(For English, see below)
Folytatjuk bemutatkozó sorozatunkat. Ezúttal James-szel készítettünk egy interjút, a Zsámboki Biokert egyik alapító tagjával. A videót youtube-csatornánkon érhetitek el.
This week we continue our series of short interviews with James - a founding member of Zsámboki Biokert. You can view this interview in English, too on our youtube-channel.
Matt: Hi James. We have known each other for at least 20 years - how is it you got involved in the Zsámboki Biokert project?
James: Hi! Yes. When the financial crash happened in 2008 we were talking about what happens when the whole system goes wrong or collapses. We were saying the most important thing to do is to be able to feed yourself and other people. So, we thought wouldn't it be great to create a place where we could grow food - food as good as possible in a way which is sustainable. That was how it started - you (Matt) started looking for a place, and that is how things kicked off.
Matt: How would you describe your role now at Zsámboki Biokert?
James: Well, I help out from time to time with financial planning, strategic questions, how to improve and develop things. Working through those questions with the team.
Matt: Yes. That is great. What is it you like best about what is going on here?
James: It is difficult to just highlight one thing, but for me personally I love going to the market every Saturday. I always think the market stand looks better and better - more and more like a kind of ideal French market stand!
Matt: What do you think is our greatest challenge here now?
James: The biggest challenge for the organic movement in Hungary is how do you get everybody, or at least a lot of people to eat organic food, and then how do you make it affordable for people so it is not an elite thing. The Ökopiac is great but a lot of the produce is just to expensive for most people. What we really need is a way of making organic food 30%, 40% or 50% of all production. But I think this is a problem which can only be solved at the level of society - it is a political question.
Matt: Yes. So it is not necessarily something we can solve ourselves here at our own farm.
James: Well, I think there are things we can do. One thing we do is produce food, but amongst our team there is a huge amount of knowledge and experience. If we can find ways to share that experience, with particularly young people who want to get into farming, then this would be a way of scaling up.
Matt: And here at Zsámboki Biokert, if there would be one element or technical fix we would put into place, what do you see as important?
James: Well, one thing would be to grow Globe Artichokes - they are just so beautiful! But seriously, I think we need to look at how we can expand the box system, as we can see there is a big demand, but lots of challenges to create a good, sustainable system.
Matt: Thanks James!
James: You are welcome!.