It seems like the term “farm-to-table” is tossed around a lot these days. Restaurants use it to tout the fresh, and often local, nature of their ingredients. There are also “farm-to-table” events in which meals are prepared in rustic and rural settings where you can pull the vegetables that will be served right from the soil. It was one of these events, held by Del Sur Artisan Eats at Canewater Farms in Darien, which inspired us to take a closer look at the farm-to-table movement. Local artist Ellen Moriarty captured the atmosphere of the event in beautiful watercolors she painted exclusively for Elegant Island Living.
Watercolor by Ellen Moriarty
Around the turn of the 20th century, most of the food we ate came from within 50 miles of our homes. However, as we moved away from rural areas into cities, we started shipping food further and further away from where it was grown. To make that journey, many foods needed to be preserved. Our busier lifestyles and work outside of the home also created a demand for foods that would be quick and convenient to prepare. We began to more processed foods which typically contain higher amounts of sugar, fat, and sodium—and lead to health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.
During the “hippie era” of the 1960s and 70s, there was a resurgence of support for local farmers. Organic, local and natural food was embraced in this culture. In more progressive West Coast cities the farm-to-table movement took hold. Early pioneers included Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, and Jerry Traunfeld of Herbfarm, in Washington. The trend didn’t become more widespread until about 10 years ago, however. Today, most chefs and consumers recognize that local ingredients have better taste and nutritional value than products that are processed, preserved, harvested out of season or shipped quite a distance, and farm-to-table restaurants can be found everywhere.
Not only is sourcing from local and regional growers and suppliers better for our health, it’s better for our environment, because less shipping means less carbon fuel emissions. It’s also one of the best ways to support the local economy. Buying from local growers and suppliers puts money directly into the hands of the people who put the food on your table. Eating at a locally owned restaurant means support for the business and all of its employees, as well as that secondary impact on the farms and suppliers that they use. Think about the people who are involved in planting, harvesting, and cleaning, or otherwise creating artisan products, as well as those in the packaging and transportation process. Local jobs. Create more local producers, and increase demand for local products, create more local employment opportunities. Increased supply via local growers and suppliers also makes a higher quantity of quality fresh ingredients available and decreases the price for the consumers.
Watercolor by Ellen Moriarty
Rafe and Ansley Rivers are Georgia natives the farm owners/operators who purchased the land in 2014. 20 acres of the 50 acres they own are farmland. They currently have 3-4 acres in vegetable production and grow cover crops to build soil and use for crop rotation on the other land. The Canewater Farm mission is to build the soil through cover cropping, composting, and eventually animal rotations so they can grow nutritious food for the low country communities of the Georgia coast. Rafe says, “I see myself as a steward of the land, and it’s my job to protect the soil.” Sustainable growing is what they’re all about.
The Rivers also grow specialty produce on their family farm in the Appalachian mountains of
Camille Ronay
Rafe Rivers of Canewater Farms
North Georgia, including varieties of garlic, sorghum for syrup, and corn for grits/cornmeal. They raise pigs up in the mountains for their chefs in the Low Country. They also have muscadine and scuppernong grape vineyards. Nearby forests also provide bounty in the way of mushrooms, fiddleheads and wild ramps. Rafe says that vegetables are harvested Tuesdays and Fridays and can be on the table by the next day. Some local restaurants that use their fresh ingredients are Georgia Sea Grill, Halyards, Sea Island Resort restaurants and Coastal Kitchen. You can find Canewater grits and cornmeal fish fry for sale at The Market on Sea Island.
Their new endeavor is oyster farming and harvesting through Canewater Oyster Company.
Georgia Sea Grill Owner Zack Gowen and Executive Chef Stephen Ollard have focused on using as much local and seasonal ingredients in the new Georgia Sea Grill menu as possible. Zack says, "It’s comforting to know where the food comes from and to also support local businesses."
Sea Island’s own Broadfield Plantation also supplies a great deal of the meat and produce used by Sea Island’s restaurants and sold at The Market at Sea Island. From fresh vegetables to bacon and ham to delicious local honey, they do their best to grow, use, and sell what they can, and supplement with high quality products from other local and regional growers, suppliers, and artisans.
Dan Meyers, manager of The Market at Sea Island, says “I believe it’s important to shop local, in general, for the very reasons that are on that meme being sent around social media: you’re buying dance lessons for somebody’s little girl, not another vacation home for some executive VP of a corporation. When it comes to food especially, I want to support the people who are taking
care of the land so that future generations can use it. It’s also valuable to know where the food comes from. We know these people’s names, faces, and where they live and work. They’ll stand behind their products.” He says The Market tries to use as much as they can from local growers, like Ellery Mayence from Coastal Route 17 Green Goods of Darien, but sometimes that’s hard because of customer demand and seasonality. He agrees with the concept of adapting our diets to what is available seasonally, saying, “It encourages you to try new things and develop your palate. You can discover new tastes that you might love.” Dan also embraces the family and community aspect of sitting down for meals that has slipped away over the years. “Food should tell a story. It’s gotten to be such a consumer driven society and food is just another part of the day. But when you sit down to enjoy a meal with family and friends and can bring in the relationship with the local growers and community, it’s fabulous. It establishes a connection and makes that part of the story.”
