Chefs Collaborative

Hot on the tails of Chef Garcia’s post about the wonderful folks at Trace and Trust, I got in touch with Chef Derek Wagner of acclaimed Nick’s on Broadway down in Providence, Rhode Island.

Derek was the first chef in the Ocean State to use Trace and Trust. I asked him a few questions, figuring that I would pull together some quotes and write a post. But the things that Derek said needed no editing.

So here, in full, is what Derek had to say about his relationship with Trace and Trust:

I became involved with Trace and Trust through Chefs Collaborative.  For a long time I have been looking for ways to work with local fisherman and get access to fresh local fish, directly, with minimal interference and maximum contact to freshness and integrity in sourcing, methods and information.

As chefs, we’ve had to rely on middlemen for sourcing and an industry-driven information stream that hasn’t always had our best interests, or truth, at heart. We are often fed misinformation about sourcing, species, sustainability, region, and availability.

I’m a chef who tries incredibly hard to make conscientious, thoughtful, direct connections to his food sources, not being able to talk directly with the people who were doing the hunting and gathering on a daily basis just felt wrong.  Why can’t I talk to my fisherman?  Why do I have to rely on purchasing from, talking to, and getting information from brokers, purveyors and distributors?  And why, when I do meet or talk to local fisherman, is it so impossibly hard to buy and serve the fish that they are catching on a daily basis?

We, as an industry have been making so many strides in other areas, such as all things produce, dairy, pork, beef, chicken, lamb, duck, cheese producers and more. I knew there had to be something I could do to find that same connection to what should be one of the most abundant resources in our little state, FISH!

As the chef and owner of a busy restaurant I needed to find a constant source of fresh local seafood, not just a once off, seasonal foray into sourcing it.  I first started asking questions to the folks at Farm Fresh RI, who have done so much in creating awareness and making special connections between chefs and farmers, growers and producers.  When we hit some roadblocks I turned to my friends at Chefs Collaborative for direction, information and advice. After attending a great meeting in Boston, where I spoke to and listened to many other chefs and speakers from various organizations on the topic, I felt energized about tackling the issue, but still wasn’t sure how to or where to start.  Over the course of the next few months I had some great conversations with Leigh and Alida about how and where I could start to make this a reality. 

There were many organizations that were out there making connections with chefs and sustainable, responsible seafood sources, but none that I knew of that were available from, or based out of Rhode Island.  It just seemed mad to me that we lived in the Ocean State, but had to import fresh fish from all around the world to try to achieve what should be so simple.  I knew there were fisherman out there doing great things, but how was I to make that connection?

Leigh soon introduced me to Glenn from Trace and Trust, making the connection that would ultimately develop this dream into a reality.  Glenn and I had several great conversations, and after months of phone and emails, we finally met at Nick’s on Broadway to discuss kick starting the Trace and Trust initiative in Rhode Island.  Glenn brought with him Steve Arnold, a local fisherman based out of Point Judith.  Together we shared ideas and thoughts on the topic and it was soon apparent that we not only shared similar goals and philosophies, but we had all the necessary pieces to put the puzzle together.

Steve and I had further conversations on seasonality, availability, sustainability, method, species, integrity and process and soon after began a partnership that would lead to what very well may revolutionize the way we as chefs source our fish on a daily basis.  Nick’s was the first Trace and Trust delivery in Rhode Island, and the network is building as the knowledge and information spreads.  More chefs are tuning in and catching on, which is making the initiative stronger and healthier.

We have established a direct connection from source to end user that had not been available to us here.  We are able to fish responsibly, shorten distance, time and handling, support local community and put forth dishes to our guests that are not only fresher than anything they’ve ever had, but thoughtfully procured and prepared for them.  We are able to give them information about product, source and method in a way that they’ve never had access to before. It is truly exciting and special work.

I can call my fisherman now and ask him when and where he is going fishing.  My fisherman can call me from his boat, at sea, telling me what the weather is, how far out to sea he is, what waters the fish are biting in, and exactly what and when he’ll be able to get to my kitchen that day.  It’s incredible.  It’s important to remember however that flexibility, empathy and innovation have all been absolutely imperative at all turns and on both sides.

At the beginning of January I introduced myself as the Communications Intern for Chefs Collaborative. Now I get the honor of re-introducing myself as the Chefs Collaborative Farmer-Chef Network Coordinator. But let me stop before I get ahead of myself.

The desk that I sit at used to belong to Alida who organized our RAFT: Grow Out activities. While, sadly, our RAFT activities have come to an end, our relationship and involvement with farmers is only destined to grow. The stated goal of my work plan is to “Develop a vibrant community to develop and share best practices” by “building local and regional networks.” As we’ve seen before, at events like our Sustainable Meat Discussion, the change starts with putting people together. In the coming weeks and months I look forward to finding ways to connect farmers and chefs for mutually beneficial relationships.

Another legacy of Alida sits on the Desktop background. A picture of a drove of pigs. More than one person in the office fawns over the cute and seemingly smiling faces of these pigs. For me it seemed like a nice place to jump off opening a dialogue on Chef-Farmer interactions.

