Fifteen years ago, I left a great job teaching at a prestigious northeast culinary school to move back to Iowa and be an executive chef at a Holiday Inn. It was difficult to find people, in Vermont or Iowa, who did not think I was certifiably insane. Those who thought they knew Iowa claimed, "There's no there there!" And those who did not asked, "Iowa? Isn't that where they grow potatoes?"
Because I had spent my undergraduate years in Iowa, I was accustomed to the rest of the country, especially folks from the coasts, referring to it as one of "the flyover states." Iowans, a group among whom I now proudly count myself, are fine with that -- as long as such critics do just fly over. We'll wave. We're Iowans. East Coast has Broadway, West Coast has Hollywood, and Iowa has people -- damn fine people.
The other thing Iowa has is Agriculture -- and I use that capital "A" deliberately. We produce more pork, more corn, and more eggs than any other state in the union, and come in second or third in virtually every other commodity crop save oranges. And who knows? Global climate change may change that too.
What the people who wanted to put me in a rubber room a decade and a half ago didn't see, which I did, was the massive potential for local, sustainable, community-based food systems in Iowa. After all, it is home to 3 million people who still have spiritual and family ties to the finest soil on the planet.
So I set out to take advantage of all that homegrown goodness.
One of the lessons I've learned from more than 25 years in food service is that fresh tastes best. Sounds obvious until you look beneath the surface a bit and realize that what passes for fresh in many places is really not so fresh, and many "foods" currently available on store shelves can be measured in half-life rather than shelf life. Ninety-five percent of Iowa's food is imported, and it travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to our plates. This in a state that can grow anything that can grow outside the tropics. Doesn't matter how fast your planes, trains, and trucks are; if it traveled 1,500 miles, it's not fresh.
Kurt Michael Friese.
My thought was, the closer it is to my kitchen door, the fresher it's going to be. Seemed simple enough. At the time, the farmers' market was right outside the hotel's back door, but disagreements with management kept me from buying much from the market then. So 11 years ago I opened Devotay, a tiny, quirky little restaurant serving Spanish-style food made from local ingredients (wherever feasible) smack in the belly of the agribusiness beast. There were ADM and IBP (now Tyson) and Quaker plants less than 30 minutes away. There was one other business I could find that endeavored to buy locally (the renowned New Pioneer food co-op), and when I walked through the farmers' market in my white chef's coat, people looked at me funny.
I only knew two farmers personally, but I knew people who knew people, and gradually Devotay built a network of local growers we now lovingly refer to as the Devotay Local Farm Partners, who are recognized in name and image at the restaurant's entrance ("The Hall of Farm"). What success and accolades Devotay has received I owe primarily to them (and to the best dang staff in town). In addition, we built a one-acre garden of our own under the loving care of my wife and business partner, Kim McWane Friese. Guests never cease to be pleased and impressed with the greens, tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries, and more that come from the Devotay Gardens.
But getting from there to here was not a straight line. Opening a small restaurant serving Spanish food -- which most guests thought would be like Mexican -- with no TVs, no fry-o-lators, no smoking, and no light beer in a college town, seemed to many to be further evidence of my deteriorating mental and emotional condition. But it is said that nothing persists like persistence, and we were convinced that if we focused on the food, everything else would fall into place.
You Can Take the Food Out of Iowa ...
The food I bought locally was simply better. It looked, smelled, and tasted better, and there is mounting evidence that much of it is more healthful as well. And it has economic and marketing benefits too. There is a strong multiplier effect to keeping my dollar in my community, and my clientele appreciate our dedication to the health and well-being of the area.
Connections to those first two farmers, Simone Delaty of Wellman and James Nisley of Kalona, led to friendships with many others, such as Susan Jutz, who runs the organic CSA Local Harvest with Simone, and Nick Wallace, who raises grass-finished beef.
Onward the connections went. Along the way I learned that buying all my ingredients off the back of a truck from U.S. Foodservice is definitely easier, and often cheaper. But that food is never of a higher quality, and it takes its toll. Any business can take great strides when it stops looking at price and starts looking at cost. Same holds true for individuals and families. For just a moment set aside the price on the tag, and take a good hard look at the hidden costs of cheap food.
Chefs, you may think it cheaper to buy that commodity beef from Sysco. Moms and dads, it may seem more convenient to get the cheap grocery-store apples from New Zealand than to visit the nearby orchard, or to get the frozen entrée rather than making a simple pasta dish at home. But imagine the impact on our environment and health-care system of all that processed food. Think of the fuel used to ship an apple halfway around the planet. Then consider the benefits of taking a walk through an orchard with your children, of having them learn at your apron strings, of shaking the hand that raised that steer.
