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Harvest Dinner Promotes Sustainability
Harvest Dinner Promotes Sustainability
By
Carol
Spence
LEXINGTON, Ky., (Oct. 18, 2006) – On a crisp fall evening filled
with the aroma of freshly prepared food, nearly 100 people came
together at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture’s
Horticulture Research Farm for “Chefs Afield: An Autumn Harvest
Gathering.” The outdoor dinner featured UK-grown organic produce
and locally raised beef, pork and fish, prepared by some of the
top chefs in the region.
The purpose of the evening, according to Mark Williams, UK
assistant professor of horticulture, was to highlight the
organic horticulture research and education section at South
Farm.
“This event,” he said, “increases the awareness of
sustainability initiatives that are happening at UK. I hope that
this facility and what we’re doing here continues to grow in
terms of research, education and outreach activities.”
The college is offering a new undergraduate degree program in
sustainable agriculture. It’s a program that promises to have a
widespread effect on the commonwealth. Though the degree program
is brand-new, Dewayne Ingram, chair of the Department of
Horticulture, said that sustainable techniques have always been
an important part of the research program in the College of
Agriculture.
“However, we’re focusing narrower and focusing broader (with the
new sustainability initiatives),” he said. “Focusing narrower in
terms of the technologies being developed for sustainable
systems and organic systems, but broader in terms of a larger
scale community aspect of sustainability.”
 To
that end, 11 acres of South Farm have been designated for
research and education in organic farming. Guests at “Chefs
Afield” were treated to talks and tours of the organically
managed acreage. Everywhere, they saw examples of how Williams,
his staff and students were producing healthy plants over an
extended growing season within a sustainable system.
Bell peppers still flourished in mid-October, protected beneath
high tunnels made of a translucent plastic material, while their
counterparts growing in the open air showed significant frost
damage from a cold snap the night before. In another field, rows
of late-season greens thrived beneath row covers of reemay, a
spun cloth barrier that protects the plants from insects.
Research assistant Derek Law pointed out cover crops such as
buckwheat, rye and hairy vetch that were important in improving
soil fertility naturally.
Williams talked about how social responsibility is one aspect of
a sustainable system.
“From my standpoint, one of the hallmarks of sustainable
agriculture is supporting local farmers and supporting
agricultural production systems that occur locally,” Williams
said. “It keeps the money not only in the state, but it
preserves our very rich agricultural heritage.”
At the same time, Williams said, the consumer can have access to
fresh, high quality products.
 Though
autumn made itself felt with falling evening temperatures,
“Chefs Afield” guests warmed themselves with an array of
delicacies cooked in the open air. UK’s coordinator of the newly
created Food Systems Initiative, Chef Bob Perry led a team of
chefs that included Executive Chef Mark Williams of Brown-Forman
Corporation; Ouita Michel of Holly Hill Inn; Brian Dublow of
Centre College; Christopher Rosier from Kentucky Country Day
School in Louisville; Lexington chef Jim Plymale; Nancy Russman,
who has worked extensively with the Kentucky Proud program;
Robert Hoilman from the LaGrange Farmers’ Market and Darrell
Slone of the UK College of Agriculture.
A variety of appetizers, such as butternut squash bisque and
smoked Kentucky catfish on ubatuba peppers, were made from fresh
produce grown only a few yards away. The first course was
followed by an abundance of salads, entrees, side dishes and
desserts, including white sweet potato, banana pepper and goat
cheese risotto, and pumpkin fritters. Many of the ingredients
were picked just minutes before the chefs prepared them.
Eating seasonal foods in season is a concept that is integral in
a sustainable system and this dinner supported that view. It is
an idea promoted by the Slow Food movement, whose developing UK
student chapter benefited from the dinner’s $25 ticket price.
 According
to its Web site, Slow Food USA is “dedicated to stewardship of
the land and ecologically sound food production,” as well as “to
the invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal
culinary traditions.”
Chef Bob Perry stood in front of a buffet table lined end to end
with fresh fall fruits and vegetables from the UK organic
research and education farm.
“We all used to eat seasonally,” he said. “It’s only been in the
last 30 years or so that you’ve been able to get strawberries
and peaches in the winter, pineapples in the summer. This dinner
in particular is a fall harvest dinner. We’re serving a lot of
winter squashes, a lot of pumpkins, the last picking of the
green beans.”
The turnout for this first “Chefs Afield” event at UK was
heartening to Williams.
“I think the attendance, support and energy felt here tonight is
a clear indicator that there are a growing number of people who
are interested in maintaining the farming heritage that we have
in this state,” he said. |
Contact: : Mark Williams, 859-257-2638
Dewayne Ingram, 859-257-1758
Bob Perry, 859-257-8890 |
|
The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with Teaching, Research and Extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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Copyright © 2001-2006 University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture,
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
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