From Farm to Table: Exploring the Benefits of Farm-to-Fork Dining and Sustainable Agriculture3/28/2023
In recent years, there has been a growing movement towards sustainable agriculture and farm-to-fork dining. More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of eating fresh, locally sourced produce and supporting small-scale farmers. In this blog, we’ll explore the world of farm-to-fork dining and sustainable agriculture, and look at some of the benefits of this growing movement.
What is farm-to-fork dining? Farm-to-fork dining is a concept that emphasizes the use of locally sourced, fresh produce in restaurant menus. The idea is to create a direct connection between the farmer who grows the food and the consumer who eats it. This means that the food is fresher and has fewer preservatives, as it has not been shipped over long distances or processed extensively. This also helps to support local farmers and the local economy. What is sustainable agriculture? Sustainable agriculture is a method of farming that focuses on the long-term health of the land, the environment, and the community. This means that farmers aim to use natural resources such as water, soil, and air in a responsible and sustainable way. Sustainable agriculture also takes into account the welfare of animals and promotes biodiversity. What are the benefits of farm-to-fork dining and sustainable agriculture?
Springtime is nearly upon us – it's a time of renewal, it's warm, and the weather brings a bounty of fruits and vegetables.
Just because something is available in the grocery store year-round doesn’t mean it’s necessarily in season – and eating food that IS in season means you get to enjoy fruits and vegetables at their peak texture and flavor. Shopping with your local farmers market or buying directly from a farm is a great way to know what’s in season, and it’ll set you up to make tons of delicious dishes. Here’s a comprehensive list of the best produce, plus some suggestions on how you can utilize it in multiple delicious ways, as well as how to best keep it. Asparagus Asparagus is extremely versatile and can be prepared in multiple ways, including sauteing, steaming, grilling, and roasting. Asparagus stalks are sweet and crispy, it’s easily a springtime favorite. How to store: Try storing asparagus for three to four days in the fridge. You can wrap stalks in a paper towel and store them in an airtight container to extend their life. What to cook: Toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper and wrap with bacon. Roast in the oven until the bacon edges are crispy. Topping with parmesan is optional. Avocado Perhaps one of the trendiest alligator-skinned fruits of our time, avocado is a nutritious superfood that’s high in heart-healthy fats, loaded with fiber and potassium and is perfect for any time of the day. How to store: Avocados, on average, keep for about four to seven days when stored at room temperature. What to cook: Avocado toast is an obvious choice, but how about adding avocado to fruit salad? Cabbage There are a ton of varieties of cabbage that are available in the spring. In order to select the best, make sure when you pick up a cabbage it feels heavy for its size. And don’t worry if the outer leaves don’t look perfect, there are plenty more inside. How to store: You can enjoy fresh cabbage for up to two weeks when you keep it stored in the fridge. What to cook: Whether you want to try grilled cabbage on its way out or turn it into an old-fashioned cabbage roll, cabbage is perhaps the most unexpected addition to your spring dinner table. Chard Chard is a distinctive leafy green that is dense in nutrients and it’s very popular in Mediterranean dishes. How to store: remove the ties and discard any yellow or bruised leaves before you store them. Put the shard in a zip-top bag that’s lined with paper towels and keep it in the refrigerator crisper drawer for three to five days. What to cook: Chard is very versatile and can be tossed into a chard and bacon linguine or can even be picked as a side dish. Before the dawn of television, and long before the invention of reality TV programming, chefs were simply cooks. They innovated with never-to-be-revealed recipes, cooked great food and fed hundreds of patrons in their restaurants, banquet halls and diners.