The pigs belong to Chefs Collaborative member and farmer Ted O’Harte of Brambly Farms. After three years of raising pigs Ted and his wife Sandra have “finally reached the stage where we can deliver meat on a regular basis.” So Brambly farms is trying to reach out and find chefs who are willing to work with them. I asked Ted a few questions so that all you out in our virtual community can see where he, as a farmer, is coming from, and also to help get the dialogue going.

1) Why do you farm?

I grew up on a large mixed livestock farm in Ireland.  After working on it for 5 years, my older brother inherited the farm and I got a passport (not much of a deal for 5 years work). When we  (Sandra lived three miles from my childhood home in Ireland) came to the USA farming was the last thing  we wanted to do, but after 15 years of construction work in Boston we managed to save enough to get our land / home in Norfolk. After several years of weekend land-clearing we were ready to get our first animals. It has simply grown over the last four years to our farm today.

There is a sense of pure pleasure when planning / hard work / and lots of luck come together and something is created –where nothing was there before. For example, when breeding large animals  (pigs or cows ) it is amazing to sit up all night and see a baby calf being born or lots of pigs arriving into the world. Our two youngest daughters get all hyped up when the baby rabbits arrive.

We decided to call our farm Brambly Farms, because farming has many tough hard days but eventually will yield a little sweet berry which makes all the hardship disappear. In Ireland and UK brambles or bramblys are the “slang” name for wild hedge blackberry bushes, a lot of thorns with very sweet berries for those brave enough to pick them.

But the best part of farming is when others, customers, private or chefs, feel good enough about our animals to buy them when they are harvested. It will allow us to keep doing what we really enjoy. I do not think it’s possible to get wealthy with a small farm such as ours…. but it’s nice to have stopped losing money.

2) What do chefs absolutely need to know about working with Brambly Farm?

They can be certain that they are getting the very best meat or produce that can be found in the area. That the supply chain will be the shortest, most direct possible (excluding pick your own operations) from the farm to the table. And because they can put a “face” on our produce they will know that in the unlikely event that something is wrong that we will do our best to correct it immediately. (The fear of an angry chef arriving at the farmhouse door will ensure we fix any problems… quickly.)

3) What have the biggest challenges been to working with chefs? What are the greatest benefits?

A general reluctance to believe that local farms can produce great product consistently.

A loyal repeat customer who is willing to take extra / surplus produce…  if the price is fair.

4) What are your goals for 2011?

To have approx 20 local restaurants who we consider are our customers and more importantly who consider us their pork and poultry farm supplier.

5) How do you see a food system in which farmers and chefs work more closely developing?

From our perspective it’s great working with CC.  It’s a way to connect with the best progressive chefs who share some of the same philosophies as we do here on Brambly Farms. Food should be wholesome. Livestock should be happy/ content and never have suffered. All our animals are allowed outside and are never restrained. Pasture farming is not the most efficient way to produce food/ meat. An enclosed shed with controlled environment and a single diet is better at mass producing lots of cheap meat.  But disease and health problems are impossible to restrict where high densities are raised…same in vegetables. So drugs and chemicals have to be used in these systems. And inevitably consumers will suffer because of intensive agricultural systems.  I’m sure you a ware of Mercer — the so called “super bug” which is extremely difficult to control with human medicines.  Simply put, we are what we eat, and we love our farms meat and love knowing how it was raised.

From a farmer’s point of view the hardest thing is raising an animal or crop and not knowing if it’s sold or not. If chefs could help remove some of this uncertainty (tentative pre-ordering) then better pricing should be available and a more consistent supply should exist too.  We plan about 14 months in advance here on this farm and we could take orders up to six months in advance, offering better pricing for long term orders.

I hope that you enjoyed Ted’s answers. I am always looking for ways to reach out to chefs and farmers alike so I implore you to be in touch.

This post comes to us from Chefs Collaborative member Rich Garcia, the executive chef at 606 Congress and one of the first chefs in the area to start working with Trace and Trust, an innovative program helping connect local fishermen with chefs and diners who want to know more about where their seafood’s coming from.

Email from Captain Stephen Arnold sent March 4, 2011 7:30pm

” Hi Rich, we are just coming by Block Island now. Weather has not been favorable to get to the fluke since last email. I have some on board we caught this morning. Captain Chris Brown is still out and will be landing his tomorrow. We are very much interested in getting some up to you. Chris wants to send you fish off his boat, I will get with him in the morning and make arrangements. I just want to make sure you get the top quality, freshest batch!”

Captain Stephen Arnold

This is the communication that should be happening more often. This is making sure that I can honestly answer a guests questions when they ask “where is the fish from today?”. This is supporting local fisherman directly. And this is a fisherman supporting my efforts to give my guests the best possible product, going out of his way to make sure it fished sustainably, handled with extra care, kept fresh, cold and arrives at my loading dock properly. This is awesome!

Read more about the commercial fisherman of Point Judith Rhode Island, including Stephen Arnold & Chris Brown, here.

