The Caveny Farm on a lovely October day

Last weekend Goose Creek Slow Food Convivium held a picnic at Caveny Farm in Monticello. Dozens of people came out to meet others interested in Slow Food and enjoy delicious food, bluegrass from the Corn Desert Ramblers, and the beautiful weather.

On the tour Jon Caveny explained that Caveny farm is dependent on on healthy grass. Caveny is planted with crabgrass, which retains much of its nutritive value year-round, even after it has gone to seed. Most other types of grasses devote all their nutrients to seeds and become less nutritious once they have gone to seed. Grass is the foundation of the Caveny farm, supporting the turkeys and sheep that make up the nucleus of the farm's production. John Caveny explained that the animals in turn provide the grass with nitrogen which nourishes the soil and keeps the grass pastures lush.

John Caveny explains how his farm relies on a healthy root system

The turkeys on the farm are a heritage breed known as Bourbon Red, which originated in Kentucky in the 19th century. Bourbons are known for their rich flavor and colorful plumage. The breed waned in popularity during the 20th century due to its tendency to be small and it is now only found on farms devoted to heritage breeds. Their presence at Caveny is thanks to an effort by Slow Food to introduce heritage breeds to small farms. John explained that turkeys like to live in tight flocks, which the pen structure is designed to mimic. They also protect the birds from local predators such as coyotes. The pens are moved every day, which takes over an hour each evening, but has the benefit of rotating the stress on the soil and providing the birds with fresh grass. As Thanksgiving looms the birds primarily consume a grain and soybean ration, which plumps them up.

Bourbon Reds in their pen

After seeing the turkeys, we stumbled into a strange forest of tall exotic grass known as miscanthus. John explained that this new biofuel crop represents the potential for 12-15 barrels of oil per acre, soundly beating out rivals like switchgrass. Currently the grass can be made into pellets that can be used in a steam system, but there is considerable research into other methods of obtaining energy from miscanthus, such as anaerobic digestion. The plant takes 3 years to reach production potential and can reach heights of 12 feet. Miscanthus fixes nitrogen through rhizomes in its roots, which leaves the soil fertile and makes it ideal for rotation on a diversified farm. Even though it a native of Southeast Asia, it is unlikely to become invasive in Illinois because the variety used is sterile, requiring the use of propagule cuttings for plantings.

Llama guards a flock of sheep

In the next pasture a black and white llama stood out conspiciously amid a sea of white sheep. John explained that llamas are extremely protective and can guard the flock from predators. A white Maremma sheepdog, indistinguishable from its wooly charges, bolstered the defenses.

Lamb cooked Asado style

After the tour, everyone was hungry, so we sat down to a delicious meal of food brought by guests and meats cooked on the farm by Jake Sanders, executive chef at Montgomerys . The meat was tender and succulant, a testament to the virtues of cooking asado, a style of South American grilling over an open fire. Also delicious was the local bread from The Baking Fools, Jake's lemon and ginger tartlets, the many salads peppered with local tomatoes, and the creamy camembert-style cheese from local Prairie Fruits Farm.

The new Goose Creek Slow Food convivia hopes to hold more of such events in the future. Bob Pallotta, president of Slow Food Chicago, explained that the goal of Slow Food is to shorten the supply chain by bringing people into closer contact with producers. Slow Food focuses on the delicious tastes of local food, as well as the culture surrounding food traditions. Next May, San Franciso is hosting Slow Food Nation, an gathering of American Slow Food. Palotta said that he hopes the Illinois Slow Food community will make a showing at the gathering to lobby for the next one to be hosted in Chicago.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was simply interacting with others who care about food. The guests ranged from farmers to foodies, but all of them shared a passion for local agriculture. Central Illinois Slow Food is just getting started, but if this event was any indication, there should be much to look forward to from Goose Creek Slow Food in the future.

Thanks to Bob Pallotta, John and Connie Caveny, all the guests that I interviewed, and everyone who provided the delicious food!