Comments on: Not in Kansas Anymore: Letters from the Mainstream Food World http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/ The Emerging American Meal Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:46:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Denise Baker http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1306 Denise Baker Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:20:22 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1306 It is nice to hear positive views about the Triangle and especially Durham ( there was a time when there was much negativity going around about the Bull City). Durham is a hidden gem in regards to the sustainability movement and is getting some heads to turn our way. Enjoyed your post very much. Denise Baker aroundtheworldin365.wordpress.com It is nice to hear positive views about the Triangle and especially Durham ( there was a time when there was much negativity going around about the Bull City). Durham is a hidden gem in regards to the sustainability movement and is getting some heads to turn our way.

Enjoyed your post very much.

Denise Baker
aroundtheworldin365.wordpress.com

]]> By: Randallito http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1294 Randallito Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:32:45 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1294 Great post Sarah. My parents live in the San Joaquin Valley of California and even in the "salad bowl of the nation" the food in the big boxes is part of the "bleak food landscape" The marketing power of the big food corporations, especially the fast food industry, combined with their manipulation of nutrition science is accelerating the rise of health conditions associated with diet. Good luck with your mapping project. We need more people like you to change our food landscape. To get a scare of what you are up against check out these maps of McDonald's locations across the US http://bit.ly/7cKbwQ Great post Sarah. My parents live in the San Joaquin Valley of California and even in the “salad bowl of the nation” the food in the big boxes is part of the “bleak food landscape”

The marketing power of the big food corporations, especially the fast food industry, combined with their manipulation of nutrition science is accelerating the rise of health conditions associated with diet.

Good luck with your mapping project. We need more people like you to change our food landscape. To get a scare of what you are up against check out these maps of McDonald’s locations across the US http://bit.ly/7cKbwQ

]]> By: Sarah Wechsberg http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1272 Sarah Wechsberg Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:54:39 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1272 Hi Sandra, Thanks for providing such valuable information about your experience and the places to find like-minded foodies, farmers, and quality local food. I would love to meet you and learn more from you. Feel free to email me, sarahw06@gmail.com or message along your email address and I'll get in touch with you. Lets set something up. Looking forward to it. Happy New Year! -Sarah Hi Sandra,

Thanks for providing such valuable information about your experience and the places to find like-minded foodies, farmers, and quality local food.
I would love to meet you and learn more from you.
Feel free to email me, sarahw06@gmail.com or message along your email address and I’ll get in touch with you. Lets set something up.
Looking forward to it.
Happy New Year!

-Sarah

]]> By: Sandra http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1265 Sandra Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:07:18 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1265 Hi Sara, I totally understand your feelings about how produce from big box stores looks and taste around here this time of the year, however, I just came back from South Estes Farmers Market at University Mall in Chapel Hill, we are vendors there and customers of our friends farmers, we were amazed the crowd we had after the holidays and with 30F degrees outside in the wind, and there they were, a legion of supporters to see what we have at this time of the year. We are from Argentina originally we were fortunate enough to live in a region where we have a lot of veggies year around except for watermelos, peaches, cucumbers, squash, grapes and field grown tomatoes (actually the summer vegetables were missing). Eating with the seasons was in our lifestyle, there was not other way. Here is different, having the chance of every kind of produce year around at the supermakets some people think that it is the way it should be. But to take an optimistic view of our reality here in the South, there is plenty out there to see, small farmers are flourishing all over the triad and triangle area. We are beekeepers and my husband is an artisan baker (we sell local honey and artisan breads: sourdough, fougasse, focaccias, bialys, cinnamon rolls, etc.). There are very interesting publications about local food and Edible Piedmont is one of them with a very complete listing of the farmers markets and CSAs of the area, and Local Harvest is a good source too. We would love to have you visit our farmers market in Chapel Hill on a Saturday morning, we are there from 10:00 to 12:00 on winter time. Today we were around 10 vendors not very many but with all the varieties you could find during this time of the year, goat cheese, grass fed meats (chicken, lamb, beef) eggs, and the produce that can be produce in this area during winter like: carrots, collards, beets, brussel sprouts, pac choi,turnips, mesclun mix, kale, dried herbs and tomatoes, jellies, pies, and artisan breads ) Please, feel free to visit the farmers market website: www.southestesfarmersmarket.com Happy New Year Sarah, and hope we can get to meet you soon! Check this out! www.bakingmyway@blogspot.com www.everydaylocal@blogspot.com Warmly, Sandra Sarlinga, Elon NC Hi Sara,
I totally understand your feelings about how produce from big box stores looks and taste around here this time of the year, however, I just came back from South Estes Farmers Market at University Mall in Chapel Hill, we are vendors there and customers of our friends farmers, we were amazed the crowd we had after the holidays and with 30F degrees outside in the wind, and there they were, a legion of supporters to see what we have at this time of the year.
We are from Argentina originally we were fortunate enough to live in a region where we have a lot of veggies year around except for watermelos, peaches, cucumbers, squash, grapes and field grown tomatoes (actually the summer vegetables were missing). Eating with the seasons was in our lifestyle, there was not other way.
Here is different, having the chance of every kind of produce year around at the supermakets some people think that it is the way it should be.
But to take an optimistic view of our reality here in the South, there is plenty out there to see, small farmers are flourishing all over the triad and triangle area. We are beekeepers and my husband is an artisan baker (we sell local honey and artisan breads: sourdough, fougasse, focaccias, bialys, cinnamon rolls, etc.).
There are very interesting publications about local food and Edible Piedmont is one of them with a very complete listing of the farmers markets and CSAs of the area, and Local Harvest is a good source too.
We would love to have you visit our farmers market in Chapel Hill on a Saturday morning, we are there from 10:00 to 12:00 on winter time. Today we were around 10 vendors not very many but with all the varieties you could find during this time of the year, goat cheese, grass fed meats (chicken, lamb, beef) eggs, and the produce that can be produce in this area during winter like: carrots, collards, beets, brussel sprouts, pac choi,turnips, mesclun mix, kale, dried herbs and tomatoes, jellies, pies, and artisan breads ) Please, feel free to visit the farmers market website: http://www.southestesfarmersmarket.com
Happy New Year Sarah, and hope we can get to meet you soon!
Check this out!
http://www.bakingmyway@blogspot.com
http://www.everydaylocal@blogspot.com
Warmly,
Sandra Sarlinga, Elon NC