But under the bright lights of television, chefs began to radiate as celebrities. Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet were among the first to attract loyal TV fans. Many star chefs followed in the floury footsteps of these simmering celebrities. Book contracts, endorsement deals, cameos in films, and vast social media audiences followed in quick succession. Soon celebrity chefs had their own reality shows, traveling the world to sample its immense cornucopia of foods, often while offering opinions on everything from art to politics. While it may be entertaining to know what a celebrity chef thinks about the latest kawaii fashion in Japan or omnibus bill in Congress, their impact is most powerful when they advocate for the purity of food. The ultimate achievement for these chefs is no longer a third Michelin star or a frying pan named in their honour, but rather the chance to educate, persuade and lead by example. Among this new breed is chef Bradford Heap, owner of the legendary Salt the Bistro and Colterra restaurants, south of the border in Colorado. Several years ago he and a group of his Boulder-area colleagues pledged to make their restaurants free of GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients. The move was easier said than done. Murky supply chains sometimes made finding the true source of ingredients nearly impossible. Key substitutions forced price increases on the menu. And GMO ingredients were seemingly everywhere. “The way that the biotech companies go about creating and selling these seeds, controlling the market and promoting pesticide use, creating super-weeds and more pesticides, contributing to bee colony collapse disorder … I don’t want to support that with my restaurants,” he told Organic Connections magazine. The chef relies heavily on local suppliers to keep his ingredients pure. The partnerships he has forged get plenty of hands-on attention — literally. The chef and his staff pitch in to cultivate the crops that will ultimately appear on Salt the Bistro and Colterra plates. The chef explained that his new role has been enlightening, as well as incredibly rewarding: “There’s a deep humility to farming, to be physically out there; it’s tough. When you put a seed in the ground and nurture it, grow it, and see it to the table, that makes me feel successful. It’s so much bigger than ‘me.’ Growing foods and doing my part to raise awareness around GMOs gives me a greater purpose than just being a successful chef with several restaurants.” Does Chef Heap have an opinion on Italian cinema, or a story to tell about the time he got a tattoo in Chiang Mai? Probably not, which is a relief to anyone who loves great cooking and consuming delicious food. Instead, he is making a real difference in his own restaurants, for people that he knows by name. We can’t imagine that some of our favourite foods and flavors might someday disappear from menus. Great classics like the Double Stacker will always be with us, and it’s a safe bet that generations of porkers will continue to supply the bacon to adorn each towering burger.
But nature has been warning us for a very long time that the tastes and colours of some nutritious fruits, vegetables and grains may not endure. For example, a recent study projects that more than a quarter of all flowering plants may be gone within several decades, many before their beauty has ever been seen. One organization is working to reverse the tide, fighting hard to ensure that some of nature’s greatest flavours survive these currents of extinction. A project of the global Slow Food Movement, the Ark of Taste is on a mission to save endangered grains, fruits, vegetables and more from the rising flood of processed foods. Booking safe passage on the Slow Food Movement’s metaphorical ark may be the last best hope for such sublime tastes as North American antebellum peanuts, Harrison cider apples and Ojai pixie tangerines. “The Ark is an international catalogue of foods that are threatened by industrial standardization, the regulations of large-scale distribution and environmental damage,” explains Slow Food. “In an effort to cultivate consumer demand — key to agricultural conservation — only the best tasting endangered foods make it onto the Ark.” In the past 25 years, more than 800 products from over 50 countries have been added to the international Ark of Taste catalogue. South of our border, Ark of Taste profiles over 200 rare regional foods, and is a tool that helps American farmers, ranchers, fishers, chefs, retail grocers, educators and consumers celebrate the continent’s extraordinary biological, cultural and culinary heritage. The project has been enthusiastically endorsed by Michael Pollan, celebrated author of such healthy food classics as The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, and Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. In a review, he pointed out what makes this movement — and the plants it hopes to save — so special: “Of course seed-saver groups have been around for a while now, preserving heirloom varieties from the onslaught of patented hybrids, but Slow Food takes that project a step further,” he wrote. “The movement understands that every set of genes on its Ark of Taste encodes not only a set of biological traits but a set of cultural practices as well, and in some cases even a way of life. “Take the example of Iroquois white corn. By working to find new markets for this ancient cultivar, Slow Food (along with the Collective Heritage Institute, its partner in this particular project) is ensuring the livelihood of the Native Americans who grow, roast, and grind this corn. Save the genes, and you help save the land and the culture as well. “Slow Food recognizes that the best place to preserve biological and cultural diversity is not in museums or zoos but, as it were, on our plates.” Mother Nature needs a good fashion makeover, many food manufacturers seem to believe. Oranges just aren’t orange enough; salmon could be pinker, and even pumpernickel needs an earthier tone to set it apart from processed loaves sporting a whiter shade of pale.
