Event “Forgotten crops” – Exhibition and Tasting of “Elkana” Member Farmers’ Produc
2010-01-29
On 26 December 2009, the Association “Elkana” held the event - “Forgotten crops” – Exhibition and Tasting of “Elkana” Member Farmers’ Produce. The event took place in the St. Trinity Cathedral Youth Spiritual and Intellectual Development Center of Georgian Patriarchate. The purpose of the event was a promotion of old Georgian crops and organic farming. Today, when many cultivated plants are not only forgotten, but in some cases, completely lost, it is very important to raise public awareness and interest towards traditional products.
Patriarchate of Georgia is supporting organic farming and agrobiodiversity conservation. His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II states in his 2009 Christmas Epistle: “I think we have good possibilities of producing ecologically safe and competitive agricultural products and good prospects for consolidating our position on the world market as such. Therefore, while the unique Georgian agricultural crops have been preserved, each of us must do all in order to make this goal a reality.” Archpriest Archil (Avanashvili) of St. Trinity Cathedral blessed the event. Academician Petre Naskidashvili spoke about the importance of revival of old Georgian traditional crops and emphasized the role of “Elkana” in conservation and distribution of Georgian wheat varieties.
The representative of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection Mr. Gocha Aronishidze spoke about the role and attitude of the Ministry against the protection of agrarian diversity; Mariam Jorjadze, director of “Elkana”, expressed her gratitude to the guests and introduced them with the activities of the organization and achieved results. The invited guests had the opportunity to taste the products produced by the Elkana member farmers: wine, churchkhela, tea, honey, juices, cheese, fruit, as well as traditional Georgian dishes made of wheat, pea, vine, horse bean and millet, and also bread baked from “Tsiteli Doli” wheat. They received these ancient recipes of these dishes and calendar of “Elkana” as a gift. Also the film “Forgotten Crops” was presented in the hall.
Patriarchate of Georgia is supporting organic farming and agrobiodiversity conservation. His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II states in his 2009 Christmas Epistle: “I think we have good possibilities of producing ecologically safe and competitive agricultural products and good prospects for consolidating our position on the world market as such. Therefore, while the unique Georgian agricultural crops have been preserved, each of us must do all in order to make this goal a reality.” Archpriest Archil (Avanashvili) of St. Trinity Cathedral blessed the event. Academician Petre Naskidashvili spoke about the importance of revival of old Georgian traditional crops and emphasized the role of “Elkana” in conservation and distribution of Georgian wheat varieties.
The representative of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection Mr. Gocha Aronishidze spoke about the role and attitude of the Ministry against the protection of agrarian diversity; Mariam Jorjadze, director of “Elkana”, expressed her gratitude to the guests and introduced them with the activities of the organization and achieved results. The invited guests had the opportunity to taste the products produced by the Elkana member farmers: wine, churchkhela, tea, honey, juices, cheese, fruit, as well as traditional Georgian dishes made of wheat, pea, vine, horse bean and millet, and also bread baked from “Tsiteli Doli” wheat. They received these ancient recipes of these dishes and calendar of “Elkana” as a gift. Also the film “Forgotten Crops” was presented in the hall.