]]> By: Sarah Wechsberg http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1258 Sarah Wechsberg Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:09:02 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1258 Janet, you are absolutely right that "once someone eats a vegetable that they have grown themselves, they become the best promoters of local produce" Thanks for the encouragement and advice. Happy New Year! Janet, you are absolutely right that “once someone eats a vegetable that they have grown themselves, they become the best promoters of local produce”
Thanks for the encouragement and advice.
Happy New Year!

]]> By: Sarah Wechsberg http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1257 Sarah Wechsberg Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:03:11 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1257 That's really exciting Vivian, and very encouraging! Thanks for the info. Have a wonderful New Year! That’s really exciting Vivian, and very encouraging! Thanks for the info.
Have a wonderful New Year!

]]> By: Sarah Wechsberg http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1256 Sarah Wechsberg Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:01:39 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1256 Thanks Esperanza! I'll be sure to post a picture of the food map. Enjoy the winter season in SF! Thanks Esperanza!
I’ll be sure to post a picture of the food map.
Enjoy the winter season in SF!

]]> By: Sarah Wechsberg http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1255 Sarah Wechsberg Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:59:56 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1255 Hi Dee, Thanks for all of this great information and local insight. I really appreciate your post. My focus for the letter series is about the mainstream of NC, which sadly does shop at big box stores. I love all the wonderful local NC food offerings via CSA, markets, restaurants, etc. And you're right, CEFS and even Carolina Farm Stewardship association are doing great work! My intention for this letter series is to focus on the mainstream food culture, which I feel is outside the SustAg and (often) educated bubble. There are so many people in the mainstream that don't know about Weaver Street Market, local CSAs, Zely and Ritz, etc. I would like to help local entrepreneurs launch such businesses so there are more. And, I would love to help with food/ag/farming education (like SEEDs in Durham and a few Farm-to-School projects) so more folks are gaining the education, growing tools, taste, and appreciation for high quality food grown near by. Educating the consumer and the community is a big factor. I'm excited to write in future letters about the existing foodie scene, highlighting great small farmers, markets, etc. I'll also talk with entrepreneurs, students, business-owners and mainstream consumers about the possibility of expanding the food scene and what they think is needed. Thank you again for your post and highlighting all the good that does exist in this beautiful region. Happy New Year! -Sarah Hi Dee,

Thanks for all of this great information and local insight. I really appreciate your post. My focus for the letter series is about the mainstream of NC, which sadly does shop at big box stores. I love all the wonderful local NC food offerings via CSA, markets, restaurants, etc. And you’re right, CEFS and even Carolina Farm Stewardship association are doing great work! My intention for this letter series is to focus on the mainstream food culture, which I feel is outside the SustAg and (often) educated bubble. There are so many people in the mainstream that don’t know about Weaver Street Market, local CSAs, Zely and Ritz, etc. I would like to help local entrepreneurs launch such businesses so there are more. And, I would love to help with food/ag/farming education (like SEEDs in Durham and a few Farm-to-School projects) so more folks are gaining the education, growing tools, taste, and appreciation for high quality food grown near by. Educating the consumer and the community is a big factor.

