Episode 53: Perennials, Burgundy & Farmers PGf+w by Paige Donner

Perennials, Burgundy and Farmers,

by Paige Donner

Well, so far, 2020 has brought the welcome news that 100% US tariffs will not be imposed on French wines and cheeses, at least for the time being. That’s welcome news for winemakers, vineyard owners and grape growers here in France as well as restaurateurs and fine French wine drinkers in the US.

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So, keeping more with our focus on farmers today, we’ll take a look midway through our program at the mental health stresses of farmers in the UK. Today, February 10^th, the day our episode 53 of PGf+w is being recorded, has been declared as the launch day for Farm Safety Foundation’s annual Mind Your Head campaign. That’s the UK’s leading farm safety charitable organization.

Another side story, before we launch into our mega interview with Jerome Gallo, the wine & spirits program director of the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, is on kernza, the perennial cover crop, and its usefulness in combating soil erosion and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Also declared today was Chef Mauro Colagreco’s intent to make Mirazur, his Menton restaurant on the Cote d’Azur, the first plastic-free restaurant in the world. Chef Colagreco is crowned with 3 Michelin stars and Mirazur has been designated the best restaurant in the world.

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But right now, our first segment of the Jerome Gallo interview. By the way, for all you Burgundy lovers, the wines he especially recommends are Pernand-Vergelesses, Domaine Delarche

– Corton-Charlemagne, Domaine Maurice Chapuis.

Be sure to check our show notes on Local Food And Wine – that’s LocalFood.wine – for the spellings of those domains;

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Let’s hear now from Jerome Gallo ….

Now for our intermission before continuing the Jerome Gallo interview…

Some Stats on UK Farmers’ mental health which is being referred to as a crisis, and one that is apparently being mirrored in France and the US and widely reported in India:

Farming continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK, while 85% of young farmers believe there is a definite link between mental health and the overall safety of farms.
In 2018 there were 83 suicides amongst people working in agricultural and related trades in England and Wales
84% of farmers under 40 believe that mental health is the biggest danger problem facing farmers today. Threats to mental health include ‘smiling depression’, PTSD, loneliness, rural isolation and mental health in young farmers.
This year the Farm Safety Foundation’s Mind Your Head week will raise awareness of the link between poor mental health and farm safety.

And now we turn to the issue of nitrous oxide, 300x worse on the environment than even the much ballyhooed CO2, and kernza, a cover crop that is now being harvested and used by massive corporations such as General Mills to make pasta and beer. As part of a strategy of ‘conservation agriculture’ Minneapolis-based 56 Brewing developed its limited edition Kernza Harvest Honey Amber Lager using grains from Golden Valley-based General Mills.

One ton of nitrous oxide is equivalent to 298 tons of CO2.

Kernza has been lauded as an alternative to wheat that may combat soil erosion and doesn’t have to be replanted each year.

This is how it’s described and how a perennial differs from a crop such as wheat, corn or soy:

(From McKnight.org) Above ground, Kernza is a lot like wheat — grassy, with a sweet, nutty-tasting kernel. But below ground, the difference is night and day. Unlike wheat or other annual crops such as corn and soybeans, Kernza is a perennial.

Once planted, it continues to sprout year after year, developing root systems that trail up to 10 feet underground, holding tight to soil, nutrients, and other contaminants that tend to run off into surface and ground waters. Perennials also help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by keeping carbon buried deep in the soil.

What’s more, scientists and farmers alike say this new crop “has the potential to make large-scale agriculture radically more sustainable. “

Check out our show notes at LocalFood.wine for links to more stories and details about this new soil-enriching interation of an ancient grain.

Seeding New Landscapes: The Kernza Story

56 Brewing

Kernza to combat Soil Erosion – Perennial Crops

Fine Tuning a New Crop That Saves Soil

And now back to our interview with Jerome Gallo of the Burgundy Business School …

That’s our show for this February Leap Year. When we see each other again, we’ll be a month closer to spring!

Music by Steve Lowther ‘Mellow Keyboard Groove’ FreeSoundTrackMusic.com (Free of Rights)

Show Intro music Groovy by Bensoundmusic.com

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