Nearly two decades ago, Michael Stadtländer opened up Eigensinn Farm and set to work establishing his 100-acre Singhampton outpost as one of the premier dining spots in the country, all the while spearheading the local-food movement with his ready-made environmental ethic. At Eigensinn, Stadtländer shocked traditional foodies by growing his own food, making his own chairs and tables, crafting his own outdoor ovens and grills and featuring the bounty of local growers — call it fine-dining DIY.
Now, the German-born chef is readying his most ambitious endeavour to date: The Singhampton Project, sponsored by Earth Day Canada. This summer, Stadtländer will team up with French landscape artist Jean Paul Ganem to create seven gardens on the farm that will be transformed into cutting-edge and ingenious dining adventures come harvest time. We caught up with Stadtländer to talk about the project.
What inspired The Singhampton Project?
I always liked the idea of this kind of interaction with the land. When Jed [Earth Day Canada’s president Jed Goldberg] introduced me to J.P., once I saw some of this work, I knew we should get together for something like this.
And what are you hoping people will take away from the experiences?
We are trying to formulate that idea in our brains. It is a statement on food and people and the land — that connection. It will all be about looking after the land.
Speaking of the land, you spearheaded last year’s Foodstock in protest over the so-called “mega quarry.” What is the current status?
I’m a bit worried: things are quiet. I have a few ideas for actions in the fall, but I don’t want to talk about them just yet. But, yes, it is quiet, and when nothing is happening, that’s the time to be aware, because you know things are going on behind the scenes.
What is the big deal about a quarry?
You know, there is food there, and that food is mostly grown for Toronto really, not to mention the whole water issue — something like 600 million litres per day. There is a lot at stake here. People have to understand and look at where our food comes from. We shouldn’t be flying our food from 10,000 kilometres away right to your doorstep. Look at this weird spring already. It is crunch time.
Sewage sludge is now classified as compost, so farmers in Ontario could be spreading our old, well, crap onto their crops. What do you think of that?
I’m not keen on that either. It is a strange way to get rid of your sewage and detergents and anything else that gets flushed down and goes in there. It is not a great idea. At minimum, when that food goes to market, it should be labelled for that, just like GMOs [genetically modified organisms] should be labelled.
The Singhampton Project will take place August 10-26 at Eigensinn Farm