A Devotay offering made with local eggs,
potatoes, and sprouts.
We are all co-producers, Wendell Berry tells us, all a part of the interconnected web of food production, and are therefore just as culpable for its ills as the agribusiness corporate executives are.
I am a gastronome. It's a fancy word for someone who makes a study of food, has a passion, even a reverence for it. Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini pointed out recently that, "A gastronome who is not also an environmentalist is an idiot. An environmentalist who is not also a gastronome is, well, sad."
In the past 15 years I have seen an awakening here in Iowa, and I have undergone one myself. Where once no restaurants were buying locally, now there are at least 15 in Iowa City alone (a town of just 60,000). Plenty more are cropping up in even smaller towns: Lincoln Café in Mt. Vernon, Redhead in Solon, Phoenix Café in Grinnell, and Café Dodici in Washington, to name just a few. The University of Iowa Food Service is sourcing some foods locally, and the Iowa City Farmers' Market, where people used to look confused when they saw my chef's coat, has doubled in size and hosts plenty of chefs every day.
If such progress can be made here, one plant, one plate, one palate at a time, it can be made everywhere, and I hope it will. Because the best times of our lives often happen gathered around a table with great food in front of us and the people we love all around. Who wouldn't want more of that?
Two Devotay Recipes
This bisque is the perfect autumn belly-warmer, always well received at Devotay and now even more so with the addition of Iowa's own whiskey, Templeton Rye. The pork shoulder is the recipe I used when preparing the Mulefoot hog for consideration by the Slow Food USA Ark and Presidia Committee. The Mulefoot was boarded onto the ark in September 2005.
Squash Bisque with Maple and Templeton Rye
By Chef Kurt Michael Friese, Devotay, Iowa City
I grow most of the ingredients (except the bay and the syrup) for this soup myself, but they should be readily available this time of year in most farmers' markets. The rye, though, will be a challenge, as it is only available here in Iowa. A good bourbon can substitute.
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1/2 pound red potatoes, washed
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 cup Templeton Rye Whiskey
1/2 cup real maple syrup
water, to cover
salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Simmer all ingredients except the whiskey and maple syrup until very tender. Remove bay leaf. Puree and pass through a fine strainer. Return to heat, bring to simmer, and add the rye and maple syrup. Season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately, or cool and store up to 3 days. Freezes well. Serves about 8.
Smoked and Braised Mulefoot Hog Shoulder
With Sweet Peppers, la Quercia Prosciutto Americano, and Lacinato Kale
By Chef Kurt Michael Friese, Devotay, Iowa City
This is a time-consuming recipe, but worth every minute. It's a great way to really wow your guests at the next barbecue. Remember to use the Mulefoot, or one of the other breeds listed on the Slow Food Ark of Taste & Tradition -- we have to consume them to save them!
1/4 cup each salt and brown sugar, mixed with
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
8 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
8 large leaves of lacinato kale
3 cups julienned sweet bell peppers, preferably of many colors
1/4 cup very thin sliced garlic cloves
1 large yellow onion, julienned
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 bay leaves
2 quarts fresh chicken or veal stock (or to cover), well seasoned
Rub the shoulder with the seasonings and refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag overnight.
Slow smoke the shoulder over hickory or cherry wood, at a temperature of 225 degrees F for 5 to 7 hours, or until the crust is very dark and the internal temperature is about 160 F.
Remove, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
Mix the peppers, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves, and place them in the bottom of a large, deep casserole or other ovenproof pan that is at least 5 inches deep.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut the pork into preferred portion size (roughly 6 to 9 ounces, depending on how hungry your family is). Wrap each piece with a slice of prosciutto and a leaf of kale. Place each piece seam-side down on the bed of vegetables in the casserole.
Add the chicken or veal stock, enough to just cover the pork. Add a little water or white wine if you're a little short of liquid.
Cover tightly with a lid or with parchment and foil.
Braise for 3 hours, then remove and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Serve over risotto or polenta. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Comments View as Flat
anthony11 Posted 4:57 am
11 Oct 2007
bandwagoning
There is nothing sustainable about mistaking animals for food, yet this "sustainable" chef freely encourages the use of cattle (including veal), pigs, and birds. It may be local, but it sure isn't sustainable or even food, and it doesn't grow in that "finest" soil touted here.
