It’s Important Work

by Troy Bishopp

**50 guests enjoy a local menu and interaction with farmers**

Morrisville, NY— “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together”, said Chef Anthony Bourdain. This was the premise built around Madison County Cooperative Extension’s first ever, Food for Thought, unique dining experience.

Literally held on National Farmers Day, the free dinner brought together insightful, passionate farmers, consumers, educators and an award-winning chef to help facilitate conversations about farming and food, understand the diversity of Madison County agriculture and inspire investment in a local economy while sharing a feast, worthy of a 5-star restaurant.

“The Food for Thought program, supported by a grant from The Central New York Community Foundation, is a 4-part series which seeks to bridge the gap of knowledge between farmer and consumer, and start robust conversations about our food system here in Madison County”, said co-organizer Susan Parker. “Due to the influence of misinformation on the internet and a decrease in Americans who are involved in agriculture, Americans tend to have a lack of trust regarding the sources of their food.”

**Farmers KC and Kristi Mangine share the attributes of mushrooms with guests**

“To address the disconnect between Americans and their food sources, the Food for Thought program will create an opportunity for community members and farmers to discuss agriculture and enhance the communication and understanding between these individuals.” “As the demand for locally produced food increases, the need for connecting with local farmers has grown even more important. How do we meet that need? How do we make local foods available across our county to the broadest socioeconomical range? The Food for Thought series will attempt to address questions such as these”.

**Jacob and Genevieve Cody serve guests at the Food for Thought event**

The dinner was moderated by Monica Cody, Dairy Farmer & President of the Madison Co. CCE Board of Directors, and Johanna Bossard, Dairy Farmer & Agriculture Education Teacher at Hamilton Central School. “Why did we feel this program was so worthwhile to launch, asked Cody? Surveys have shown an increasing disconnect between farmers and consumers which erode our sense of community and the value that farms play in it. Madison County reported an 18% loss of farms and 8.5% loss of farmland in the latest Ag Census and there are divergent views over farming practices as social media misinformation circulates. We’d like an opportunity to tell our own local stories because agriculture and family farmer’s impact are everywhere”, emphasized Cody.

The fall decorated tablescapes inside the education center accommodated 50 guests and a “thoughtfully featured” farmer at every table. “Our goal of the night is to start a relationship. Consumers have questions, and farmers have answers. We want you to walk away tonight knowing more about our local food system and the entire seed to table process. We encourage you to feel comfortable asking questions, said Bossard. A healthy dialogue and common respect is where education starts”.

The stage was set for farm-to-table pioneer and award-winning chef, Alicyn Hart and assistant chef, Pauline Drumm to serve a 5-course extravaganza which highlighted each farmer’s offered local ingredients. In Food Network style, Hart described the courses and waxed inspirational about the food that had been simmering and sourced that day. The 1^st amazing course featured Sue and Claude Braun’s Lucky Moon Farm baked apples paired with Bruce Rivington’s Kreimhild dairy crème fraîche and Mosher Farm’s cider reduction. Between every course, Johanna Bossard would hand the microphone to the featured farmer to tell their story as the next course was being prepared.

The 2^nd course was a scrumptious winter squash bisque complimented with toasted pumpkin seeds, baked arugula crisps and a watermelon radish slice sourced from Matt and Maryellen at Hartwood Farm in Chittenango, NY. The 3^rd course was a cornucopia of baby kale, dried shiitake mushrooms, lion’s mane fritters and pickled daikon radishes which exposed the guests to the hard work of KC & Kristi Mangine from The New York Mushroom Company in Lebanon, NY and Jacob Gigler-Caro from Salt City Harvest Farm in Kirkville, NY.

**NYS maple shortbread with goat cheese for dessert**

The 4^th course featured a slow-cooked, Beak and Skiff cider braised, beef brisket from Meadowood Farm in Cazenovia, NY paired nicely with a parsley-celeriac soufflé and garlic confit. The dessert course aptly ended an exquisite local dining experience with a New York State Maple short bread served with a light, creamy, goat cheese croton from 7 Trees Goat Farm in Perryville, NY. A standing ovation was offered to the chefs, farmers and extension staff for all their work to make the evening a success.

The staff took a number of good questions from the guests that were discussed further: “Can you get these great local products into schools and universities locally? What are the differences between certified organic, organically grown and conventional production? What are the labor issues on dairy and seasonal produce farms? What are the dogs in the field of sheep? How can I best prepare winter meals with local ingredients? What’s the best approach to get younger people to the table of discussion? What’s the most effective way to support our farms?” A survey was taken afterward and revealed farmer’s challenges were labor shortages, weather, marketing and scaling up production.

“We love working with these types of events that bring local ingredients together on a plate. It just shows the intricate relationships between farmers that are so vital for our area,” said Cory Mosher. Guests indicated the program was a positive, delicious experience. “It was even more interesting than expected and I feel more connected with my community and the local farmer,” expressed one guest.

The end of the fine evening was graciously honored by Chef Hart with a simple, poignant statement: “It’s important work we all do here.”