Questions about marketing sustainable farms
For many of us who spend our lives eating, thinking and writing about food, issues such as sustainable farming, organic growers, artisan cheese, and seasonal ingredients are common terms in our vernacular. We argue about freshness and the values of many of these ‘alternative’ methods versus large commercial growers. Yet, there is little doubt that while these alternatives are fast growing, and increasingly profitable, they remain niche products compared to the large agra-businesses.
Recently, I had a chance to eat at a local DC restaurant, Agraria. Easily, it was one of the finest meals I have had in DC. But what I think is most interesting about this experience is that Agraria is marketing the restaurant based on the principals of sustainable growth and small farms.
Started by the North Dakota Farmer Union, yes and I had to do a double take when I read that as well, Agararia goes beyond the ideas of cooking fresh and seasonal. Because fresh and seasonal are becoming mantras of even large chain restaurants, Agraria emphasizes that, not only are they cooking seasonally, they are choosing purveyors who are these niche providers.
While in larger, more food conscious US cities, like San Francisco and New York, open marketing and pushing philosophies like Agraria may be more common, DC has a nature of being just behind the curve on such transitions; therefore, it is a decent bell-weather for the events to come nationally. So to me, the questions is whether this the next evolution in food and dining on a larger scale?
I think this is important because if it is, then we face the paradox ahead. For those of us who support these small farmers and high quality ingredients, we demand a certain sense of rural romanticism. For example, we want the small farm with a few head of cattle that are grass feeding with low or no antibiotics. This requires a premium of cost and time that larger more industrialized facilities are not required.
Yet, if these growers respond to the markets need for this specialty, the next logical step is for them to try to assume the economies of scale necessary to produce product for a wider group. When does the line blur or cross so that we are no longer discussing the same specialty provider that we desire?
In the end, such trends bring us to the question of market demands versus needs for the population. I feel there is a great deal to discuss in terms of the business of our desires. We have seen a proliferation and diversification in products from cheese to wine and liquors to natural grocers to livestock raising methods. Yet as demand for them rise, how does that reflect our diets in the future? And if more businesses embrace sustainable farming and small farmers, where does that lead the food business?
/And if more businesses embrace sustainable farming and small farmers, where does that lead the food business?/
If the entry of big business into organics is any indication, it will lead to widespread /pretending/ about sustainable practices and local origins. Contract growing and animal feeding operations will extend to farms of a few acres. There will be a demand for government regulation of “sustainable” practices, and the new USDA definitions of “sustainable” will bear little resemblance to actual sustainable practices. Monsanto, ConAgra and Cargill will all profit enormously.
Excuse my cynicism, please. It’s been a long week.
Thomas