We have been traveling in Gotland, Sweden for the last couple weeks. We are staying with a family that runs a large organic (ekologisk) farm on Gotland, in the town of Dalhem, but live on the small island of Fårö (where Ingmar Bergman lived and died).
While here, we have spent some time working on the farm (harvesting potatoes, onions, and carrots), quite a bit of time reading on the beautiful and unusual beaches, and some time touring around Gotland. The main industries here are: tourism, limestone mining, and farming. We have had a lot of amazing experiences, met some fascinating people, and have learned a lot. We will be posting about our various experiences in more detail in the coming week.
There have been quite a few exciting articles in the NYTimes recently that we wanted to share with you. One article is about Jake Levin's home community, the Berkshires, and the array of local food producers there. Many of his friends and colleagues are mentioned, like our good friend Susan Selew, seen below!
On another food note, we enjoy all of the great food trucks that exist in NYC and often fantasize about what our food truck would be like. There was an article the other day about a new and exciting food truck that made us excited and jealous, but mostly just hungry.
A little over a month ago there was an article about the designer Peter Buchanan-Smith and his company Best Made Company that caught my attention. While we think the idea behind the product is wonderful (hand crafted and locally sourced), it raised a lot of interesting questions. The price and marketing of the product ruled out most people who would every really use an axe on a regular basis. We also couldn't help but wonder, who are the people making the axe heads- it was all very vague in the article.
Related to both issues of food and pricing issues was an article about 'artisanal' ice cream.
Finally, there is an article about design, crafts, and the rural. It mentions some really interesting artists and designers, raises some great questions, and describes a book, "The Craftsman" by Richard Sennet, which has been important to our thinking.
Hi.This blog exists as a place where Sourced Material can share some its experiences and thoughts in a more conversational and less formal manner. Where we can share images, stories, experiences people, and places that have inspired us, in one way, or another. It is also a place where we can share some of our less constructed and more meandering thoughts.I hope you all enjoy!-SM
