The big guys don't know either...

<<<<what do I do with this stuff? Is it compostable???

So, I’ve spent the last few days at an interactive media conference. Hundreds of people. Really smart people like Seth Godin and Arianna Huffington were there. The people who put together that “real women” Dove campaign, marketing folks from Toyota, American Express, and all of the big agencies were there - all wanting to hear what the next big thing is for the web. I went for the same reason: because I know how I use the web for myself, but I wanted to know what are companies doing to reach customers in new and interesting ways and what cool stuff can I look forward to seeing out there? There was a lot of opining. Buzzwords were thrown around. Hand gestures were abundant…
So…hours of speeches and workshops later…what’s the next big thing? You know what’s pretty awesome, is that nobody knows. None of these industry leaders know either. The only thing that companies know is that they have to relinquish control over what content may follow and attach to their brands online – the “consumer” wants the control and has the power to take what they’re trying to sell and make it their own.
As the ship’s captain of HOMEGROWN.org, knowing that my instincts are what must serve as my compass, I’m just hoping we can build a swank online pad that pulls in some of the cool stuff that we already love about the web and that it turns into a place where likeable, intelligent and creative people hang out.

In the name of research and curiosity…Could you all do me a favor and list the 5-10 actions you take when you turn on your computer in the morning – is email first? what’s your home page? Where do you go from there? Do you have a list of favorites or does the process change?
I'll send you a button for your troubles!

What is HOMEGROWN?

HOMEGROWN is a celebration of the imaginative, passionate people who love to eat, grow and cook good food. HOMEGROWN is also a celebration of the pioneering ways that people live, communicate, and express themselves.
A few of us at Farm Aid noticed the word homegrown popping up in lots of places: People have been using the word at farmers markets. We see people admiring the vegetables and fruits, catching the eye of the farmer, asking questions. We’ve heard the word when people talk about what they’ve cooked that’s local, or organic, or when they tell you a story about where that food came from.

Anyone who has ever patiently waited for his first crop of cherry tomatoes, or squealed gleefully upon the arrival asparagus season is HOMEGROWN. Anyone who has ever over-bought at a farmers market, only to make a dazzling dish from it all is HOMEGROWN. There are plenty of people out there who are making their mark in the world using their hands, hearts and the gifts from the earth.

HOME is safety, warmth, welcome, comfort, psychic renewal, connection. Love. GROWN means waiting for things to mature. Anticipation. We might feel awe at the process of relentless change, toward delicious, healthy food. Amazement we are utterly dependent on soil, water, sun and a seed—and hard work and good luck for our survival. It’s an invisible thread, from the apple in your hand, to the farmer who tended the orchard, to the sturdy tree, to the soil where it’s digging in roots, connecting us to nature.

HOMEGROWN.org is a place for HOMEGROWN folks to gather, and It’s a place that will be defined by the folks who gather there. Won’t you be a part of it?

Brooklyn Backyard BBQ - A HOMEGROWN Affair

Our good friend Sarah arranged for us to have a really fun and inspiring gathering along the Gowanus canal in Carroll Gardens. There was plenty of yummy family farmer food at the grill, some lively local musical entertainment, and T-shirt silkscreening by local art cooperative Goldmine Sh*thouse. The best part, however, was the people who came out to support us, and to join the dialog about the sources of our food.
We're hoping to have more events in the upcoming months: potlucks, art shows, concerts, BBQs...what was your favorite gathering of the summer?