—Rich Garcia

Anybody who knows me well knows that I have a small obsession with antique cookbooks. One of my prized possessions, to be exact, is The White House Cookbook, which dates back to the Coolidge years (1903). In this and other cookbooks of the era, an unspoken reverence for food – and the laborious process of producing it – is woven throughout. There were well-defined traditions and a seasonality to what people cooked back then, from weeknight suppers to State dinners. People knew where their food came from in those days – from the humblest day-worker all the way up to the President of the United States.

Fast forward a hundred years, and we’re seeing a revival of food in the White House. Michelle Obama broke ground for her kitchen garden two years ago, and this year, is adding a historical element to the educational mix. She’s asked master horticulturist Peter Hatch to plant varieties of vegetables that President Jefferson cultivated in his own garden at Monticello. Jefferson’s Virginia garden, among the usual suspects, contained little-known veggie varieties like Cow’s Horn okra and Texas bird peppers. Carolina lima beans! He grew vegetables that brought with them a sense of place and held within them the history of a region. Historical traditions (ingredients and recipes, in the forefront of my mind) are ephemeral things, in the sense that they fade when no one carries on to the present. One of the things I think about most often is how to pluck the best parts of history for replanting in the present, both into the public consciousness and onto their dinner plate.

I feel very privileged to work for an organization with so many members working to preserve history and bring it forward into the present, from the ingredients that they choose to the way they run their restaurants to the recipes they choose to honor memories, tradition or artisan methods. I feel lucky to regularly visit with farmers who grow food conscientiously, with respect. I feel giddy every time saved seeds make the news. I am looking forward to seeing other ways that the White House kitchen garden sheds light on our country’s culinary history.

This post was inspired by Obama Foodorama’s post here: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2011/03/michelle-obama-re-plants-kitchen-garden.html

Jen Ede is Development and Marketing Associate at Chefs Collaborative.

In southwest Alaska, a mining partnership is in the “prefeasibility” stage of a project called Pebble Mine. The partnership is studying if $300 billion in copper, gold, and molybdenum can be unearthed without destroying the local ecosystem. Later this year, the “prefeasibility” study will end and a two to three year permitting process will begin, followed by construction. Production is slated for 2016. The problem: Pebble Mine will be at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, home to 40% of the world’s sockeye salmon.

For the past few years, debates about the mine have raged in Alaska. Job-seekers and industry stand for the mine. Conservationists, natives, and the fishing industry stand against it. The issue was put to vote in 2008. Ballot Measure 4, also known as the Clean Water Initiative, was defeated 57%-43%. (It appears that Sarah Palin had a hand in the measure’s fate.) If passed, the measure would have enacted greater protection for Alaska’s salmon fisheries against toxic waste leaked from mines.

Pebble Mine will be a leach mine, meaning that it will extract gold from ore using sodium cyanide. These mines have a deplorable safety record both here and abroad. In 1993, the Summitville Mine in Colorado spilled cyanide into the Alamosa River.  In what has been called the worst environmental disaster since Chernobyl, a Romanian leach mine with a faulty dam poured cyanide into the Danube River. The dam planned for Pebble Mine is similar to that Romanian dam.

“Not only would it be one of the largest open-pit mines in the world,” notes Elizabeth Dubovsky of Trout Unlimited. “But it would also produce 10 billion tons of acid leaching waste that would have be stored at the Pebble Mine site for perpetuity.  One of the largest dams in the world would need to be constructed to hold this waste back.”

Supporters of the mine shift the focus from environmental concerns to jobs. The mine will make money for Alaskans and Alaska. But Bristol Bay fisheries employ some 4,000 people and reel in between $300 million and $400 million annually. Salmon is a renewable resource–jobs and income are guaranteed for years to come. If the mine is built, metals will eventually run out. Elizabeth wonders, “Why should we take risks for a nonrenewable resource when we already have an incredibly valuable renewable resource that will feed us year after year?”

The yearly re-emergence of Bristol Bay salmon plays a crucial role in native Alaskan culture. More importantly, native Alaskan tribes depend on salmon for year-round sustenance. In response to the plea of nine native tribes, the EPA has agreed to review Pebble Mine. Using the Clean Water Act, the EPA can stop Pebble Mine’s construction if it is deemed an environmental threat. However, U.S. Representative Dom Young (R) of Alaska has introduced a bill to strip the EPA of its veto in the case of Pebble. In Alaska, the debate rages on.

To salmon lovers, the answer is clear, icy-cool, and brimming with sockeye.

Pebble could end one of the world’s last great salmon runs. That means less wild salmon to go around, which doesn’t bode well for the price tag of an already-expensive fish. However, saying “no” to Pebble can be for reasons simpler than dollars and cents. “In a nutshell,” says Elizabeth, “Bristol Bay’s headwaters aren’t the place for a mine like Pebble.  It’s not about being anti-mine, it’s about knowing when to say ‘no’ in places where it just doesn’t make sense and we have more to lose than gain.”

Further Reading: Alaska’s Choice: Salmon or Gold, Jewelers Against Proposed Gold Mine, Save Bristol Bay