I’m excited to write in future letters about the existing foodie scene, highlighting great small farmers, markets, etc. I’ll also talk with entrepreneurs, students, business-owners and mainstream consumers about the possibility of expanding the food scene and what they think is needed.

Thank you again for your post and highlighting all the good that does exist in this beautiful region.

Happy New Year!

-Sarah

]]> By: Dee http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1254 Dee Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:45:32 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1254 Sarah, Welcome to the Triangle. Sounds like you're not getting out enough, though. You can't judge the local food scene from inside one of those big-box supermarkets. There are about 250 small-scale sustainable farms in the greater Triangle area, all easily within 50 miles of Raleigh. They grow outstanding sustainable food (fruit, veggies, meats and cheese), sell fresh food at about 30 Farmer's Markets (including several in Raleigh) and through more than two dozen CSAs. There's an award-winning restaurant in Raleigh co-owned by a farmer and a chef, and many throughout the region that promote locally grown food. There's even an annual Tour D'Coop of urban chickens being tended in backyards all over town, and the region has the largest single sustainable farm tour in the entire United States, sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is based at NC State in Raleigh. The sustainable farm and food scene in Raleigh isn't as large as it is in the western part of the Triangle (spanning Hillsborough, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Pittsboro, a region that last year Bon Appetit named the "foodiest small town" in America), but there are many places to find outstanding, locally produced food on farms, at markets and in local eateries, if you know where to look. We need many more to be sure, but don't dismiss Raleigh as a food backwater. You can learn about the region on my blog, Sustainable Grub, and specifically about the Raleigh food scene on local blogs including Eating in Raleigh and Mouthful at the News and Observer. Best wishes, Dee .-= Dee´s last blog ..<a href="http://sustainablegrub.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/can-local-food-jump-start-the-economy/" rel="nofollow">Can local food jump-start the economy?</a> =-. Sarah,

Welcome to the Triangle. Sounds like you’re not getting out enough, though. You can’t judge the local food scene from inside one of those big-box supermarkets.

There are about 250 small-scale sustainable farms in the greater Triangle area, all easily within 50 miles of Raleigh. They grow outstanding sustainable food (fruit, veggies, meats and cheese), sell fresh food at about 30 Farmer’s Markets (including several in Raleigh) and through more than two dozen CSAs. There’s an award-winning restaurant in Raleigh co-owned by a farmer and a chef, and many throughout the region that promote locally grown food. There’s even an annual Tour D’Coop of urban chickens being tended in backyards all over town, and the region has the largest single sustainable farm tour in the entire United States, sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is based at NC State in Raleigh.

The sustainable farm and food scene in Raleigh isn’t as large as it is in the western part of the Triangle (spanning Hillsborough, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Pittsboro, a region that last year Bon Appetit named the “foodiest small town” in America), but there are many places to find outstanding, locally produced food on farms, at markets and in local eateries, if you know where to look. We need many more to be sure, but don’t dismiss Raleigh as a food backwater.

You can learn about the region on my blog, Sustainable Grub, and specifically about the Raleigh food scene on local blogs including Eating in Raleigh and Mouthful at the News and Observer.

Best wishes,
Dee
.-= Dee´s last blog ..Can local food jump-start the economy? =-.

]]> By: Esperanza http://www.farmtotableonline.org/2010/01/not-in-kansas-anymore-letters-from-the-mainstream-food-world/comment-page-1/#comment-1253 Esperanza Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:36:28 +0000 http://www.zacharyadamcohen.com/farmtotable/?p=1784#comment-1253 Good luck with your mapping project, I'm looking forward to see what you find. I grew up in South Carolina and now live in the SF Bay Area - definitely two different food cultures! .-= Esperanza´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.integral-living.com/home/2010/1/1/food-re-education-550.html" rel="nofollow">Food Re-education 550</a> =-. Good luck with your mapping project, I’m looking forward to see what you find. I grew up in South Carolina and now live in the SF Bay Area – definitely two different food cultures!
.-= Esperanza´s last blog ..Food Re-education 550 =-.

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