The XXL City Harvester Complex for DroogLab
The Arctic and Giant Vegetable Growers: you may not see what they have in common, but indeed on issues of food, I have connected them to form alternative concepts for city food production.
Traveling to the Canadian Arctic as an invited designer on Droog's Luxury of the North project, my focus was on the traditional food sourcing of the Inuit that still exists today, although is being threatened. Catching a whale will feed a community for up to a year. Because the whale is so large, it cannot be moved, and is cut up on the spot to be divided at the community close by. The food does not travel far, and I saw an inspiring model for the local production and the processing of food that could be applied to our cities elsewhere. With the unsustainable model of flying food around the globe, considering the implementation of food production and harvesting in our city centers is a necessary consideration.
Sourcing other groups growing and distributing large or XXL food I connected with amateur giant vegetable growers who are located around the world and in all climates. I also found European giant hare breeders. All these giant food growers had similar positions about the added value of XXL food as a viable source to feed many from one thing. For example, the yield is tremendous in comparison to the space dedicated in conventional growing, and if used with high tech growing technology, the production of XXL food could be very efficient. With much research, including collaboration with award winning giant vegetable grower Brad Wursten, The XXL City Harvester Complex was designed as THE city center where citizens are fed and supplied. The XXL City Harvester Complex is dedicated to local growth and growing, with the thought that the size of our cities is determined by the food it can produce.
Traveling to the Canadian Arctic as an invited designer on Droog's Luxury of the North project, my focus was on the traditional food sourcing of the Inuit that still exists today, although is being threatened. Catching a whale will feed a community for up to a year. Because the whale is so large, it cannot be moved, and is cut up on the spot to be divided at the community close by. The food does not travel far, and I saw an inspiring model for the local production and the processing of food that could be applied to our cities elsewhere. With the unsustainable model of flying food around the globe, considering the implementation of food production and harvesting in our city centers is a necessary consideration.
Sourcing other groups growing and distributing large or XXL food I connected with amateur giant vegetable growers who are located around the world and in all climates. I also found European giant hare breeders. All these giant food growers had similar positions about the added value of XXL food as a viable source to feed many from one thing. For example, the yield is tremendous in comparison to the space dedicated in conventional growing, and if used with high tech growing technology, the production of XXL food could be very efficient. With much research, including collaboration with award winning giant vegetable grower Brad Wursten, The XXL City Harvester Complex was designed as THE city center where citizens are fed and supplied. The XXL City Harvester Complex is dedicated to local growth and growing, with the thought that the size of our cities is determined by the food it can produce.
XXL Dinner, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Canada
An XXL dinner was created in Toronto to showcase the XXL City Harvester Complex, with a dinner for 500 fed from locally grown giant vegetables, including a 300 lb pumpkin, a giant watermelon and rutabaga. We are grateful to Giant Vegetable Growers John Vincent and Luke and Christina Melnyk who generously provided numerous and delicious XXL vegetables from their Toronto garden.
At the end of the night, each diner was provided with a giant pumpkin seed to plant in their own backyards.
At the end of the night, each diner was provided with a giant pumpkin seed to plant in their own backyards.
Thanks to Renny Ramakers, Agata Jaworska, Rachel Harding and Max Klaentschi.
XXL Vegetables at Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
The Giant Vegetables made it to the Van Abbe Museum for the Sense Non Sense exhibit during the Dutch Design Week 2014. The giants were shown in terms of alternative food production possibilities outside of standard industrial practices, and the value of peripheral expertise. Great big thanks to the Dutch Giant Growers Club.
The Giants make it to the loading dock of the Van Abbe Museum. Thanks to giant vegetable grower Arnold Horde for delivery of 2 giant pumpkins (the biggest approx 350kg grown by Arnold Horde), a giant Marrow and gourd (grown by Brad Wursten), 2 giant field pumpkins and sunflowers, zuccini and more!
It takes 8 guys to lift a 350kg pumpkin.
Thanks to the Giant Vegetable Growers Club, the Van Abbe Installation Crew, Production Queen Ina Hollman and Curator Agata Jaworska.
Thanks to the Giant Vegetable Growers Club, the Van Abbe Installation Crew, Production Queen Ina Hollman and Curator Agata Jaworska.
Giant corn "Jala" and vegetables grown and eaten on the Utrecht Science Park
During the Department of Search project at the Utrecht Science Park, giant vegetables made their way into the scientific search engine to consider how to make the campus socially sustainable. Giant corn plants were grown by residents and employees of the campus in 2015-16 for the Dutch Giant Vegetable Growers Competition. We received a trophy of encouragement. Other giant vegetables were grown to test how to feed hundreds a day. Campus beer was made by the hobby group, Brouwvereniging. On two occasions, Hathaway and hobbyists successfully made soup (70 litres x 2) creating a first time local soup made on campus. Herbs from the botanic gardens were used. Since 2016, the Dutch Giant Vegetable Growers Association competition has been held at the Botanic Gardens of the University.
Veggie XXL: Brad Wursten's Garden. Film made for V2_ Non-Expert Expert Meetings, Rotterdam. With Cynthia Hathaway, Melle Smets and Michelle Kasprzak. Editing assistance by Elise van Beurden