On Monday I was lucky enough to attend an event down at George Washington University called State of the Plate DC. The event was organized by Animal Welfare Approved and it's main objective was to invite farmers, distributors and chefs to come together to discuss the supply and demand of sustainable meat. The conference only lasted one day, so there was a lot to squeeze into the agenda.
It was a great opportunity for those already in the business of producing, sharing and working with sustainable meat to collaborate and work to improve the growing relationship. It was also a great opportunity for a student, like myself, to start networking and seeing this side of eating from a professional's point of view. Up until this point, my knowledge about sustainable food and farming has been based on what I've opted myself into - like Food Inc., Omnivore's Dilemma, etc.
Before I get into the details of the day, it's important to mention the sponsors and the groups that came together to make the event happen. I say this not because I really want to advertise for the organizations (although I have no reason not to) but because it's encouraging to see these groups being created, collaborating and accomplishing amazing things.
For example, Animal Welfare Approved is a national non-profit organization "audits and certifies family farms raising their animals humanely, outdoors on pasture or range". Their main objective is the animals well-being and whether or not the animals are raised outdoors. I feel that too many people have kind of jumped on this little bandwagon of "sustainable food" and "farm to table" eating without realize this main objective. Am I right in saying that some people just rushed to the supermarket to pick up "organic" meat instead of the regular meat they were buying before. I think it takes more research and lots of conversations before really changing your habits. (I also admit that I am still in the process of making these changes.) I think that the AWA has the right idea and is focusing on the well-being and life of the animals first, rather than the fact if it's organic or "natural". Plus, the farmers can participate for free.
Another contributor was the GW Urban Food Task Force. Maybe some of you were lucky enough to have a group like this at your school and I bet the rest of you will be wishing your school did. This organization at GW and is made up of facility, staff, students and volunteers. They educate their peers on sustainable and healthy eating by holding events throughout the city, setting up educational panels, film screenings and they are even working towards getting roof top gardens. I think it's a great platform for students and volunteers to start working with professionals who are not only just as passionate about the issue, but have the education to fuel their objectives.
And of course, to tie it all together, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington was there. You might be familiar with the organization for their RAMMY awards, where local restaurants are awarded for their accomplishments. Clearly, not all DC restaurants are "farm to table" or focus on eating local, organic and sustainable foods, but it's great to see that the organization itself is getting involved. There were a handful of chefs there who do base their menus on such initiatives and it was amazing to see them together and supporting the farmers that attended as well.
There is a long road ahead for this initiative, but getting these three groups and everyone else together on Monday was one big step into the future. For me, it was another good kick in the butt and a reminder that cheap is never ever better. It's important to focus on what is going into our bodies and one of the first hurdles is with meat - because American's love their meat!
I think I've talked enough about just the first five minutes of the conference! I'm going to leave it here for now and break down the sessions for you this weekend. There was a lot going on, including hearing from Food Inc.'s director, Robert Kenner, DC Central Kitchen and Bon Appetit. Stay tuned!