The first definition at dictionary.com for "food" is:
any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.
The corpses of animals don't nourish those who aren't designed to eat them, notably humans.
Please stop glorifying these greenwashing hypocrites.
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Devotay Posted 6:01 am
11 Oct 2007
To each his own
Anthony,
Thank you for your comments. While I fully appreciate your position as a vegetarian (vegan?), there are in fact perfectly legitimate, sustainable methods of raising, slaughtering and consuming meat. To say otherwise is to deny 10,000 years of agricultural history.
You are of course free to follow any diet you choose, as is everyone else. But the meat I consume, and sell at my restaurant, comes from small, local, family run farms. There is no confinement, no harsh treatment, there are no hormones or antibiotics. The young live by their mothers' sides, in pastures with plentifu access to shelter, shade, appropriate food and water.
As for your definition of food:
"any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc."
You may wish to argue semantics, but the meat I consume is very healthful, provides energy, sustains me and my family and my guests.
I do not for a moment suggest that you should consume any of it if it is your wish to be a vegetarian. But don't for a moment think that because it feels right for you that it must be right or everyone. Omnivores can and do find ways to live sustainably. To dismiss all meat as being just like what Tyson puts out is myopic.
As for being designed to eat meat, we have eyes in the front of our heads, not the sides. We have strong jaws and incisors, and a biological need for protein. Humans are hunters. We are built to be carnivores. If you choose to eat only from the plant kingdom, that's your choice. Don't begrudge me mine.
I take offense at being labeled a hypocrite, most especially by a holier-than-thou proselytizer.
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John former Marine Posted 8:19 am
11 Oct 2007
10,000 years of agricultural history...
Yeah Anthony...you can't deny 10,000 years of agricultural history. They've been raising livestock in the Fertile...um...well, it's not so fertile anymore...but you know...the Crescent. And look at those lush scenes. The Sahara has been shrinking for thousands of years under the wise stewardship of people who ate meat. There are countless examples of places where livestock actually improve environmental conditions...I just can't think of them right now.
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Devotay Posted 9:07 am
11 Oct 2007
Baby with the bathwater
Your confusing stewardship with overproduction, and agriculture with politics.
You'll notice Europe is not a desert. Nor is most of Asia. Yet livestock has been raised there essentially forever. And if you'd like to see a place where livestock have improved the environmental conditions, I suggest you visit Joel Salatin's farm in Virginia, or Ryan Jepsen's in Iowa, just to name a couple off the top of my head.
Look, I'll never convince you, and you'll never convince me. So why argue about it? You will not succeed in making the majority of humanity in vegetarians just as we won't revert you to omnivores. You can keep screaming and being dismissed as unrealistic, or you can allow, as noted above, to each his own.
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TubbyC Posted 9:36 pm
11 Oct 2007
thank you
Rather than criticise you for using meat in your restaurant - As a vegan, I would thank you for taking care over how you source your meat and providing a recipe that I can try.
I am looking forward to tasting the Bisque.
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Devotay Posted 10:35 pm
11 Oct 2007
Your welcome, and thank you
Tubby,
I appreciate the kind words, and that you noticed that the soup was vegan. I tend to emphasize neither that my restaurant serves meat NOR that the vegetarians in my little college town seem to love the place for it's many vegetarian options.
If you have an questions about the preparation of the soup, please feel free to contact me.
Peace,
kmf
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lgensheimer Posted 10:37 pm
11 Oct 2007
Delicious discussion
Excellent piece, Kurt. This is what it's all about. We are taking small but similar steps in the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt.
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Devotay Posted 1:43 am
12 Oct 2007
Cool!
Thanks Lisa. perhaps I'll read more about the grapes on Gather.com?
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John former Marine Posted 10:06 am
12 Oct 2007
6 to 9 ounces for each of us...sustainably?
If you want to pretend that 300 million Americans could eat "sustainable pork", you're going to have to quadruple the size of the planet. Either that or add at the bottom of the pork recipe that it should be eaten only once per month. Or that each "6 to 9" ounce portion should feed four people.
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Devotay Posted 1:18 pm
12 Oct 2007
Where has all the livestock gone?
No one is suggesting that everyone should could or would eat the dish I described above, not should could or would they do so every day. To deprive yourself of the pleasures of life is pointless and sad.
