Farm to Table is not Enough

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” John Muir

Great insights here.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/05/how-john-muir-is-revolutionizing-the-farm-to-table-food-movement/371372/

I'm in the midst of reading Barber's book and really enjoy it - highly recommended.

There's more gems in the small article than in most books. Re: chefs "we are pitbulls for flavor". Love that one.
Or this re: cuisine: "the way a region’s unique ecological relationships, and place-specific advantages and challenges, become manifested through delicious food." When it comes to food, Dan Barber has got it going on and is a force to be reckoned with.

The message seems pretty simple: support the entire farm (or farms), not the individual ingredients. And as he mentions in the article, this isn't a particularly new concept, just one that farmers in the 'new world' were never really forced to adopt. In fact, it's a fairly unique take that he lays the fundamental blame for our current state of being on early American farmers and characterizes the problem as historical, more than he ties it to the evils of modern industrial agriculture.

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More metaphysical claptrap from over-privileged first worlders decrying food abundance.

I know I saw something that leveraged the "whole farm" approach somewhere on TV. I don't recall if it was one of Bourdain's CNN episodes (Noma?), or perhaps "Mind of a Chef" (which just won a daytime Emmy for best Culinary program). Whichever, the chef was using some wonderful green from a farm, but when he found out what other crops were needed to keep healthy rotation, he adopted the use of all of them in his menu.

Now, I don't see that as particularly necessary: If Farmer Bob can sell his other crops to someone else at profit, there's no reason to form an exclusive partnership. Similarly, if Chef Yolanda wants to support a dozen local farms each of which produces the best of breed, even better. But it certainly gives a new thought to the process of menu planning.

chitrader wrote:More metaphysical claptrap from over-privileged first worlders decrying food abundance.

Not even close

JoelF wrote:I know I saw something that leveraged the "whole farm" approach somewhere on TV. I don't recall if it was one of Bourdain's CNN episodes (Noma?), or perhaps "Mind of a Chef" (which just won a daytime Emmy for best Culinary program). Whichever, the chef was using some wonderful green from a farm, but when he found out what other crops were needed to keep healthy rotation, he adopted the use of all of them in his menu.

Now, I don't see that as particularly necessary: If Farmer Bob can sell his other crops to someone else at profit, there's no reason to form an exclusive partnership. Similarly, if Chef Yolanda wants to support a dozen local farms each of which produces the best of breed, even better. But it certainly gives a new thought to the process of menu planning.

True, but if he knows the next crop in the rotation isn't selling well for the farmer because it's difficult for a layperson to work with, it may be in the chef's best interest to buy and use them if they can think of a way they'll sell on the menu. For example if I know I love the locally grown asparagus and I can put it on the menu, and sell it every time, it may be in my best interest to buy the next crop in the rotation (I have no idea if you even do crop rotation on asparagus, but lets say the next crop is radishes) if I know I can use it creatively and sell it in order to ensure the entire rotation remains not only profitable for me but also for the farm so my interest in the asparagus is somewhat protected.

How often this type of scenario is true I have zero idea, but I can certainly see it happening.

zoid wrote:True, but if he knows the next crop in the rotation isn't selling well for the farmer because it's difficult for a layperson to work with, it may be in the chef's best interest to buy and use them if they can think of a way they'll sell on the menu. For example if I know I love the locally grown asparagus and I can put it on the menu, and sell it every time, it may be in my best interest to buy the next crop in the rotation (I have no idea if you even do crop rotation on asparagus, but lets say the next crop is radishes) if I know I can use it creatively and sell it in order to ensure the entire rotation remains not only profitable for me but also for the farm so my interest in the asparagus is somewhat protected.

How often this type of scenario is true I have zero idea, but I can certainly see it happening.

It is happening! We talked to Blue Hill chef / co-owner Dan Barber about the Rotation Risotto he's serving now, and why:
https://soundcloud.com/chewingthefat/ct ... od#t=44:10

Jazzfood wrote:

chitrader wrote:More metaphysical claptrap from over-privileged first worlders decrying food abundance.

Not even close

To put it a slightly different way, how are Barber's ideas relevant to the issues of feeding 99% of Americans? Isn't he talking to a small group of food centric people, whether they be consumers, chefs or the farmers who supply them with high end meat and produce?

It's an idea that needs to make inroads, yes, and perhaps it's not even the right one, but maybe it is or contains things that will be. Barber's albeit limited but evergrowing audience is where he's starting, just like any idea. Religion or gravity or the earth being round for instance.

When I lived in Berkeley in the early 70's there was a new restaurant we liked that was serving food that was different than what the others were doing. The menu changed a lot and had ingredients on it than most of us weren't used to getting @ the time. We went because it was good, and interesting and reasonable. Sitting off of Shattuck Ave back then, not one of us could have told you how influencial Chez Panisse would become.

When it comes to thinking about food and farms in the big picture Dan Barber is walking the walk. Michel Nischan with his Wholesome Wave does likewise (discliamer- besides a collegue he's a dear friend and badass musician). I could name dozens that do as well. It's a small but growing movement with some smart thinking that would be a shame to dismiss, as it may be part of the future. Way easier to sit on a couch and point a finger bitching while others to the heavy lifting.

