agricultural studies

Chefs in the sustainable garden, the farm-to-table movement, the four pillars of FTT, Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, garden books, and agrihoods

chefs and the sustainable garden

For the past several years, the terms "organic," "sustainable," "green," and a host of other nicely eco-friendly buzzwords have become major forces in how customers choose where and what to eat. On one hand, this is very good, as it has gotten the public more involved in the food-production chain and made them more aware of what goes into getting that food to their plate.

On the other hand, it's also made the food world trickier to navigate as a host of factors have to go into finding ingredients. As a chef, you'll have the ability to promote sustainability through your choices in the kitchen, and you need to start learning ways to work sustainably now. Culinary schools have begun incorporating sustainability into their curricula.

A chef’s garden allows club chefs to not only add more highly seasonal ingredients to menus, but also showcase the bounty of what the club’s property can produce.

Chef’s gardens range in size. They can be as small as a few pots outside the kitchen door or planted in a multi-acre plot (see Seeds of Culinary Change at The Clubs at Houston Oaks). Regardless of size, these gardens inspire a club’s culinary creativity and add incredible freshness and cache to menus.

the farm-to-table movement

the four pillars of farm-to-table

Food Security, Proximity, Self-Reliance, and Sustainability

food security

The farm to table movement increases the scope of food security to move beyond the food needs of individuals or families and look at the needs of both the larger community, with a focus on low-income households.

proximity

The farm to table movement hinges on the notion that the various components of a food system (or a restaurant) should exist in the closest proximity to each other as possible. The goal is to develop relationships between the various stakeholders in a food system such as “farmers, processors, retailers, restaurateurs, consumers” and more. Additionally, proximity reduces the environmental impact of transporting ingredients across states or countries.

self-reliance

Definition: "reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others".

One of the goals of farm to table is to generate communities that can meet their own food needs, again eliminating the need for outside resources or long distance transportation of food.

sustainability

The core idea here is that farm to table food systems exist in a way that doesn’t stifle “the ability of future generations to meet their food needs,” meaning that it doesn’t destroy resources in the process.

farm-to-table in practice

alice waters and Chez panisse

Farm-to-table is fueling a new dimension of fresh and local.

Call it a California revival, multiethnic-inspired or hyper local. It’s a way of thinking about ingredients that has evolved since Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse more than 40 years ago in Berkeley, California. She woke the nation with the premise that fresh, organic, locally grown and ecologically sound farming produced cleaner and better-tasting food.

The seasons started to drive menu trends and chefs began sourcing locally, which gave rise to the farm-to-table movement. Farmers’ markets exploded, quadrupling over the last 20 years, according to the USDA – a menu trend that has led to greater interest in fresh, local and organic foods. Such factors greatly influence purchasing choices, according to various surveys, including 69% of consumers in a Nielsen survey.

Today, the concepts of seasonal, fresh and locally grown are commonplace, a starting point that has given way to a new handle on farm-to-table. Chefs across the country are zeroing in on deceptively simple, healthful, globally inspired and sustainably grown seasonal food that the Golden State laid claim to years ago – but in an image that reflects their own style, from the vibe to the menu.

“Teaching kids how to feed themselves and how to live in a community responsibly is the center of an education.”---Alice waters

“Real food doesn’t have ingredients, real food is ingredients.”---Jamie Oliver

books on chefs and the garden

the cea and types of growing systems

A controlled-environment agricultural system can be simple or sophisticated. Just putting plastic film on the ground over crops is technically a form of CEA. On the other end of the spectrum, you have computer-controlled, sealed facilities that precisely meter every part of the environment.

Likely the most common type of CEA is the common greenhouse. In all of these cases, the important distinction is that several of the above environmental variables are being intentionally manipulated for a desired outcome.

When we talk about CEA, there are several types of alternative agricultural methods that are also part of the conversation. These include:

Hydroponics: Growing plants without soil, either by having the roots directly suspended in nutrient-filled water or having the roots support in an inert medium like gravel
Aeroponics: Similar to hydroponics, but the plant’s roots are suspended in air and regularly sprayed with a fine mist of nutrient-filled water
Aquaculture: The farming of aquatic plants and animals like algae and fish under controlled conditions, as opposed to something like commercial fishing which takes place in open-water
Aquaponics: A combination of hydroponics and aquaculture that involves aquatic animals, bacteria, and plants in a symbiotic mini-ecosystem. A common application is fish that are fed outside food, and whose excretions (with the help of bacteria) are converted into plant nutrients that are given via hydroponic methods.