Ellery says that Coastal Route 17 Green Goods is all about providing high quality produce at affordable prices so the most people can enjoy fresh products. “We’d rather sell more for less than less for more. Sure we have loss because of insects and disease, but we take that into account as part of the natural process and just plant more so we have more yield.” They have held seasonal markets at their home in Darien and sell locally to Don Maxey of Uncle Don’s Local Market, who then supplies to restaurants here. They participate in the Farmer’s Market at The Market at Sea Island, because they supply The Market and the Sea Island restaurants, but also to reach local consumers. Ellery says, “I choose to come here as my second most local spot, with my home being the first, instead of Savannah. I could sell everything there, but frankly, I enjoy this community and I don’t want to make that drive. I’d rather come down here.”
Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville is another family farm and company that is driven by a passion for good food, a love of the environment, and the community. The statement on their website: “We are a family, a team of community conscious, food loving, artisan cheese makers and sellers who care about education and sustainable agriculture. We strive to be the kind of people that you want to hang out with on your front porch.” This echoes Rafe and Ansley Rivers’ philosophy about their farming at Canewater and could also be applied to Golden Isles native Ted Dennard’s thirty plus year approach to honey at Savannah Bee Company. “Bees live in a manner that only contributes positively to the world around them. I see honeybees as role models for living in harmony with our environment and each other.”
Sweet Grass Dairy founders Al and Desiree Wehner have been farming dairy cows for more than a decade and are dedicated to having happy, healthy cows that enjoy a diet of fresh grass. They have found that this produces rich and delicious milk. When Desiree started experimenting with handcrafting cheese as a method of preserving milk, Sweet Grass Dairy cheeses were born. The richly unique and delicious soft-ripened and naturally aged cheeses were so popular and created such a demand that Al and Desiree’s daughter Jessica and her husband, Jeremy Little, first joined the business to keep up and later bought the business from Jessica’s parents. Hard work and a commitment to creating the highest quality products have made the brand successful for the family. Today, the Sweet Grass Dairy operation consists of a 140- acre farm and production facility, an online mail order business, a creative administrative office and a local Cheese Shop, all located in the heart of Thomasville. Their stubborn drive for perfection and to create the best products has led them to steady growth, without sacrificing quality or flavor, and a wealth of well-deserved awards.
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Jessica says of the farm-to-table movement, “We believe strongly in the farm-to-table movement. It is important to us for people to understand where there food comes from. We are also committed to partnering with the best producers and having genuine relationships with our customers. Sweet Grass Dairy is more than a brand to us; it’s a way of life.”
Sweet Grass Dairy products are locally at The Market at Sea Island, and are used at many local restaurants, including Southern Soul Barbeque, Sea Island Resort’s restaurants, and Delaney’s Bistro.
A look at Georgia’s “agritourism” and the Georgia Grown organization’s campaign to spread awareness about small, local, family-owned u-pick farms, vineyards and wineries, farms and specialty retailers will show you that there are ample places to stock your refrigerator and pantries. There are berry-picking farms, and orchards, tasting tours on Georgia’s wine trails, family farm opportunities like farm-to-table harvest dinners, and more.
Watercolor by Ellen Moriarty
Perhaps one of the more surprising crops available in Georgia is olives. Traditionally thought of in association with Mediterranean regions, a little (or maybe a lot) of research done by Georgia State Legistator Mary Squires back during a drought period in 2000, led her to the discovery that not only had olives once been grown in Savannah, our climate here closely resembled a Mediterranean environment. Unfortunately, over the next decade her ideas and research took a hit due to the poor economy and attempts to grow olive trees were abandoned. That was until Shawn Davis, a Georgia blueberry farmer who was predicting a loss of income due to blueberry crop surpluses, started doing some research about branching out into new crops. In 2007, he decided on olives and planted 14 acres. Davis then became one of the founders of the Georgia Olive Growers Association. Following Davis' lead, in 2009, Jason Shaw, his brother Sam, their cousin Kevin and friend Berrien Sutton formed the cooperative Georgia Olive Farms and planted their crop of olive trees. Their first harvest, and the state’s first commercial harvest in several centuries, took place in late 2011. Now Georgia Olive Farms processes its own oil and does turnkey olive farm installations for other farmers. Many farmers are adding olive trees to their existing crops. Now Georgia has a really fresh, high quality product that is sustainably grown, with a reduction in the carbon footprint for transportation. Georgia Olive Farms Olive Oil is used at several local restaurants, like Halyards and Tramici, and is available for purchase at The Market at Sea Island.
Watercolor by Ellen Moriarty
And what about that Georgia wine? In 1900, Georgia was the fifth largest producer of wine in the nation but the state’s wine industry dried up after Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the Volstead Act in 1919 and the later ratification of the 18th Amendment. After prohibition, wine production didn’t make its way back to Georgia until the 1980s. Today, business is booming for wineries and tasting rooms in the Wine Trail regions of Georgia.
