WIMAUMA, Fla. — Millions of people in over 168 countries are working to ensure everyone has access to food by taking part in the Slow Food movement, according to Slow Food USA.
The Slow Food movement aims to prevent the fast food process by retaining local food cultures and traditions.
Twice a day, farm manager Lizbeth Sanchez can be found feeding her chickens, which is part of her daily routine on her family farm.
“We started off with 25 chickens and right now we have around 200 chickens,” she said.
She’s in charge of raising the birds and, most importantly, making sure they’re fed.
But Sanchez doesn’t just provide them with standard chicken feed — the mixture includes fruits and vegetables, along with calcium for their bones.
“We want to minimize additives and possible hormones that can be included into other diets," she said.
Sanchez says it’s all part of their mission to provide food without preservatives, helping to ensure their community is healthy.
Farm owner Jose Sanchez is preserving practices from his native country of Mexico. He says their methods are a way of life.
“We are removing the weeds here instead of using chemicals in our plants. Instead of buying fertilizer, we make our own and we never apply chemicals to the leaves.”
He says this process takes time, which means the food he grows needs more tending to.
The Slow Food movement is an international organization focused on three defining principles:
1. Good: Quality, flavorsome and healthy food
2. Clean: Production that does not harm the environment.
3. Fair: Accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for producers.
The absence of chemicals is part of their philosophy.
“The importance of not applying anything to it is because the plant will absorb it, and if I eat this plant, I will absorb it because it’s inside of the plant and it’s causing an effect to the plant. Consequently, it will do the same to me.” said Jose Sanchez.
It’s why each plant Jose Sanchez cultivates serves a greater purpose, whether to help someone who is ill, or to make a meal using ingredients from their backyard.
Lizbeth Sanchez says it’s a cycle that many people don’t think about, and it’s a message they want others to understand when they sit down to eat their food.
“Our big focus here at the farm is for everything to be as fresh as possible.”
El Sendero Verde is hoping to make a difference in the community’s health by providing products with purpose.
The farm owners say their goal is to establish courses for those interested in learning the different practices of growing food.