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| Photo Courtesy of Madison Area Chef's Network |
“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger
of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat
comes from the furnace.”
― Wisconsin Legend, Aldo
Leopold, from A Sand County Almanac
Over the last few weeks we’ve been
learning and sharing a lot about the health of our environment and the wonders
of our food system. From the science of pollution and pesticides to the future
of bees and cheese, our Curious Community has become informed and involved.
That’s why this week we are celebrating the role education and community plays
in creating positive change!
Wisconsin
is home to many wonderful environmental and wellness programs aimed at
educating and connecting residents of all of ages. Over the next few weeks we
will focus on just a few of those programs and how they are impacting members
of our Curious Community. So come along this week as we learn about the farm-to-table
movement in Madison and the outreach efforts that are bringing together
science, economics and community to create something delicious!
The Disappearance of
the Family Farm:
Growing up in a farming
community, Theresa Feiner watched as family farms disappear from her
neighborhood. Though she didn’t keep
count, the Census of Agriculture did, and the numbers proved that Feiner’s
observations were true, Wisconsin was losing family run farms. In fact,
according to the Census of Agriculture, Wisconsin lost more than 10,000 farms
between 1982 and 2012. Aware of these changes but unsure of the underlying
cause, Feiner began to wonder what was causing this shift and what the
implications of these changes would be for the future of our food supply. Driven
by her own curiosity and a passion for fresh, high-quality food, Feiner, who is
now the Executive Director of The Madison Area Chefs Network, has dedicated her
life to understanding these issues and developing programs that help chefs to
connect with fresh, local and wholesome food suppliers.
After
attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earning her degree in geography
with an emphasis in economics, Feiner spent a few years working with various
agriculture and food groups such as the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and
the Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Research, Education, Action and Policy
on foods group (REAPS). In these roles,
Feiner was able to create a network of friends and food lovers while learning
important lessons about Wisconsin’s agriculture and its impact on the local
food system. Her passion for the food, health and the overall wellbeing of her
local community led her to align with the Madison Area Chef’s Network, a group
looking to expand upon the farm-to-table movement.
Food For Thought:
Farm-to-table
is a social movement that essentially promotes the idea of eating local and developing
an understanding of the local food system. Some of the benefits of eating local
include:
·
increased economic benefits for your local
community
·
minimized transportation costs and associated
environmental impacts
·
increased understanding of the local environment
and food supply
·
increased community connections
The
Madison Area Chef’s Network has been inspired by this idea working to
“strengthen Madison's food system through collaboration and community.”
Launched in 2014, the network includes chefs that are from brick-and-mortar
restaurants that are, locally-owned, located in Southern Wisconsin and have
independent capacity to make purchasing and marketing decisions. While still a
young organization, Feiner is encouraged by their early success. In fact, the
organization currently includes 40-50 different restaurants and 20-30 different
chefs. Feiner says she feels lucky to “work with really awesome restaurants and
chefs who are all interested in sustainable agriculture and making food more
transparent.”
While
the organization offers educational and networking opportunities for chefs,
members are also interested in sharing their knowledge and food with those
outside of the chef community. In fact, the organization hosts several annual
events including the popular Chef Week, which includes more than 30 different
farm to table events that encourage chefs to “combine menus, trade kitchens,
and engage in a bit of healthy competition.”
Another
popular event includes the annual Yum Yum Fest, which allows members of the
Madison Area Chef’s Network to share one of their most popular dishes with
community members in a festival-style setting. While a great opportunity for
networking, this event is really all about community as proceeds go towards
local charities.
The Next Generation
of Farm- to-Table:
While the Madison Area
Chef’s Network has been deeply involved in the current farm-to-table movement, Feiner credits entrepreneur Odessa Piper
with bringing the farm-to-table movement to Madison. In fact, in 1976 Piper opened L’Etoile, a
farm-to-table or back-to the-land restaurant which is now owned and operated by
James Beard Award–winning chef and Madison Area Chef’s Network member Tory
Miller. L’Etoile remains a farm-to-table restaurant but it has also served as
the inspiration for many other restaurants around Madison. As Feiner said,
“Odessa Piper was part of the first generation of culinary leaders, but now I
like to think we’re on the second generation, or at least 1.5, where a lot of
those founders have inspired their employees to go out on their own and create
new restaurants that focus on this. I think in Madison we’re super lucky to
have diversified agricultural systems, so it’s like this magical combination of
the right people, the right environment and the right inspiration.”
Of course, the farm-to-table
movement is based in science. Chefs must gain a thorough understanding of
chemistry, agriculture, economics and more in order to continue the movement
into the next generation. So, join us Sunday as we explore the ways in which a
local culinary program is training the next generation of farm-to-table chefs.
Learn from my
Sources:
Interested in the
Madison Area Chef’s Network?
