2009 Farm to Table Conference

This post and our day one photo recap are written as part of the Foodbuzz Foodie Correspondent Program. A big thank you to Foodbuzz for sponsoring our attendance.

This weekend we attended a two-day event called the Farm to Table Conference which is now in its 3rd year of existence. The conference is aimed at gathering like-minded people, whether they are restaurateurs, growers, or consumers, who are all united by the mantra, “Keep it Real, Keep it Local.” The event boasted around 10 presentations/demonstrations per day, along with 50+ exhibition booths that were available throughout the day.

The two presenters that impressed us the most were the guys from Heritage Farms (Peter and Greg Burns) and Bob McCafferty –both of these entrepreneurs were passionate and informative about their respective institutions.

Polyface Farm comes to Pennsylvania

If anyone has read Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma then they know about Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. This renowned farm, which has served as a poster child for the grass-fed and sustainable farming movement, was the site of Pete Burns’ internship at the same time that Pollan was visiting the farm–during the lecture he said that his claim to fame was his one line mention in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It was interesting to see how Pete, and his father [Greg] integrated Salatin’s sustainable farming methods into their northern PA farm.
To sum up the Heritage Farm site…it is essentially an Elk County, PA version of Joel Salatin’s legendary Polyface Farm – after years of expansion and evolution. We were impressed with the Burns’ inspiring success, and plan on visiting the farm this summer.

Check out this book written by Greg Burns:

Another site that we will likely be visiting in the near future is the North Country Brewing Company.

Epitomizing Sustainability in Slippery Rock

Before attending the Food to Table Conference, neither of us had ever heard of the North Country Brewing Company, and for good reason–the owners do not rely on traditional advertising and are located well north of Pittsburgh in Slippery Rock, PA. However, what this restaurant lacks in renown, it makes up for in the ingenuity of its owners–Jodi and Bob McCafferty are a different breed of sustainable restaurateur–they truly get their hands dirty with their work.
Bob, who gave the presentation, although very modest about his abilities, prided himself on his incredibly ingenious use, and often reuse, of building materials. The entire building is pretty much a recycled structure – from the wood beams inside, to the foundation below. One of their beer kegs became dysfunctional, and they converted it into a male urinal…I can think of no better use, as Bob says–“beer in, beer out”. Whether they’re growing lavender for a specialty brew or placing orders through the local farmers’ market co-op, the folks at and North Country Brewing are committed to delivering their customers with the freshest, most local produce possible.
Another standout feature of the North Country Brewing Co. is their commitment to their community. The most striking example of this dedication is their Station 33 Firehouse Red; 5% of the proceeds from every one of these beers are donated to the Slippery Rock fire department. In gratitude for this generosity, the fire department donated an old fire hose spout, which was crafted into a beer tap handle.
What impressed us most about the owners and operators of North Country Brewing Company is their dedication to the community of Slippery Rock, through the creation of a sustainable restaurant that relies in great part upon local producers. Bob said some 76 cents of every dollar spent on the restaurant goes back into the local community. We can’t wait to make the trip up to Slippery Rock to taste the food and beers!

A North Country Brewing Company growler, and Joe sampling their Lavender Abbey Ale Friday night.

Keep it Real, Keep it Local

Despite the diverse background of all the participants in the Farm to Table Conference, this disparate group was united by a dedication to local, sustainable, and healthy lifestyles. Whether it was Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture promoting PA farmers of all profit margins, to UPMC promoting fish oil and red wine, to the grass-fed famers at Heritage Farms, and everywhere in between, this conference epitomized the often diverse, but unified movement that promotes the awareness and understanding of exactly what we’re putting into our bodies and the effects that these products have on us and our environment.

In addition, nearly every participant in the conference viewed the idea of eating local and sustainable as a process of evolution. There will never be a specific definition of sustainable/ local…it is a continuous process of learning and evolving towards a more earth-conscious approach to living and eating.

Here are some ways that we are evolving as a result of our experiences at the conference:
• limiting the distance that our food travels from “farm to fork” (we bought locally grown herbs & honey at the conference to start!)
• we are planning to purchase a CSA box for the upcoming season
• a desire to integrate local goods & businesses into our daily lives and promote the “locavore” culture through our blog

If you live in Pittsburgh or Western PA, we have some great resources and links to share with you:

Pennsylvania BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL. This site is very much still up & coming, but it is a great resource to find local farmers markets, restaurants, CSA’s, farms, events etc. You can join the site and have it almost like a social networking venue.
*If you don’t live in PA, google your state – many of them are part of the “BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL” movement and have their own, similar sites.

Right By Nature. If you’re a Pittsburgher and haven’t visited this new grocery store – we highly recommend you do so! The store is beautiful, and they boast an impressive array of local foods. From the bread in the bakery to the eggs, to the produce – you can find it all from local farms and companies. It’s not all local, but the options are there among other healthy choices. Also, unlike many grocery stores, Right By Nature makes all of their prepared foods and bakery items in house, 100 % from scratch. We went there this morning for the second time, and got some local bread, cheese spread, eggs, and more. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this store from us!

The East End Food Co-Op. Being east-enders, it is slightly embarrassing to admit that we have yet to visit the co-op. But we only recently got a car and will be visiting there soon! In their own words:

East End Food Cooperative, a member-owned business, exists to create, promote and sustain a healthy, strong and vibrant local community that serves the need for physical well-being, mutual respect, social connectedness and economic vitality while ensuring sustainability in the use of all resources toward this end.

We’ll share more about the co-op when we make our first trip there.

Table Magazine.

TABLE is the one and only magazine for Pittsburgh and Southwestern PA dedicated to celebrating food culture and lifestyle in our region.

Edible Allegheny Magazine.

A magazine devoted to improving the quality of life in our region by bringing you important information about food. We believe that supporting the local agricultural community is a vital element in the future success of this region, and that eating healthy local food is a better option.

We learned so much at the conference, and were so inspired. We want to encourage all of you to check out the “locavore” scene in your area, and get the message out there. “Keep it Real, keep it Local“!