You can visit, shop, dine, and sip at approximately a dozen vineyards and wineries in March, June, September, and December on the Dahlonega and Unicoi Wine Trails in North Georgia. The Dahlonega mountains are considered the “Heart of Georgia Wine Country,” with Lumpkin County holding the highest concentration of wineries and vineyards in the state. Favorable mountain elevations and grape growing conditions make this region an ideal place to grow and ripen a wide variety of American, European and French hybrid wine grapes. (Cavender Creek Vineyards and Winery, Frogtown Cellars, Montaluce Winery & Estates, Three Sisters Vineyards & Winery, Wolf Mountain Vineyards) The Unicoi Wine Trail in White County includes one of the state’s oldest established vineyards, the Habersham Vineyards & Winery in Helen, as well as Sautee Nacoochee Vineyards, Serenity Cellars and Sylvan Valley Cellars & Wine Bar in Nacoochee, as well as The Cottage Vineyard & Winery, and Yonah Mountain Vineyards in Cleveland. Add Rabun County’s Wine Trail that spans from Black Rock Mountain State Park to Tallulah Falls Gorge State Park and there are another three farm wineries and vineyards from which to sample: Tiger Mountain and Stonewall Creek Vineyards south of Clayton and 12 Spies Vineyard, near the North Carolina border in Raybun Gap.
There are many ways we can do our part. Eat at local restaurants that use ingredients bought from regional growers and suppliers. Embrace new seasonal dishes. Ask about the ingredients they use. Buy local produce and ingredients from regional growers and suppliers who do this. Grow at-home herb and vegetable gardens.
Mild Georgia winters mean we can plant or harvest something from the garden almost year-round. The two major planting periods are spring (March to May) and fall (mid-July to September). Spring plantings are harvested in June and July. Fall plantings are harvested from October to December. What to do in January and February? Look at seed catalogs, research plants, prepare garden plots, and dream of warmer days and fresh veggies on the table. Buy your fruit and vegetables when they are in season and are plentiful. Use as much as you can when they’re fresh. Don’t be afraid to freeze or preserve by canning or pickling. Who needs Smuckers when you can make your own jam? We all know that grandma’s homemade pickles and relishes were always better than anything you can get in the store.
If you think the idea of canning, pickling, or preserving seems too daunting, never fear, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, hosted by the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia (That’s right, UGA!) is here to help. Their website (nchfp.uga.edu) is a wealth of seasonal tips, publications, and answers to “How Do I?” for canning, freezing, drying, curing/smoking, fermenting, pickling, and making jams and jellies. There are some terrific recipes there too.
St. Simons Island mom Beth Gwaltney made the process of preserving fresh, local ingredients even more fun when she hosted a "girls' night" salsa canning party.
Beth explains that she and some girlfriends had a get-together where they taught themselves how to make homemade tamales and they had so much fun that they decided to do stuff like that more often. She adds, “I was interested in canning as kind of a lost art and they liked the idea, so I said will host the next girls’ night at my house to can salsa.” What next? “I did a lot of research: asked grandmothers, Googled, visited the canning aisle in Walmart several times, and ran into a few ladies who shared their stories. I bought a Ball canning book, a pressure canner, and hit the green produce bus in Brunswick for some okra to pickle! It was super easy!” Beth then bought tomatoes from a local farm/produce stand, and then delegated girlfriends to bring ingredients, some appetizers and refreshing beverages to share, and thus a canning party was born. Beth says, “We made 40 quarts and everyone went home with some. I then made another 40 by myself a week later!
Here is an easy salsa recipe get your started;
Fresh Salsa
Ingredients:
7 c. diced seeded peeled cored tomatoes (about 5 lbs. or 15 medium)
6 green onions, sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. vinegar
2 Tbsp. lime juice
4 drops hot pepper sauce
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro
2 tsp salt
4 (16 oz) pint or 8 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Preparation: Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside. You may also want to wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned when cutting or seeding hot peppers.
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Ladle hot salsa in to hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
Make farm-to-table your lifestyle. Commit to a healthier body, a healthier environment, a healthier community economy, and a healthier planet for future generations by changing the way you buy food. Educate yourself on local products. Take your children to regional farms so they can see where their food comes from and meet the people who grow it. Mac-and-cheese made with cheese that came from that sweet cow Bessie that the kids got to pet and heard moo will be more appealing than that processed stuff made with bright orange powder! Instead of opting for easy and convenient, but less healthy, processed foods, make a conscious choice to buy and use fresh, natural, ingredients that are not laden with preservatives. Adjust your shopping and menu planning to incorporate what is available seasonally without chemical enhancement or long distance shipping. Grow your own strawberries, tomatoes, and herbs on your deck or start a garden in your back yard. When your personal harvest is over, try other seasonal fruits and vegetables instead of picking up the old standards that are shipped from California or Mexico. Eat raw. Eat clean. Eat local. Get your hands dirty in the soil and have parties in your kitchen. Let’s make food about fun and family again and all commit to being stewards of this land on which we live!
