I also learned a lot about the relationships between farmers and chefs and what it takes to cultivate them. In local food procurement, these relationships are integral to spreading word about local food, and everyone benefits—salad made with arugula from your average food distributor’s mystery farm across the country does not compare to one grown from a local farm in Georgia, nor does it support our local economy like buying fresh from the farmer down the road. Small farmers tend to have more stake in their business, and ensuring their product is top quality is key to a successful operation. Farmer Champion chefs know this, and you can tell when you eat their food; they know that a tomato sourced in January has nothing on a ripe Georgia tomato during peak season in July, not to mention the environmental benefits.
They also know how important it is to develop relationships and communicate openly with local producers because its more than just a tomato—behind these foods are people with their own lives, goals, and challenges centered around healthy farming. They need understanding and flexibility when a crop doesn’t grow as planned or when summer squash and okra is producing by the boatload (I’m exaggerating—but try picking them all summer, it’ll definitely feel like it). They need chefs who are willing to offer a special or pivot the menu to accommodate what our local farmers and environment is actually offering us. I was fortunate enough to highlight the unique relationship between the Atlanta-based La Semilla and Grow Where You Are Farm in an interview where you can see more about their work their own words.
Like chefs, its important for consumers to learn who is growing their food, no matter how local it is. You can do this by checking out your local farmers markets (beware: some grocery stores also use this term as a greenwashing marketing tactic—you should be able to talk to the people producing the food at a true farmer’s market), or even researching the brand names you find on the packaging in the grocery store. Either can tell you some interesting stories about our food systems here in the United States. The Farmer Champion Program defines “local” as products that are produced/raised within the state of Georgia or up to 100 miles from the Georgia border; however, some businesses may define local as anything grown within their region (Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, etc.), within the borders of their state, or as broad as the continental USA. It depends on what is available and what that institutions’ or individual’s needs are. It’s important for you as a consumer to define what “local” is for yourself as well to make aligned choices.
I’m also proud to have become more comfortable with public speaking. As a line cook and farmer, we are known for staying pretty quiet and in the background, so working in a nonprofit space with weekly meetings and several events really challenged me to speak up and express my mind. I got to test my growth when facilitating the “What a Wholesale Buyer Wants” panel at SOWTH Conference, alongside representatives from aggregators including The Common Market, FreshPoint, and Happy Dirt whose business models aim to support small- and large-scale local producers. The panel’s goal was to give farmers and producers insight on how they could break into markets that have historically excluded the small-scale producer in favor of larger subsidized farms. Big thanks to our partners and Ever for the opportunity to speak with our Southern ag community!
Overall, working at Georgia Organics has broadened my network in the local food scene in ways previously unimaginable. I’m looking forward to continual expansion and opportunities to learn about our local food system and that I’m able to offer thoughtful solutions and assistance to this wonderful diverse community. I can’t thank the team at Georgia Organics and the Farmer Champion team for such an enriching opportunity. I won’t say goodbye because I can assure you this is what I do and who I am, so I’ll be around. Peace!
