A hotel ‘Going Organic’ is a huge thing all around, as it embodies a shift in consciousness and awareness about where things really come from, and where their live cycle ends.
So there is a large education component. It brings to the table sustainability, recycling, composting, and bio regionality, all good in my opinion.
Going Organic also embodies and needs to clarify some parallel beliefs; as Organic does not implicitly mean ‘all good’ for example.
Organic meat... that would be a cow... organic and say free ranged...maybe even a happy cow…if you are aware of the difference, why would you want to eat it.
The stats on cattle raising when done in the current commercial model or poorly planned ranging is horrific. Cows are just not sustainable. They consume horrendous amounts of water and, unmanaged or overpopulated, their waste becomes nothing like its original fertilizing and highly sought predecessor from a small farm. All morality and animal kindness aside, there is no intelligent reason to keep eating cows, or pigs.
The impact of raising free range, organic, watered, and fed, i.e. farmed for food, is HUGE. I think we all need to consider QUANTITY. If you really feel you need to eat meat, perhaps smaller portions or less frequency.
Basically SUSTAINABILITY is a Key Factor to consider.
Bio Regional means a dynamic season based menu, rich in sea and land plant foods and minerals. Baja offers incredible opportunities for bio regional foods.
Organic Soy is always a good example. Soy is mostly GMO, which can be grown ORGANIC, unsustainably while destroying the Amazon. But! it’s organic.
Ideally we are to be Organic, Bio Regional, and Sustainable.
WHY Organic? Make it bigger and have a complete staff by in to the concept. I think the presentation of the idea, and evolution to this full line of thought should be collective, and I believe Human resources should manage this program internally as there is huge opportunity for community cohesiveness if they create a garden. The employees should have a Unique garden or space within the gardens and participate in SEED SHARING.
I would recommend to a hotel wanting to make the shift an Action Plan:
Evaluate going into summer, (this May) this past winters consumption and purchasing.
Secure a “Farm ” as an extension to the hotel…….ie Rent an existing or link to an existing farm, or create a parallel project (rent) for food production but also guest tour and spa options)
Evaluate on all current menus what products are used.
Analyze if these same products can reasonable be GROWN locally, knowing the production will be scaled up to hotel commitments.
Have an evaluation checklist and consider the use of each product.
Eliminate everything that could not be reasonably produced regionally,
Plan a seasonal calendar based on fresh and year round available products based on THE GROWING SEASONS, although many products may still need to be imported, you begin growing a garden diverse in all the chefs' wants and visa versa, the chef works with what the Garden provides as well….Often calendarized, often not. Planning for harvesting and preserving is key as well.
The first year the garden at hotel and at farm, would reflect what guests are eating, and would provide a basis for a larger productions the next year based on accurate demands. Additional land and gardens based on needs. The transition from analysis, to growing some of your own food, would be around 6 months, and a fall garden could be planted to start serious integration of food in November, and probably another year or TWO to get up to full production.
As hoteliers are not farmers, I suggest working with an existing farm or adopting a smaller family homestead and making it an extension to the hotel.
This process will keep balancing as the chef evolves with his garden, and is most dynamic. I would offer farm visits, tours of bio constructions, gardens and kitchen, bamboo gardens and healing arts, mountain hikes and waterholes or hot springs , desert hikes, wild food sources, water collection opportunities as potential add ons for hotel guests.
I know of a few properties in Santiago that fulfil this profile.
Additionally theme of organic, sustainable, should be carried and branded at the same time throughout the property into the Bedding and Towels most definitely and perhaps a nice Cotton Beach Wrap Pareo. (Pashmina size)
Although there are beautiful wraps from foreign locations I would consider Mexican. I would look for fabrics made of natural fibres and dies.
GAIA is putting together a Bio Regional and Organic Body Care line for in room use. It is important to think of the impact we have with our bathing products as well as laundering. Organic Food needs a pristine environment to grow in, environmental education and awareness are key, so that we care for and help create richer soils for food production. .
I would (and have with GAIA store) order in exactly what I needed and build a menu around it, and choose items that CAN be grown in Baja but perhaps are not know currently as there is no demand. Quinoa will grow in the mountains and around San Antonio de La Sierra or Santiago even, sprouting beans or grains are great for fresh enzymatic food in the summer. Buckwheat a fabulous breakfast cereal.
We have plenty of natural abundance in our state, being risked by unconscious development. A connection to creating rich fertile soil, on site with hotel compost, grey water and active composting, in turn using this dirt to grow food.
This is the education and activities that families are really looking for and enjoy as alternatives to adrenalin popping play for pay options.
Volunteerism, Sustainability, and Community Building are what we see more of in our world, and it goes hand in hand with a shift back to natural eating. *
I think one of our wisest and most experienced professionals in the theme of production volumes, growing spaces, and the business of growing food is Enrique Silva of Tamarindos. Enrique is a Agricultural Engineer, who turned restauranteur. He has proven to be an exceptional business person and very consistent with his projects. I think his advantage is his very deep knowledge on the numbers and pricing of foods. A worthy consultant as well.
Tadd Chapman of course is fabulous with menu development shift, presentation, education and organization, who is committed in building his farmer skills, and directing his creative efforts, and business, in this direction.
It would be great to have your hotel ‘adopt’ GAIA and do this type of thing! This is what I have been dreaming of!
InToGreatSHINE,
Kim Gaia *
Polysynthesizer "Artistic innovators who can combine many separate elements, and design them into integrated and sustainable social systems for the benefit of humanity."