I recently attended two meetings where chefs and farmers could meet up and sync-up their passions: high quality, local food. Both days set the stage for farmers to explore new markets and for chefs to discover new possibilities in getting local food on their menus. A qualified panel of chefs and farmers who have for the most part pioneered getting local products on their menus early on spoke about the challenges and the many benefits of such a partnership to a eager audience.
Chef and Farmer Presentation Videos:
[list style=”circle”]- Chef Kevin A. McCarthy, CCE, CEC from Paul Smith College
- Chef David Hunt from Generations, Lake Placid
- Steve Tucker from Tucker Farms, Gabriels
- Ian Ater & Lucas Christensen from Fledgling Crow Vegetables
One session was held at Generations in Lake Placid. The other took place at the Butcher Block in Plattsburgh.
Laurie Davis at Adirondack Harvest, Kristy Kennedy from GoAdirondack.com and Amy Ivy from CCE Clinton County did an excellent job in creating the atmosphere for these connections to be made. Judging by the networking sessions, there was lots of activity and I feel pretty certain we’ll see lots of new local products and farm’s names on area menus in the months to come.
Growing the Ranks of Resiliency
I’m not totally sure where I fit into all of this yet as an aspiring farmer, but overall it is the perfect motivation to get my farm up & running and ready in time for the next meeting! Creative chefs and managers who believe in the value of local food are another important link in the chain of local food resiliency that we need to patronize and support.
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