He who distinguishes the true savor of his food cannot be a glutton. He who does not cannot be otherwise.
Oh, and I have a question:
Would someone please explain what happens to the livestock, to the millions and millions of cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and chickens when we all go vegetarian?
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bluefoxfarm Posted 11:15 pm
12 Oct 2007
ahh america
Once again we miss the point. Someone trying to do some good and make a difference and we get caught up off point.
Animal matter, plant matter, it's all the same. And it's interesting to note that 99% of veggie farmers (me included) use animal products for fertility. Why? Because they work really well at growing great veggies. Not that plant based fertility isn't important too. We use cover crops all the time, but we look at farming as a diverse system that uses all types of inputs. And that's fine if I get flamed in a violent way for these comments, we're not changing our practices anytime soon and neither are most of the remaining farmers out there. It's just a fact of the matter.
So Kurt, good on ya! Glad that you're there in Iowa doing what you're doing. I graduated from Iowa State in 97 and saw the coming sustainable farm movement. Really exciting times.
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Devotay Posted 11:38 pm
12 Oct 2007
Thank you, parent of Demian
I started to say "father of Demian" but then I realized I couldn't tell who, of Blue Fox Farm, wrote the above entry. Your blog looks really cool, and I look forward to looking at it in greater depth.
Today though I am going to smoke a couple of those shoulders I spoke of above, along with a couple happy chickens and a few trout I caught myself. Any excuse to play in the smoke!
Peace,
kmf
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John former Marine Posted 1:20 am
13 Oct 2007
where will they all go?
"Would someone please explain what happens to the livestock, to the millions and millions of cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and chickens when we all go vegetarian?"
Wow...you've got me there. That is actually the question that most vegetarians just can't answer. Do you think that maybe if Americans stopped drinking milk, it would happen overnight? Or that as demand dwindled for a terrible product that the farmers would stop artificially inseminating the cows and there would be fewer of them. Wait...why am I even trying to answer this question...it can't be answered. No vegetarian has ever been able to answer that question for people like you and I doubt we ever will.
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John former Marine Posted 1:22 am
13 Oct 2007
Sustainable?
Not sustainability itself but rather the use of the word. I think we should define "sustainable" before we label this and that. Sustainable petroleum leads to sustainable corn which leads to sustainable pork and sustainable global warming.
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John former Marine Posted 1:35 am
13 Oct 2007
I've been thinking about your question...
And I really don't have an answer for you. Vegetarians can show that it takes less resources in the form of oil, food, land, water, etc. to produce vegetarian meals than meat. They can show that this results in less global warming gasses. They can show this would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, restore habitat for wildlife, improve water quality around the country, restore the Chesapeake Bay...but they just can't answer that amazingly intellectual question you've asked (which, by the way, shows how much thought and research you've invested)...
"Would someone please explain what happens to the livestock, to the millions and millions of cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and chickens when we all go vegetarian?"
Indeed, I still can't answer it. It just baffles me when people ask this question. I guess it just proves that I'm wrong. I guess when America becomes a vegan nation tomorrow morning those millions and millions of hogs in factory farms are going to be left to starve. Vegans must be the cruelest people alive. I'm with you now...
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C4nier Posted 2:07 am
13 Oct 2007
"sustainable" - a meaningless word
The self-branding of "sustainable" chef really grated me, too. Let's be fair, you're not the only one to use it. But no doubt it's the use of this overly applied and now extremely vague term that got people in a huff. I don't have any doubt that you're doing better than the big meat biz, but I don't think you could classify any animal production as sustainable - not with the population we've managed to produce. Of course, I'm one of those who thinks just about every application of the term is green washing at this point.
The article didn't sit well with me, but then I read your comment, "To deprive yourself of the pleasures of life is pointless and sad." Ouch. If you are equating meat eating with pleasure then there are a lot of sad and pointless lives out there. Of course, I'm sure that there are those who would say that veggies taste just fine and they're quite happy knowing that they contribute as little as possible to wasteful land use, water pollution, soil compaction, erosion and fossil fuel consumption. And maybe you missed the report a couple of weeks ago by the FAO stating that meat production is the single largest contributor to climate change. Can you imagine when everyone in India, Bangladesh, and China is no longer denied the "pleasure" of eating meat? Me? I prefer what little bit of nature we have left.
Where will all the livestock go? I think the answer is obvious when you don't replenish "stocks". There are more important questions: How would we manage all that new found habitat? Can you imagine the incredible impact on climate change? How best to reclaim hay/corn fields to restore floodplain forests and natural flood control?....
