Farm (& Fishing Boat) to Table

“We’re surrounded by water. From my window I look out over the Lake and across to the hills of Bayfield,” says Chris Wolfe, chef and owner of Café Seiche on Madeline Island. “We’re so close to nature. It just seems natural to use the bounty that we have in a creative way to make wonderful food.”

Delicious and creative food, made with sustainably and locally grown ingredients, is the ideal of the much-touted farm-to-table movement.

Advocates cite the benefits of truly fresh foods with better flavor and retained nutritional integrity and say the movement is a godsend for local farm – and for us, fishing – economies as well as the salvation of heirloom and open pollinated varieties of vegetables endangered by corporate factory-farm models.

Alice Waters, considered by many to be the mother of the farm-to-table movement, some 40 years ago insisted on organic, locally sourced ingredients for her Berkeley restaurants Chez Panisse and Chez Fanny. She built a network of local organic farmers, producers and artisans to supply those ingredients.  Today the American Farm to Table Restaurant Guide lists establishments in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia, including a growing number of farm-to-table options around Lake Superior.

But can these partnerships between local producers and restaurants fare well in the chilly reality of this Big Lake region that averages only 115 or so frost-free growing days? Apparently it’s working even better than you might imagine to the benefit of farmers, commercial fishermen, restaurant owners, chefs and, above all, diners.  

Good for You

“Consumers benefit from the freshness of local food,” says Lakehead University’s Dr. Mirella Stroink, who has researched local food systems in Ontario. “Industrial food systems tend to grow produce varieties that are large and visually appealing and designed to withstand cross-country shipment. Local produce is usually grown for other purposes, to be flavorful, nutritious and hearty in our climate, opening the door for the use of heritage or heirloom seeds.”

It’s easy to see why local tastes better, says Bonnie Brost, licensed and registered dietitian in the Wellness Program at the Essentia Health St. Mary’s Heart & Vascular Center in Duluth. “If we’re talking about the flavor of a fresh, ripe strawberry picked at its peak locally and eaten within a few hours, compared to one that is picked a bit green and shipped across the country – there is a difference in flavor.”   

For Paula Nelson, who with her husband, Karl, owns Karl’s Cuisine and Winery in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, building a menu around local options makes sense. “Our diners get fresh wonderful food. Produce shipped in from a factory farm may look beautiful, but it loses the element of flavor.”

Just how “local” food can be might surprise you. Edible gardens have sprung up alongside many of Lake Superior’s farm-to-table eateries like Duluth’s New Scenic Café, At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Café and the Duluth Grill.

Next to your parking spot fronds of kale and spinach may wave in the breeze, alongside plantings of fragrant herbs and edible flowers while tomatoes ripen on the vine and beets and carrots wrestle for space in these verdant urban gardens. It’s all part of the dining experience.

“Last year we kept track and know we grew about $4,000 worth of produce in one of our gardens,” says Carla Blumberg, co-owner of Sara’s Table, which includes “from farm to fork” in its logo.

“We also buy from local producers of meat who raise and harvest their animals humanely, and we buy from local distribution networks as well as individual farmers.”

“Our menus and specials evolve and change with the seasons and reflect the best of what’s coming from the gardens,” says Chef Jillian Forte, executive chef of At Sara’s Table in Duluth.  

The owners of the Duluth Grill have curbside herb boxes and even have discussed aquafarming.

“We started with our front gardens thinking it would be great to grow all of the rhubarb we needed for one year,” says Louis Hanson, manager of the Duluth Grill. “That was six years ago. Last year, we harvested about 100 pounds of rhubarb. And we have expanded our gardens. We’ve planted grapevines and grow our own greens like kale, and we raise our own rabbits. Of course, we also buy from local farmers … lots of local growers.”

On the south-facing wall of Canal Park Brewing in Duluth it will be hops, not kale, basking in the sun. “We’ll have four to six different varieties of hops, enough for small batch brews that we hope to do in partnership with some local home brewers,” says Ryan Woodfill, head brewer. “What really sets Duluth apart from breweries in other parts of the country is our water. It gets overlooked, but water is 90 percent of what goes into brewing, and I’ve worked at places where there is a ton of treatment done to water to make it ready for the process that we don’t have to do here. I would say we have some of the best water in the nation for brewing.”

Water or produce, what’s local draws customers, Louis at Duluth Grill adds. “People come here looking for local, farm-to-table restaurants. They don’t want to eat the same identical thing they can buy from a chain restaurant back home. They want to taste something new and different that reflects this region.”

Good for Chefs

“There is something about the ritual of walking around the garden, picking what’s ripe and ready and creating something with it,” says Carla from At Sara’s Table. “That was the inspiration from the very beginning of the farm-to-table movement. There is something spiritual about the practice.”

Carla started as a “hippie farmer” in the early 1970s and is an Alice Waters disciple, a commitment reflected in Epicurious.com naming At Sara’s Table in the top 10 farm-to-table restaurants nationwide. Carla and co-owner Barb Neubert support local farms and promote ecological balance through their food, sourcing fish from Lake Superior and regionally raised grass-fed beef.