Outside a Hollywood film vault, a grocery store may be the place you’re most likely to encounter such an immense array of cheaply colorized natural classics. Writer Jessica Migala has explored the phenomenon, and discovered some surprising examples along the way: Pinker salmon: “The salmon you see at the fish counter almost always sports a bright pinkish-orange hue, but in fact, salmon is naturally a greyer shade. The swimmers take on their classic coloring in one of two ways: wild-caught salmon eat krill, while farm-raised salmon are fed pigment pellets.” Oranger oranges: “Believe it or not, the dye Citrus Red No. 2 is sprayed on some Florida oranges early in the season to brighten their coloring. These oranges are usually used for juicing, but some end up on grocery store shelves. The dye is approved for use in small concentrations, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest warns this dye is related to health risks, including cancer, in lab animals. (It’s not allowed to be used on California oranges.) Bags of these oranges need to include a label that says color has been added. The dye still isn’t meant for eating, so don't make candied orange peel or zest them for cooking.” Slices and spears: “Caramel color … is often added to wheat or pumpernickel breads to make them look like they contain more wheat than they do. The same colorant is used in some roast beef deli meats for a beefier look. Meanwhile, yellow dyes are added to pickles so the spears appear more vibrant.” Unctuous olive oil: “Extra virgin olive oil has come under fire for not actually being olive oil. Many bottles are mixed with cheaper oils like soybean or canola, according to Consumer Reports. In addition to wasting your money, you’re also losing out on the heart-health perks of the monounsaturated fats you’d find in pure olive oil.” Oxidized almonds: “Along with milk, bottled juice, and canned goods, almonds are pasteurized in order to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks. … [This] can be achieved by roasting, blanching, steam treating, or spraying with a Propylene Oxide Treatment (PPO). You should know that PPO is considered safe, but is also sometimes added to engine oil or used to make mattress foam. … If you want to avoid PPO, look for brands that say they've been ‘steam pasteurized’ or dry roasted.” In the communities of the Six Nations territory, the past is never far away. Its example guides us, and we respect the great wisdom that we find there.
As a restaurateur in Ohsweken, I feel the same way about the cornucopia of heirloom fruits, vegetables and grains that once fed our ancestors across this magnificent land. Many of these varieties are on the verge of extinction. They have certainly disappeared from mass-market stores, where only the gleam of a wax coating will sell an apple, and shelf life often trumps taste. Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of one of my favorite childhood books, Treasure Island, was also a farmer. He had some great advice: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” In my view, the seeds that deserve more planting are heirloom fruits, vegetables and grains. These varieties do more than awaken extraordinary flavors. They rekindle memories, evoking special places and times. They tell vivid stories, and challenge every listener to imagine a world without them. In a sense, we are already living in such a world. There are over 2,500 species of apples grown in North American orchards, yet fewer than a dozen account for 90 percent of total production. In the U.S., Eureka, Newell’s Winter, Northern Spy and Paw Paw apples still grow in parts of the Midwest. In the Northeast, canopies of Aunt Penelope Winslow, Strawberry Chenango, Granite Beauty, Newton Pippin and Paradise Sweet shade the land. The Southeast has Red Limbertwig, Red Horse, Kinniard’s Choice and Winter Jon. In the Southwest it’s Carolina Red June, Grimes Golden and Mollie’s Delicious. And the West has Pink Pearl, Golden Russet, Hidden Rose, Williams Pride and Sierra Beauty. These varieties became marginalized over the decades for a variety of reasons. In her book, Edible Memory: The Lure of Heirloom Tomatoes & Other Forgotten Foods, Jennifer Jordan describes how the concentration in apple supply began: “Orchards full of standard apple trees (as opposed to dwarf and semi-dwarf) that grow to twenty-five feet once containing tremendous biodiversity were felled by the thousands as developers subdivided farms and orchards, built houses, and carved roads and freeways into the changing landscape. Apple production became more standardized and centralized, shifting from tall trees in backyards and farms and small orchards to short trees in large orchards growing only a few varieties.” These almost-forgotten fruits, vegetables and grains offer so much more than just incredible flavor. Many also have fascinating stories to tell. For example, the plump strawberries that replaced the small forest berries that grew wild in Europe’s forests started out as a gift from a cartographer touring Chile to Louis XIV. The Perinaldo Artichoke got its start as a present by Napoleon to the residents of a small Italian village. Rediscovering these lost varieties can truly be a storybook adventure; a journey deep into our past that can do so much to enrich our future. When I founded Burger Barn in 2011, I had already gained invaluable experience as a serial entrepreneur. My retail, wholesale, energy and construction businesses were similar in respect to the customer base, procurement process, talent acquisition and market focus.