I'm not saying that everyone should go vegan, but they should consciously reduce their animal consumption. Our meat centered diets are out of control and having widespread negative impacts for us all. Attempts to convince people they can live "sustainably" while consuming large portions of meat are, well, proselytizing.
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John former Marine Posted 3:01 am
13 Oct 2007
sustainable farm subsidies
Oh yeah...and kiss your sustainable pork goodbye when corn reaches $10 a bushel. Unless congress also raises the minimum wage to $20/hr. nobody will be able to afford it. The farm bill subsidizes grain and meat. Without it, conventional meat prices will go up. And so will yours. It's not a sustainable picture unless we can develop sustainalbe petroleum. Or get our farm tractors to run on solar power.
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Devotay Posted 10:34 am
13 Oct 2007
"people like you"
"people like you"
Yeah, didn't want an argument in the first place. And here, we learn that from John's point of view, I'm evil to begin with, despite more than 25 years spent trying to improve the food system.
Instead of trying to convert people to your way of thinking, why not just live your life, be the change you want to see in the world, and I'll do the same.
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amc89 Posted 5:06 am
16 Oct 2007
Soup recipe looks great
I have a huge butternut squash in my fridge I need to use up so thanks for providing that recipe.
The restaurants that promote themselves as "sustainable" but have scant vegetarian and vegan dishes really irk me, so Kurt, that's great you have vegetarian options at your restaurant. I'll be sure to check it out if I'm ever in Iowa City again.
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Devotay Posted 11:59 am
16 Oct 2007
Thanks
I truly appreciate the kind words, amc89, and hope not only that you'll stop by Devotay on your next visit here, but that you'll let me know you're coming, so that I may say hello and shake your hand.
Peace,
kmf
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gabbi517 Posted 4:16 am
20 Oct 2007
Applause? Golf clap?
Wow sometimes i wonder why i became a vegetarian--for bio-ustainability? For the greater good? Or to see the raised eyebrow each and every time i explain to "non-veggies" why i became one myself!
Sometimes its feels like a campaign to help make other people aware...but i know deep down that 98% of the population will continue to pride themselve in eating an entire rack of ribs in one sitting. Its a tough crowd, and most people dont have the faintest idea what sustainibility means!
Honestly, i dont see the point in attacking someone who, at the very least, is aware of the issue and willing to educate others on it.
And vegetarian options in Iowa? Thats exciting. I applaud anyone who at least cares
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Devotay Posted 2:01 pm
20 Oct 2007
Thanks
to you too, Gabbi. I was asked to write about what I do here, I believe I was asked because a lot of people value it.
There are, by the way, several restaurants in Iowa City that are "vegetarian-friendly" (for lack of a better term) as well as two totally vegetarian places, one of which is 100% organic as well. Hope you get a chance to check them all out some day.
Peace,
kmf
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kristine Posted 3:31 am
23 Oct 2007
Thanks from a fellow Iowan
Mr. Friese,
I just wanted to give you many thanks for the work you are doing in the greater Iowa City area. Being born and raised on a conventional farm that grows soybeans and corn in West Central Iowa, I have a deep affinity to the rich, productive, beautiful Iowa soil. It really is some of the best soil I have ever laid my hands on, and it has been worked by my family for over 100 years.
It warms my heart to see you providing good food through the use of agriculture that benefits the community, while providing fresh and healthy foods. And you are right, Iowa has damn great people.
After my undergraduate work, I moved to Seattle, WA. Since being out here, I really miss living in rural Iowa and have recently approached the subject of taking over the family farm. My hope is to revitalize the agricultural community where I grew up in the same way the greater Iowa City agricultural area is being revitalized.
I am very proud to be from Iowa, and am very proud to read your article in Grist Magazine about the wonderful strides you are making for my home state. Thank you.
- Kristine
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greenhydrogen Posted 6:52 am
23 Oct 2007
speaking of hypocrites
I noticed how "John former Marine," the ardent vegan, is vehemently against killing animals, but he obviously is proud enough to have a user name which advertises his lack of compunction about killing human beings.
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mistere Posted 8:15 am
23 Oct 2007
Slow Food Dessert
Just wanted to add a slow food treat to the list. Laloo's Goat Milk Ice Cream was made by Laura Howard. her story is inspirational. You can read it on their website here http://www.goatmilkicecream.com/slowfood.php
I found out about the ice cream through a friend and have been kind of addicted ever since.