That's how it's relevent.

Louisa Chu wrote:

zoid wrote:True, but if he knows the next crop in the rotation isn't selling well for the farmer because it's difficult for a layperson to work with, it may be in the chef's best interest to buy and use them if they can think of a way they'll sell on the menu. For example if I know I love the locally grown asparagus and I can put it on the menu, and sell it every time, it may be in my best interest to buy the next crop in the rotation (I have no idea if you even do crop rotation on asparagus, but lets say the next crop is radishes) if I know I can use it creatively and sell it in order to ensure the entire rotation remains not only profitable for me but also for the farm so my interest in the asparagus is somewhat protected.

How often this type of scenario is true I have zero idea, but I can certainly see it happening.

It is happening! We talked to Blue Hill chef / co-owner Dan Barber about the Rotation Risotto he's serving now, and why:
https://soundcloud.com/chewingthefat/ct ... od#t=44:10

Great interview Louisa.
I'll have to keep my ears open for Chewing The Fat

Year-round, sustainable farming is clearly in everyone's best interest in the long run -- not just in the U.S. but the entire planet. If it can be accomplished efficiently, without the leaving fields to lie fallow, or using pesticides or other harmful chemicals, that's a huge bonus as it leaves the land and water supply in a perpetually healthy condition.

In the current configuration, there are huge, dangerous and unsustainable long-term costs hidden behind "cheap" food.

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Hi- Ideally everything would be organic, but there is no way you can grow peaches organically in Michigan, and produce a product that people will want to buy. There was a farmer that used to come to the Evanston market, who raised fruit, and a few of his things were organic, like blueberries, but he told me that he had not figured out yet how to grow peaches organically. He did use about 60% less pesticide than the average farmer on his peaches. BTW- Peaches are going to be in shorter supply this summer because of the extremely cold weather we had this last winter. My sister is going to have 90% of a crop, and so she is going to do just fine, but one of the farmer's that comes to the Evanston market, and lives 30 miles from her, told me that he is going to only have 10% of a crop. A lot of the farmer's in the Eau Claire and Berrien Springs area have a substantially smaller crop than normal this summer too. One of the farmer's that lives two miles from my sister, told me that she will have enough peaches to sell at the farmer's markets she goes to, but she will not be wholesaling very many peaches this summer. They have tons of raspberries though anyway that they grow, and as far as I know their raspberry crop is going to be okay.

The problem with the "cheap" food supply is that most people consider how much something is going to cost them today, and not 20 years from now. When I went to the farmer's market today, I did not get there until 12:30, and there were deals to be had if you looked, but most people don't look hard enough. One of the growers had his strawberries marked down to 3 quarts for $10, and Henry had these huge heads of organic broccoli on sale for $2 a head. Nichols also had all their bags of leaf lettuce marked down to $1 a bag, which I discovered after I had bought a bag of mesclan from Henry, and did not need it.

On one of the couponing blogs I visit, somebody posted recently lamenting the fact that she could not get ground beef for $2 a pound any more. If she just used ground beef as a condiment, she could afford to pay $5 a pound for it. One of the biggest reasons why people don't eat more healthy, is because it is more expensive. Hope this helps, Nancy

zoid, thanks! We just wrapped season 2, so for anyone who'd like to binge-listen and catch up, now is the perfect time. https://soundcloud.com/chewingthefat

Ron, and what's even worse, those costs aren't even hidden anymore!

Nancy, we actually talked to Dan Barber about Michigan peaches, and he says the same thing. We had to cut it because of time, but I'll post it soon.

Louisa Chu wrote:Ron, and what's even worse, those costs aren't even hidden anymore!

That's true, even though there's no shortage of those who try very hard to obscure them. One doesn't have to look far to find the erroneous belief that creating healthful, sustainable, year-round food supply is a luxury of the affluent.

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Hi- I was looking for the right place to post this, but here is as good as any. One of the Michigan farmer's that came to the Evanston market for years, suddenly did not show up this season. Great Harvest took over their spot. Their farm is approximately 2 miles from where I grew up, and I bought a lot of peaches from them because a lot of their peaches came from varieties that my sister bred, and when they ran out of peaches, they purchased them from my sister. They were also very honest, and never tried to sell Red Haven peaches in September.

When I did not see them in May, I asked my sister, who told me that they probably did not have anything to sell yet. I then asked one of the other Michigan farmer's, and all he knew was that they were not coming this summer. Finally I asked a few weeks ago another farmer from Coloma who started coming when strawberries were ready. Linda told me that they were not coming to any of the farmer's markets any more, and that their grandson is selling for her this summer, and she told me to ask him about it. The grandson told me that they had bulldozed all of their cherry and peach trees, and in their place they were raising soybeans! He said that they still had a few apple trees left. It is a case of where the husband is 80, and nobody wants to take over the farm, and raising soybeans is a lot easier than raising fruit, and plus he probably makes more money doing it too. I was just sad when I heard this. Hope this helps, Nancy

Hi- I know a number of people here have seen the documentary Food, inc. which has been shown on PBS a number of times. In one of the segments of the documentary, there is a Hispanic family where the husband is diabetic, and is on medication. The whole family is in the grocery store, and the husband goes up to look at the fresh broccoli, and notices that it is $1.49 a pound, and laments that he can not afford that. On the way home from the store they stop into a fast food place, and order off the dollar menu. If he just substituted the broccoli for whatever he was purchasing from McDonald's, then maybe he would not have to be on diabetes medication. There is nothing cheap about treating type 2 diabetes, when you factor in the test strips and the medication. Hope this helps, Nancy

NFriday wrote: If he just substituted the broccoli for whatever he was purchasing from McDonald's, then maybe he would not have to be on diabetes medication.

