifying or intensifying the current system will not meet the challenges ahead. In the “adaptive cycle” language proposed by the Resilience Thinkers, we are entering the “reorganization” phase, which is characterized by “uncertainty, novelty and experimentation.” (Walter and Salt, 2006)

As this reality awakens in each of us as farmers, chefs, engineers, students, makers and marketers, it is common to find ourselves in uncharted territory or as a relic of a preindustrial model. In this experimental time in agriculture and food culture, we are impeded by the lack of the appropriately scaled modern tools and inadequate infrastructural support resulting in a hodgepodge of marketing schemes, tools, efficiencies and incomplete systematic methodology all at an inaccessible price point to the modern eater.

Stone Barns Center is dedicated to bridging Agroecology and Culture through sharing good food and farming practices. By respecting a set of principles & methodologies that guide our practices, we help to enhance resilience, ecology, local economy and cultural sustainability in a modern world. Our farm table is the venue for change and we are pleased to have you contribute to this inspiring and creative summit.

Slow Tools is the round table to revitalize an age-old practice of collaborative design focused on the evolution of tools and techniques for community based agricultural systems in an emerging era. It is a diverse vocational collective, assembled to share, create and expand upon each other’s innovations, philosophies and connection. Together, we can create a social environment that values food, mentorship, art, design, ecology and community. We can catalyze the sustainability of bioregional small-scale farming and decentralized manufacturing. We can inspire a modern technological future with the inherent intimacy and artisanship of our rich agricultural history.

With gratitude,

Jack Algiere, Farm Director