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John former Marine Posted 11:59 am
23 Oct 2007
oh my god, you're a laugh...
Hydrogen is not green. It actually gives off a pink/red color when burned. And I'm not a hypocrite. I just wasn't born with a silver spoon up my arse. I've slaughtered more livestock than you ever will in your life, even if you own a gentelman's farm. But I've never killed another human, and I never will unless defending myself or another. The military is the only "sustained" option that is advertised to people in poor communities. I'm sure you didn't notice that, greenhydrogen, because you had other options in life. And yes, I became a vegan...some people can change. Others just accept the trust fund that is given them.
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John former Marine Posted 12:16 pm
23 Oct 2007
Marines are all "green"
Or so we say. I always thought it was kind of a funny coloquialism. White, black, hispanic, poor, rich, we're all equal. You probably can't appreciate that. There's a reason why environmentalists are middle class white people. Martin Luther King said we wouldn't have democracy until we have economic equality. Environmentalism and conservation are going to be the hobbies of comfortable and wealthy people until the poor feel that they have a stake (not steak) in it. Until we address the social issues in this country, environmental problems will continue to mount. I think I've made it clear why I'm a "former" Marine. Why weren't you ever a Marine, silver spoon?
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greenhydrogen Posted 1:04 am
24 Oct 2007
Green Marine's ad-hominem approach
Nobody bought me a "gentelman's [sic] farm" with some trust fund. I've earned everything I own by my hard-earned work, and not off a government-subsidized trade-off between job-training and the risks of killing others for a living.
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greenhydrogen Posted 1:48 am
24 Oct 2007
enough bad karma to work off for one's lifetime
RE: the thinking, "I've slaughtered more livestock than you ever will in your life..." but NOW that I'm vegan, it makes it all OK....
People who live in glass houses...Reminds me of that great line about seeing the mote in someone else's eye instead of the beam in one's own. What was that Voltaire said about cultivating one's own garden?
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greenhydrogen Posted 2:52 am
24 Oct 2007
Sahara not due to livestock production!
RE: "The Sahara has been shrinking for thousands of years under the wise stewardship of people who ate meat..."
The causes of desertification have more to do with rampant deforestation and out of control water usage for raising unsustainable vegetal & GMO crops, than with grazing livestock.
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zahmahkibo Posted 8:47 am
25 Oct 2007
the 15?
Kurt: Any chance you'd be willing to reveal some of the "at least 15" restaurants in Iowa City that buy locally?
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John former Marine Posted 11:33 pm
25 Oct 2007
read "Man & Nature"
In a speech to the Rutland, VT agricultural society in 1847, George Perkins Marsh said that man was capable of changing the climate through widespread deforestation followed by overgrazing. In his book, Man & Nature (or Geography as Modified by Human Action), published in 1864, Marsh said that not only had the Sahara been growing for centuries as it was overgrazed, that the Roman Empire had also fallen in part because they had deforested every mountain in Italy and then overgrazed. The Atlas Mountains in North Africa used to be totally forested. Those forests are almost non-existent today as the result of forests being replaced by pasture for livestock. The Sahara will indeed someday extend from the Mediterranean to the Congo if North African people decide to add more meat/dairy to their diets as their populations continue to grow.
If you don't think the same thing is happening right now in the American west to support a wasteful system of food production (GMO corn => cows => beef/dairy), then you're just in denial. Deny, deny, deny is not a viable solution for the coming global crisis. It's almost upon us and those unwilling to change or adapt our lifestyles will be subject to a Malthusian catastrophe.
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Devotay Posted 2:57 am
26 Oct 2007
Re: The 15
To varying degrees, the following restaurants buy ingredients. Some buy lots, some a little, some everything feasible. It's not a complete list.
Devotay
Motley Cow
Atlas
Red Avocado
126
Givanni's
Oasis
Hamburg Inn #2
Taste
And in the outlying towns
Redhead (Solon)
Cafe Dodici (Washington)
Lincoln Cafe (Mt. Vernon)
Phoenix Cafe (Grinnell)
The Drake (Burlington)
Hope this helps.
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Devotay Posted 11:25 am
26 Oct 2007
small correction
Obviously what I meant to say in the above post is that "To varying degrees, the following restaurants buy ingredients LOCALLY."
It would be silly to post lists of restaurants that buy ingredients, wouldn't it? Even McDonald's assembles its items from constituent parts.
Silly.
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