Articles by Khaled Allen
Khaled Allen is the editor-in-chief of Farm to Table. He currently teaches English in South Korea, and pursues sustainable eating to fuel elite fitness training. He blogs at http://www.khaledallen.com/
The Future of Good Food Starts with Good Ideas: BK Farmyards from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.
One of the most important things we can do to support the sustainable food movement is to educate new generations, especially …
On Wednesday, Jamie Oliver, the British celebrity chef and health advocate, won the 2010 TED Prize. Winners of this prize are asked to make one wish, and the TED organization provides $100,000 to the honorees, as well as help in fundraising and implementing that plan. TED looks for individuals who can inspire change among large groups of people, and previous winners have included Bill Clinton, Bono, and Bill Gates.
My main goal has been to gather a group of committed authors to write either intermittently or regularly on a wide range of topics. We have received two offers for regular columns, several interested guest posters, and a large number of bloggers willing to cross-post. There will be no shortage of interesting and relevant content once the articles start coming in, and we will be covering a lot of ground.
One thing I have learned about writing is that sometimes, your stories and projects don’t always end up being about what you wanted them to be about. Farm to Table, the blog, seems to have undergone that transformation. Zach began the blog in order to promote a potential TV show, but it became something more: a forum to discuss developments in the sustainable food world, a way to bring together those people with a passion for local agriculture and traditional culinary craftsmanship.
Northern Spy Food Co. is a perfect model for cities like New York City that are clamoring for more restaurants with locally sourced options. In fact, I could very easily see Northern Spy Food Co., once they get the minor kinks in service worked out, opening several locations around the city. The proprietors clearly have enough restaurant and hospitality experience that, if they are supported by the community, will respond in kind.
Nestled in the hills and villages north of New York City lies the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a non-profit farm and education center dedicated to spreading knowledge about sustainable agriculture. Utilizing an innovative farming operation centered around local crops and sustainable practices, the center runs a number of educational programs for surrounding communities, including increasing numbers of New York schools.
Overall, the impression I got was that farmers are either doing better or similar business compared to pre-recessionary levels. Shoppers have not decreased their spending on locally raised food. People are actually using the recession as a reason to spend more on locally grown food, in order to support farmers and help them weather the economy. If this is the sustainable food’s movement’s response to difficult times, then it seems that maybe our long sought after goal of change in consciousness has finally arrived. A movement that thrives when times are tough can only get stronger when things get easier, and it is clear that people are making decisions not with their wallets, but with their hearts and minds as well.