Additionally, there are also some adjacent ideas that aren’t exclusively part of CEA, but are often used in conjunction with it:

Vertical Farming: Simply put, it is growing plants in vertically stacked layers. While in most cases this implies growing crops indoors as a CEA application, it could be used outdoors as well.
Urban Farming: The process of growing and distributing crops in an urban environment, placing people closer to the source of their food and working to eliminate food deserts. Given the high land costs in urban areas, CEA is often used in conjunction with urban farming as a way to increase the crop yield.
Sustainable Agriculture: Farming with an eye toward resource conversation, ensuring that farming activities today don’t adversely impact the ability of future farmers to grow healthy produce of their own.
Cyber Agriculture: The application of cutting edge technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create computerize agriculture, allowing software to determine the conditions that will result in a specific outcome in a plant (like a specific flavor, or enhanced medicinal qualities).
Robotic Farming: The use of electromechanical robots to handle the maintenance and care of plants, whether indoors or outdoors.

books on controlled-environment agriculture

agriculture/cea adjacent books

agrihoods and the future of community

what are agrihoods?

An agrihood is a mixed development that combines food and real estate.

These neighborhood villages offer residential living with a farm-to-table focus for young, active families seeking a lifestyle centered around simplicity and sustainability.

a growing community

Have you ever dreamed of ditching the city and heading out for wide open spaces where you can live off the land, only to then remember that farming is actually really hard work? Luckily, new planned communities called agrihoods let you embrace a farm-to-table lifestyle while leaving the crop cultivating to the professionals.

Agrihoods are making the simple life even simpler. Today, there are more than 200 of these neighborhoods in the U.S. spanning across 28 states, and many developers expect this trend to be the new preferred master plan community. And rather than a golf course or a yacht club, these HOA communities come with their own working farm.

While these communities are still somewhat of a novelty, demand is expected to grow now that millennials are the largest share of homebuyers on the market today. Agrihoods are part of a larger movement known as “new urbanism” to create walkable, mixed-use communities that prioritize healthful living and strong connections.

features of an agrihood

The main features of an agrihood are working farmlands and residential properties. Many expand upon this farm-to-table idea with additional amenities focused on communal living.

While every agrihood is different, here are some features that are found in these communities across the U.S.:

Working farm
Residential housing
Bee hives
Solar farm
Walking trails
Community herb garden
Horse stables
On-site kitchen and event space

what are the benefits?

So why are residents ditching the golf course and heading to organic farming communities? It’s likely all thanks to millennials, who are demanding big changes when it comes to real estate. Rather than huge houses, millennial families desire walkable communities outfitted with community gardens and a more sustainable approach to living.

Here are some of the top benefits you can enjoy while living in an Agrihood:

eating organic foods

Seventy-three percent of Americans consider access to fresh, healthy foods a top priority. Eating clean is easy in an agrihood, since you can purchase produce directly from the source of your neighborhood’s working farm.

Families can also take advantage of culinary workshops on-site to learn the best recipes to make with the local ingredients. Some agrihoods even have restaurants where a chef whips up dishes from the crops grown on the working farms.

getting your hands dirty

While professionals tend to the working farmland, many agrihoods offer volunteer opportunities and community workshops for families to learn about crop cultivation. Whether it’s planting seeds in the fields or collecting eggs from the hen house, residents can learn more about the labor behind the foods that they eat through these programs.

Community gardens are another popular feature. Here, residents are encouraged to grow their own produce, herbs or flowers.

access to green spaces

Another feature of most agrihoods is access to outdoor green spaces such as parks, trails and gardens. Some neighborhoods even provide waterfront access and activities such as kayaking, tubing and more. Spending time outdoors promotes creativity, teaches responsibility and builds confidence in kids and adults alike.

Getting outside isn’t just good for your health: proximity to green spaces can increase your home value by up to 20%.

commune with neighbors

A thriving agrihood is more than just a bunch of houses near a farm: It’s designed to be a lifestyle. A survey we ran revealed that only 33% of Americans consider their neighbors friends or close friends, but these farm-to-table communities are working to change that.

Many developers have outfitted agrihoods with event spaces, on-site kitchens for workshops and even restaurants and pavilion areas to inspire neighbors to commune with one another. Some come with their own libraries and even schools so children can play and learn together.

live a sustainable life

If you are dedicated to living a more sustainable life, you will find a community of like-minded neighbors here. The average piece of produce is shipped 1,500 miles before it reaches the plate but agrihoods let residents reduce their carbon footprint providing farm fresh ingredients in walking distance.

In addition to organic farming, many neighborhoods are also outfitted with sustainable technologies and eco-friendly waste removal practices, such as solar farms and compost piles. Some developers also embrace green building practices such as LEED certifications and Energy Star ratings in the residential properties and community buildings.

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