Opening a restaurant requires a unique skill set. There are a range of popular restaurant concepts to choose from, from casual dining to delicatessen. As for talent, the chef is a key hire. Much is riding on his or her menu selection and food preparation. But perhaps the biggest difference is that the demographics of prospective customers vary widely depending on concept, menu, price and convenience. According to Entrepreneur magazine, aspiring restaurateurs should focus on attracting five to 10 percent of the overall market. Significantly, dining preferences vary widely by generation. Millennials “go for fast-food and quick-service items. About 25 percent of their restaurant visits are to burger franchises, followed by pizza restaurants at 12 percent.” Generation X is the next in line. These consumers were born in the years following the Baby Boom, from 1965 to 1980. “This group is known for strong family values,” says Entrepreneur. “While earlier generations strove to do better financially than their parents, Gen Xers are more likely to focus on their relationship with their children. They are concerned with value, and they favor quick-service restaurants and midscale operations that offer all-you-can-eat salad bars and buffets. To appeal to this market group, offer a comfortable atmosphere that focuses on value and ambience.” Baby boomers are still the largest segment of the population. Their journey has been the story of modern cultural history. Along the way, they’ve transformed everything they’ve touched, from music and television to lifestyles and economic patterns. “Prominent in this generation are affluent professionals who can afford to visit upscale restaurants and spend money freely,” says the magazine. “During the 1980s, they were the main customer group for upscale, trendy restaurants. In the 1990s, many baby boomers were two-income households with children. Today, those on the leading edge of the boomer generation are becoming grandparents, making them a target of restaurants that offer a family-friendly atmosphere and those that provide an upscale, formal dining experience.” The older members of this generation can usually also be categorized as “empty nesters.” Entrepreneur notes: “With the most discretionary income and the highest per-capita income of all the generations, this group typically visits upscale restaurants. They are less concerned with price and are more focused on excellent service and outstanding food. Appeal to this group with elegant surroundings and a sophisticated ambience.” Finally, there are seniors, commonly defined as people 65 and older. “Generally, the majority of seniors are on fixed incomes and may not often be able to afford upscale restaurants often, so they tend to visit family-style restaurants that offer good service and reasonable prices. Younger seniors are likely to be more active and have more disposable income than older seniors, whose health may be declining. Seniors typically appreciate restaurants that offer early-bird specials and senior menus with lower prices and smaller portions, since their appetites are less hearty than those of younger people.” Once you’ve identified your customer, the really fun part begins. At least, that’s the way it has been at Burger Barn. And for readers who are curious about which demographic group we decided to target with our delicious food, my answer is: Please come by and take a look! We’ve got a world-famous Classic Stacker waiting for you. |
AuthorJason Hill is a respected entrepreneur and innovator who learned important lessons about life, business and success growing up in Six Nations, Ontario. Archives
January 2023
Categories |