Forni & Fornai-e, the event dedicated to all enthusiasts and professionals in the world of grains and bread, organized by the Slow Food Wheat Community of the Upper Apennines between Bologna and Florence, is back on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 at the valleys of Monghidoro (BO).
The festival, now in its third year, was created to learn about, question and celebrate the king of foods: bread.
The two days will provide an opportunity for meeting and exchange for those who contribute daily to the grain supply chain – from cultivating the fields to milling the grain, to baking, artisan work handed down through the centuries-and for all and who are interested in sustainable food production models for our future.
The decision to include the final specification -and (-e) in the name of the event underscores the importance of naming the contribution made by women, not only in reference to the past but also to the present and future of supply chains. During the weekend, the center of Monghidoro and the fields of the surrounding valleys will host meetings, workshops and seminars, as well as concerts and other entertainment, to discuss and celebrate together the value that grains have for the environment, the economy of the territory and the health of people.
In a delicate historical moment like the present, in which the outbreak of war in Ukraine seems to threaten an agrifood crisis, the Grano Alto Community-born on the impetus of baker Matteo Calzolari with the intention of creating a small short supply chain to recover the ancient culture of wheat, represents a perfect example of an alternative system, independent of the market and capable of self-sustaining, while guaranteeing the production of quality raw materials and life in a mountainous territory.
From this positive experience was born Forni & Fornai-e, whose 2022 edition has as its theme the parallelism between the vitality of the soil and that of yeast: when it receives care and attention, the living soil restores new life, just as happens with the refreshment of mother yeast.
The two days work their way on an organic journey from soil and seed on Saturday to flour and bread on Sunday. During the first day, the themes of soil and seed will be explored, with a succession of different workshops and seminars interspersed with tastings, including a one dedicated to Tevla, the first beer brewed by Ca’ del Brado with Community High Grains.
The day of Sunday, May 22, is focused on bread, with a series of workshops including one on great leavened products, organized by Forno Calzolari and Molino Pransani, but also talks and in-depth discussions, such as the one on false myths and narratives constructed when talking about food democracy or again the Main Talk that will see on stage three realities in dialogue with each other: the Grano Alto Community, the House of Agriculture of Castiglione d’Otranto (Salento) and Kimberly Bell, founder of Small Food Bakery and organizer of UK Grain Lab, a British event twinned with the 2022 edition of Ovens & Bakers-e.