Really?
With all due respect, it is very presumptuous to assume this. We do not know the particulars of this person's medical situation - notwithstanding the fact that a person CAN get relatively healthy food from McDonald's, if they so choose.

Hi- I said MAYBE. I did not say with absolute certainty that he could get off his meds. Yes, I know that you can get healthy items at McDonald's, and I have done it myself, but I believe it was hamburgers that the whole family got, and in my book broccoli is way healthier than McDonald's hamburgers. I go to Mc Donald's every once in a while to get their senior coffee, which is $.64 at the Dempster/Dodge, and Dempster/Skokie Boulevard location, and on a few occasions I have purchased a chicken wrap, which is semi healthy, and which is I believe $1.69, but all their main course salads are way more than that, and you have to remember to ask for low fat dressing, and yes you can get a grilled chicken breast sandwich, but the value meal of that only comes with medium fries, and not a small salad.

I have a genetic cholesterol problem, and so I know personally that some people can eat a healthy diet, and still have medical problems. I went off my cholesterol meds for a while when I did not have insurance, and I was also eating some food that I should have not been eating at work, because if it is around, I will eat it. When I finally got insurance again thanks to Obamacare, and went for a physical, my cholesterol was 341! Thanks to going back on the lipitor, and being super careful about what I eat, I was able to get it back down to 186, but there is no way with diet alone I could have gotten it under 200. Thanks, Nancy

NFriday wrote:Hi- I was looking for the right place to post this, but here is as good as any. One of the Michigan farmer's that came to the Evanston market for years, suddenly did not show up this season. Great Harvest took over their spot. Their farm is approximately 2 miles from where I grew up, and I bought a lot of peaches from them because a lot of their peaches came from varieties that my sister bred, and when they ran out of peaches, they purchased them from my sister. They were also very honest, and never tried to sell Red Haven peaches in September.

When I did not see them in May, I asked my sister, who told me that they probably did not have anything to sell yet. I then asked one of the other Michigan farmer's, and all he knew was that they were not coming this summer. Finally I asked a few weeks ago another farmer from Coloma who started coming when strawberries were ready. Linda told me that they were not coming to any of the farmer's markets any more, and that their grandson is selling for her this summer, and she told me to ask him about it. The grandson told me that they had bulldozed all of their cherry and peach trees, and in their place they were raising soybeans! He said that they still had a few apple trees left. It is a case of where the husband is 80, and nobody wants to take over the farm, and raising soybeans is a lot easier than raising fruit, and plus he probably makes more money doing it too. I was just sad when I heard this. Hope this helps, Nancy

Is that the German couple? I was wondering where they'd gone.

Hi- Yes it is. They told me a few years ago that they could not retire, because nobody in their family wanted to take over the farm, and it is hard to sell farms. Raising soybeans is a whole lot easier than raising cherries and peaches, which you have to pick, and then you have to sell them at the farmer's market. They used to go to a lot of farmer's market. They were at the one that took place at Federal Plaza on 9/11, where all the farmer's were told that they had one hour to sell the stuff on their table, and then they had to pack up. The last few years they limited themselves to Evanston, and I believe one market that they went to twice a month on Sundays. It is a lot of work selling at the farmer's markets. You have to leave in the middle of the night, and then it takes you 2 1/2 hours, or less if you are lucky, and then you have to set up and take down. By the time you arrive home again 12 hours has elapsed, and you might have to repeat that the next day. Hope this helps, Nancy

Here's a link to topical piece over at Michael Ruhlman's site that provides some additional perspective . . .

at his blog, Michael Ruhlman wrote:The problem has long been that, while he’s [Dan Barber] been very good at articulating the problems, he’s never had a realistic solution. Americans can’t completely opt out of the industrial food system by relying exclusively on CSAs and farmers’ markets (much as we cherish them). And chefs must cherry-pick the best ingredients if they are to keep their restaurants filled.

Until this book [The Third Plate], that is. Barber, through excellent reporting (how many chefs record interviews with their farmers?), storytelling, and thinking, gives us a glimpse of a possible sustainable food future.

It does not involve dismantling the industrial giants. Barber believes the environment will eventually take care of that. (By way of example, he points to what happened to one of the world’s biggest chicken purveyors when fuel prices rocketed in in 2007–08. Yes, we have a petroleum-dependent food system—sounds yummy, doesn’t it?). And he recognizes that small farmers can’t possibly feed all of America.

A Practical (and Selfish) Vision of a Sustainable Food Future

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