2009 PRESS RELEASES
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February 11, 2009
FARM TO TABLE PROGRAM BRINGS VIRGINIA CHEFS AND FARMERS TOGETHER
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686
It was not your typical lunchtime crowd as more than two dozen farmers from small, medium and large-sized operations and 50 chefs, restaurateurs and distributors crowded into a popular Washington D.C. restaurant recently to learn how to bring the best of the farm to the city.
“Farm fresh” and “locally grown” are more than buzz words for the food service industry and for food lovers who know that they mean delicious dishes made with the best ingredients available. The challenge for urban restaurants is finding and obtaining fresh, local vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs and more. The Farm to Table workshop, held at Washington’s Mie N Yu restaurant on February 3, 2009, offered a workable solution.
The Farm to Table program, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and the Nation’s Capitol Chef’s Association, helps match restaurants’ needs with farm output in an arrangement that benefits all parties, including discriminating diners.
“Virginia farmers are known for their exceptional crops and livestock. Restaurants in the capitol region are among the very best. I am pleased that the Farm to Table program can help smooth the hurdles so that D.C.-area chefs can purchase farm products directly from nearby farmers,” said VDACS’ Commissioner Todd P. Haymore. “This type of activity is one of my top priorities – ratcheting up our marketing efforts to find more opportunities for Virginia producers to get their products into the marketplace. We are hoping to expand this beneficial concept to other areas of the state.”
In addition to learning how to acquire fresh farm products, the group also discussed what chefs are looking for, the criteria and standards for program participants, farm production methods and cooking techniques that enhance fresh ingredients.
For more information about the Farm to Table program, contact Dave Robishaw, 434.984.0573 or david.robishaw@vdacs.virginia.gov or Catherine Cash, 540.377.2564 or catherine.cash@vdacs.virginia.gov.