Innovation within consumption is looking backwards to seek new meaning and sustainability. Nowadays food, its production and what we eat, has become more important for people than ever before. We want to know where it comes from, how it was made and the ingredients it contains. Seeking for not only authentic roots but also positive memories.

Scenario

A group of selected Agents will work with the Norwegian municipalities of Fjaler and Askvoll as an experimental zone. This “identification and pointing process” (that could be, for example, a map) will give an overview over local food producers and other resources. It will focus on more emotional distribution and information methods to increase interests in local foods, suppliers, farmers and its values. This could be, for example, a reverted potential business model: get the population to come to the local suppliers, on a regular basis, as an alternative to extensive travel to reach customers.

The result will show in a playful and informative way the possibilities in the local community, make the public more aware and curious, and inspire other local communities to follow the idea of going local. This scenario is about identifying, making visible and making valuable the local ethical farmers/food producers. Emphasising and optimising their activities towards their network, as well as rethinking production transport through new scenarios and activities is expected.

Result

Agents  created  an  empathic  tool  to  not  only  identify  and  visualise “Precious Food” but to also collect and share knowledge about it through a socially inclusive process. The result of Grow is the interactive software “Precious Food Map”, designed as a     gameplay and prototyped on intelligent mobiles.  Players are invited to browse a map, searching for secret places and people while discovering their surroundings and collecting meaningful data about “Precious Food” places, nature and events. “Precious Food Map” was shared at international venues such as PICNIC 2011 in Amsterdam, Food Design in Paris and Core77 Food Design 2012.

Farm visit

The Ideal Lab’ theme, Precious Food, initiated its first scenario Grow at Transplant. The participants of the scenario; Julien Dossier, Bertrand Duplat, Siri Berqvam and the Transplanteurs: Alexandre Bau and Jan Brauer, started the workshop with a local farm visit around the Municipality of Fjaler. The participants got introduced to the local agriculture, the producers and their products.

The first visit on the journey was Leif Jarle Espedals farm. He  runs his farm with an ancient breed of sheep and is about to create his own microbrewery selling a local, hand made and organic beer. Leif Jarle Espedal presented his farm and explained  to  the  visitors  both  the  traditional  and  the  modern way of farming in the region. Immediately a frisky discussion started and the  visitors were exploring the first starting points for Precious Food together with Leif Jarle Espedal.

The second visit took place at Lisa and Jostein Bakkebøs farm. It was originally a cow and pig farm, but some years ago Lisa and Jostein turned their business into a combination of cow farming and local food production with a catering service. Today they make local meat and cheese products and open their farm on reservation for interested visitors. After presenting  their  farm  and  business,  Lisa  and  Jostein  invited  the  visitors from Transplant to a delicious lunch of home made fish  soup,  bread  and  rhubarb  juice.  In  an  intimate  round,  the visitors from Transplant, Lisa and Jostein and Leif Jarle Espedal discussed future possibilities of farming and the services connected with it.

The last station on the farm visit was the farm of Lillingstonheimen. This traditional farm was bought in 1808 by Nils L. Landmark who was very engaged in the local community and the local farming. He invented land use methods which are still active today.  Lillingstonheimen  is  used  today  for  many different cultural and social gatherings. One of the features of the farm is the old traditional­ wood stove which can be used by everybody for baking.