“This is also about larger questions about sustainability and ecology, reducing fossil fuel used to ship food and developing and strengthening local food systems,” she says.

Shipping of anything becomes an issue for a restaurant on an island. That’s why Chris Wolfe of Café Seiche appreciates Madeline Island food sources.

“It’s been great to see the growth of the community gardens here at La Pointe. The island has a tradition of gardening and farming. Between fish and bakery and produce, I work with about 10 local sources. It seems like someone is always bringing something to me – fiddlehead ferns or mushrooms. And then I get to appreciate the creativity of coming up with dishes that make the most of what’s available.”

Local produce isn’t always the cheapest, but, says Paula from Karl’s Cuisine, “for us, it’s never been about the money. Obviously if it was, we wouldn’t be in this business. It’s about being proud of what we do and investing in people and helping to educate our customers about what they eat and the benefits of whole foods.”

Paula and Karl create delicious farm-to-table food within view of the Soo Locks and within easy distance of local produce.

“We work with about a dozen farmers, and we have our own 40-acre farm. Last year we harvested about 300 squash and 400 ears of corn. We also used our own hot peppers and beans. We’ve been able to source local potatoes and beets and, of course, wonderful fresh lettuces and greens.”

Karl’s Cuisine is definitely a family affair. Paula’s son-in-law is the chef and her daughter runs the winery. “We employ about 24 people at the peak of the season, and soon will be opening a brewery and taking on the putt-putt golf operation next door. So we’re looking at expanding to about 30 to 32 employees at the height of summer.”

Good for Producers

Partnering with restaurants interested in locally produced goods has created stable buyers for farm and fishing operations.

“I would say the biggest turning point came five or six years ago, and since then our farm sales have doubled,” says Bill Groenheide, who owns Tarrymore Farms with his wife, Jenny. “Eight of us started the Country Market in Thunder Bay in 1998. We were raising sheep at the time and were looking for an outlet for our lambs.”

When they sought their market, they found it waiting for them. “We were taken surprised by the strong response.  People were really looking to buy from local producers.”

During that time, what the farm produces has evolved.

“When we bought the farm from Jenny’s parents in 1990, it was a dairy farm. Then in 1997, we sold off the dairy herd and bought sheep.  I sold the sheep to my son in 2001-2002 and concentrated on growing beef full time. We still had the chicken operation that my in-laws bought from the farm’s previous owner. So we started selling both eggs and lamb, and then switched to beef.”

Tarrymore’s 500 free-run laying hens produce about 480 brown eggs each day, which are also sold at the Country Market. The farm’s beef production goes to two Thunder Bay farm-to-table restaurants, Bight and Made Fresh, and to a food truck, Pine Tree Catering.

“My son was head chef when Bight Restaurant and Bar opened,” Bill says, “so he put the ‘Tarrymore Burger’ on the menu, which was wonderful, a real partnership with the restaurant.”

Tarrymore has evolved in other ways, too, Bill adds. “Eight years ago we started changing the way we farm. We looked at the price of commercial fertilizer we were using, what we were getting back and what it was doing to the land and decided it just wasn’t worth it. It took about five years for the land to heal, for beneficial bugs and worms to return.  Now I use more land to grow the same amount, but the land is healthier.”

The farm-to-table movement creates options for farm startups, too.

“Local demand for produce provides some good opportunities for smaller growers,” says Bob Olen, St. Louis County Extension Service educator and horticulturist in Minnesota. “Especially for the creative and entrepreneurial farmers out there who are willing to invest their time and energy to research and grow what’s in demand.”

Organic is not the only option.

“The organic certification process does involve application fees, and a time commitment that may not be sustainable, or financially possible for producers,” agrees Bob. “For many farmers this is about a lifestyle choice. It demands creativity and strong management skills, and labor, but it can be a rewarding life.”

Tarrymore decided not to go for officially “organic” certification. “We call our products ‘responsibly grown,’” Bill says. “For us this is a family-run business and a lifestyle and that’s how we approach it. And we’re looking to the future. I have two sons who are coming into the business. I’ve just added 400 acres to the farm and we’re looking to grow by 30 percent.”  

Mirella Stroink at Lakehead says farm-to-table has influenced growers’ choices. “The local food movement invites consumers to get to know growers, to see how they treat their livestock or tend their crops, and it incentivizes growers to produce food in a manner consistent to the desires and values of their customers.”

Farms are not the only local food sources. Some gatherers bring in wild berries, mushrooms or fiddlehead ferns, and the bounty from the Big Lake is also a restaurant resource and menu draw.

The family behind Bodin Fisheries of Bayfield has been fishing the south shore of Lake Superior for five generations. “My great grandfather came from Sweden and settled in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he was a carpenter and fisherman. He built his own fishing boat,” says Jeff Bodin, the fourth generation of the large fishing family. “Now we have the fish-processing plant as well as wholesale and retail operation in Bayfield.”

Bodins itself partners with other fishing operations.

“We buy from eight local fishermen, who all come from fishing families. Last year we processed and sold about a million pounds of fish, most of it whitefish. We ship our wild caught Lake Superior fish to New York, Detroit and Chicago, but we’re also with the Bayfield Regional Food Producers, a local community supported agriculture group, and we supply regional restaurants in about a 100-mile radius.”

Family operations especially develop with an eye to the far future, Jeff adds.

“Commercial fishing is sustainable. I like to say that we’ve been fishing for 200 years and haven’t caught them all yet and it’s because of regulation. We have the longest closed season on the Lake, two months October and November for the spawning season. And this is very healthy fish to eat, certainly as good as or better than salmon for omega 3 fatty acids.”

Good for Communities

Lakehead University’s Mirella Stroink was a lead researcher on a 2013 report about how farmers’ markets, co-ops and other sustainable food systems strengthen the economic, environmental and social health of local communities.  The report, “Models and Best Practices for Building Sustainable Food Systems in Ontario and Beyond,” includes interviews with folks from more than 40 local food initiatives across northern Ontario.

“I was struck by how creative and resourceful the people behind these northern local food initiatives are in the face of challenging conditions. They are up against limited funding, vast distances between communities, and everything else that favors the industrial food system. Yet they are forming innovative partnerships and just going above and beyond to connect local food to the people who want and need it.”  

Consumer awareness contributes to the blossoming movement, she adds. “There is a growing awareness of how our food is being produced.  We’re seeing a growing number of restaurants advertising the local sources of their ingredients.”

Sometimes visitation grows along with a region’s local food reputation.

“Food tourism in general has been growing,” says Kelley Linehan, marketing and events manager for the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce. “Bayfield is known as an agricultural specialty area with its apples and berries and fish. For a long time now, people have come here looking for, expecting and finding the farm-to-table experience.”

The region delivers, too. “It’s the real deal in Bayfield,” Kelley says. “It’s so natural for the restaurants to have established relationships with producers because we’re so physically close. The farms and orchards are located just outside of town, and the fishing boats dock right here. Also we’re talking about people who have been farming or fishing for generations and are very connected to the land and the community. The farm-to-table movement isn’t something that comes from outside; it’s an intrinsic part of the Bayfield culture and tradition.”

Carla Blumberg of At Sara’s Table says the local food movement won’t – and is not intended to – replace large agricultural operations.

“It’s easy to forget that big American agriculture is feeding not only our country, but many countries. The economic reality is that people need to be able to afford to eat, and that leads to the rise of mechanized and industrialized agriculture that creates efficiently grown inexpensive food,” Carla says. “The flipside of that is the rise of small-plot kitchen gardens and community gardens where people are still able to develop some food autonomy and access fresh produce even when they can’t necessarily afford to buy it.”

“When we talk about local food, we’re also looking at the ecological benefit of sustainable agriculture and the advantages of not being reliant on other parts of the country to supply all of our food needs,” adds Mirella. “In the end, local food leads our communities to a more autonomous and resilient future. In terms of policy and what it will take to effectively support local food security, there is so much more to learn and do, and obviously this conversation will continue.”  

For Jeff Bodin, the idea of sustainability extends beyond the land and Lake to the people touched by their fishing operation.

“I look at our employees, who are supporting the community and the schools. And I’m looking at the sixth generation, my own grandson, coming along. Of course he’s just 8 now,” Bodin says with a smile, “but I think we’re going to be around for a long time to come.”

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Learning Local

Restaurants are not the only ones partnering with local producers.

Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, not only uses local producers for its food service supplies, but has done a photo project to help students see from where their food comes.

“Northland has focused on environmental sustainability for a good long time, formally since 1971 and, some would say, since its inception,” says college President Michael Miller. “Food has come to the forefront in the last 6 to 10 years when we set the goal of having 80 percent of food served on campus supplied from local sources by 2020.  And by local, we mean within a 75-mile radius.”

In October 2015, the college was halfway to its goal, says Amanda Tutor with Chartwells, Northland’s food service provider.

“We started working in partnership with the Chequamegon Food Coop and the Bayfield Food Producers Coop. We currently source all types of food from about 20 local farms and businesses. In October, we hit 40 percent, or about halfway to our goal.”

Northland also started a student-run garden, Mino Aki Farms. “We work with students to be deliberate in their planting so we fill gaps in what we’re getting from local farmers,” Amanda says. “Last year we received about 500 pounds of food from the campus garden.”

“We think of it as a laboratory or demonstration garden for students in our food system classes,” adds Michael. “We also have had a student-run campus composting program since 1993. The resulting soils then go back to the campus garden.”  

Northland is poised to expand its composting program and create a new food systems center on campus. “We’re creating a place where local farmers and growers can bring their produce, process it and flash freeze it,” Michael says, “which will allow us to buy and use more local produce and allow growers to grow and sell more throughout the year.”

“Our students are very excited and behind this effort, and are willing to eat differently in order to support a more sustainable way of living here,” Michael adds.

“This is an inspiring place to live and work,” says Miller. “We’re talking about what sustainability means, regional self-sufficiency and resilience, and working collaboratively and cooperatively towards a common goal.”

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Juli Kellner produces and hosts “WDSE Cooks” for WDSE WRPT PBS 8/31 in Duluth-Superior.