New Pivot, Ancient Grain – Claire Smith

  Can traditional MidWest commodity farms pivot to a more diverse system than just corn and soybeans? It\'s an important question as farmers and their customers pursue sustainable farming systems; and even more important when it is not possible to earn enough from the typical dependance on corn and soybean. Seven generations of Smith\'s have farmed about 2,000 acres (1,200 tillable) in South Central Michigan. They decided to pivot from the tried and true corn-belt  farming approach to the ancient grain, Teff.  Now that they\'ve made the pivot to Teff and other alternative grains such as Buckwheat and Millet, they are processing grains and seeds for other farmers seeking their own pivots.  Claire Smith joins Farm To Table Talk to share how her journey from pivot to vertical has led to producing and marketing a granola made from the Teff they are growing \"Teffola\".  www.eatteffola.com

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Farm to Table means different things to different people but many would agree that restaurants and their chefs have led the way on our Farm to Table journey. Chefs might say that they have been led by their own customers who have shown a preference for food with a story all the way back to the farm: the farmer, unique varieties or breeds, production practices and overall sustainability. In this episode of Farm To Table Talk we are joined at the table by Greg Drescher, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Industry Leadership with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to explore what Farm To Table means in the Culinary world and the trends that change menus.