Welcome to the Culinary Farmstead newsletter. I'm Jess Lewis, founder of Culinary Farmstead and an advocate for regenerative agriculture, food sustainability, permaculture, and herbal healing. As a farmsteader, chef, and herbalist, I'm dedicated to promoting sustainable cooking practices that nourish the land and the people who depend on it. In this weekly newsletter, you'll find tips and ideas for growing your own food, cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and how to incorporate herbal medicine into a healthy lifestyle. Join me on a journey of food, farming, and community building.
Hi everyone,
As the Spring Equinox arrives, our farmstead awakens with renewed energy, and we welcome the warmth and abundance of the season. As both a gardener and culinary creator, I'm inspired by the diverse customs from my ancestors that celebrate the arrival of spring through food and planting traditions. Join me as I delve into the fascinating world of these rituals, incorporating a blend of traditions from my ancestral background in celebration of food, community, and ancient wisdom.
Italian Springtime Celebrations (Italy)
In Italy, the Spring Equinox is celebrated with food, festivities, and planting. Italians enjoy dishes made from fresh, seasonal ingredients like artichokes, fava beans, and peas, as well as traditional Easter breads and sweets. I have fond memories of finding eggs inside Easter bread as a child.
Italian farmsteads and gardens come alive during the Spring Equinox, with the planting of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and a variety of herbs. The Italian approach to gardening emphasizes the importance of quality soil, careful plant selection, and nurturing strong relationships with the land, which can inspire farmsteads worldwide to cultivate their crops with care and reverence.
French Spring Equinox Celebrations (France)
In France, the Spring Equinox heralds the arrival of fresh produce, including asparagus, strawberries, and radishes. The French celebrate by preparing dishes featuring these seasonal ingredients, such as asparagus with hollandaise sauce, strawberry tarts, and radishes with butter and sea salt. If you've never tried fresh butter on radishes, now's your chance to go get some!
French gardeners and farmers also embrace the Spring Equinox by planting their gardens and fields. Traditional potagers, or kitchen gardens, are meticulously planned to maximize space and ensure a continuous harvest of fresh vegetables and herbs throughout the growing season. The principles of French potagers can be applied to farmsteads, emphasizing beauty, functionality, and sustainability.
Montreal's Cabane à Sucre (Montreal, Canada)
Montreal, Canada, has a unique Spring Equinox tradition known as "Cabane à Sucre" or sugar shack. As the temperatures rise and the maple sap starts to flow, Quebecois gather in sugar shacks to celebrate the maple syrup harvest. Traditional dishes served during this time include pea soup, baked beans, maple-glazed ham, and taffy made by pouring hot maple syrup on fresh snow (the taffy may be my favorite part of this ritual).
Cabane à Sucre celebrations also remind us of the importance of sustainable harvesting and forest stewardship. By respecting the natural resources and tapping maple trees responsibly, we can ensure a continued bounty for future generations.
Algonquin Food and Planting Traditions (North America)
The Algonquin people, a group of Native American tribes living in the northeastern part of North America, have a rich history of food and planting traditions connected to the natural world and the seasons. Springtime was a crucial period for the Algonquin, as it marked the beginning of a new growing season and the availability of fresh food sources.
As the snow melted and the ground thawed, the Algonquin would collect sap from maple trees to make maple syrup and sugar, similar to the Cabane à Sucre tradition in Montreal. This sustainable practice of tapping trees for sap was an essential part of their food culture and a celebration of the arrival of spring.
The Algonquin people planted crops using the "Three Sisters" method. Corn, beans, and squash were grown together, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that supported the health of the plants and the soil. This method was not only efficient but also acknowledged the spiritual connection between the Algonquin and the earth, emphasizing the importance of harmony and balance in their agricultural practices.
Farmsteads today can learn from the Algonquin's reverence for nature and sustainable agricultural techniques by implementing companion planting and nurturing the land with respect and gratitude. By incorporating these age-old practices, we can foster a deeper connection to the earth and contribute to a more sustainable future. I have only ever planted beans and corn together. This year, I'd like to incorporate more of the "Three Sisters" method among our gardens.
Note: The relationship between the colonization of the Montreal area and some of the traditions that were originally native to the Algonquin people are not lost on me. Truly. That’s a topic for another day that I’m deeply passionate about. Today we celebrate the amalgamation of my ancestors through the love of food and the land - new beginnings, new relationships, new wisdom.
Druid and Nordic Spring Equinox Celebrations
Druids and Nordic cultures also observed the Spring Equinox with reverence for nature and the renewal of life. In Druid traditions, the Spring Equinox is called Alban Eilir or the Light of the Earth. Planting trees, blessing seeds, and performing rituals to ensure a bountiful harvest were essential components of the celebration.
In Nordic cultures, this equinox marked the beginning of the growing season. Farmers would till and prepare the soil, and sow seeds in the newly awakened earth, seeking the blessings of the fertility goddess Freyja for a prosperous year. I’m anxiously waiting for some of our night time freezing temperatures to move on so our peach trees can go into the ground. I’ll be keeping Freyja in mind as we plant them into the ground - I hope that our trees will be blessed with a beautiful bounty of peaches this year.
Planting Traditions in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal)
In the Iberian Peninsula, comprising Spain and Portugal, the Spring Equinox marks the beginning of the planting season. Farmers and gardeners sow seeds for vegetables, legumes, and cereals, while fruit trees blossom, promising a bountiful harvest in the coming months.
Traditional dishes featuring fresh produce, such as Spanish gazpacho — I will always maintain that my mother makes the very best version — and Portuguese caldo verde, celebrate the arrival of spring and the abundance it brings. We can take inspiration from these culinary delights and the Iberian Peninsula's rich agricultural heritage to create vibrant, seasonal meals.
Ancient Egyptian Nile Flooding Festival (Egypt)
Ancient Egyptians celebrated the Spring Equinox with a festival related to the annual flooding of the Nile River, which brought fertile soil and water to their lands. The Nile Flooding Festival, also known as Shemu, was a time for feasting and merriment, with offerings of fresh produce made to the gods.
Egyptian farmers used the floodwaters to irrigate their fields, planting crops such as barley, wheat, and various vegetables. This ancient practice of harnessing the power of the river to cultivate fertile lands can inspire modern farmsteads to appreciate and utilize natural resources responsibly. Even though I’ve just learned about this part of my background, I’ve been studying their water practices quite a bit and I’ve been contemplating how to better incorporate our pond and two creeks into our regenerative farming practices here in North Carolina.
Celebrating the Spring Equinox Here on the Farm
The Spring Equinox is a time of renewal and growth, both in the garden and the kitchen. By embracing diverse culinary and gardening traditions from around the world (and from our ancestors), we deepen our connection to the earth and the cycle of life that sustains us. As farmstead dwellers, we can learn from and incorporate these traditions, celebrating the arrival of spring through food, planting, and an appreciation for the land that nurtures us.
As my family and I celebrate this festival on our farmstead, we eagerly anticipate the completion of our new greenhouse, which will provide a nurturing environment for our plants to flourish. With the greenhouse's timely completion coinciding with the end of the Spring Equinox celebrations, we'll be planting, sowing, and blessing our new space, honoring the spirit of renewal and growth that this season embodies. Inspired by the rich tapestry of my ancestors, we'll carry these lessons of sustainability, respect for the land, and the joy of food into our daily lives, fostering a deeper connection with the earth and the bounty it provides. I hope you have a beautiful Spring Equinox as you usher the light of the sun back into your daily lives.
Before you go, here’s a sneak peek of the greenhouse under construction: