Great ingredients: use 'em or lose 'em

[Fat Guy]

I was copied on the following letter from George Faison of DeBragga & Spitler to his restaurant clients. I felt it was compelling enough to reprint, so I asked and he said go ahead. So, here it is for your consideration and discussion:

Dear Chef and friend,     

I am writing to you because I believe we are dangerously close to losing the most precious resource we have: the artisanal farmers, ranchers, and cooperatives who are growing plants and animals the right way.  My greatest fear is that we will lose our ability to buy clean, sustainable, more delicious, higher quality products if we do not support them.  I am asking you now to help me prevent this from happening.   

I think it is safe to say that the majority of us are struggling to get by in the current economy. Many of us have switched to less expensive ingredients and cuts, and have cut back salaries, staff and benefits to make sure we stay solvent while riding out this period. As I have heard from many of you, we are all pretty much in the same position. Tough economy, tough times.

But there is one notable exception to this equal distribution of “pain,” if you will, and I want to bring this to your attention.     

Over the last 20 years, we have been part of a remarkable evolution in the quality of food ingredients that we serve to our customers. While my own view is oriented towards meat and poultry, I have watched as all kinds of farmers and ranchers responded to our demand for cleaner, purer, healthier and responsibly raised animals.    We asked for it; we got it.   

This evolution has been based on naturally raising animals without hormonal growth stimulants, antibiotics or animal by product food supplements. It has involved embracing heritage breeds in the search for more authentic, pronounced flavor. It has included incredible changes in husbandry practices ensuring the animals lead a dignified life. Environmental stewardship improved as we realized that our relationship to the animal cannot be separated from our care for the land we raise them on. And perhaps most importantly, the compensation received by the people growing these animals has improved to the point where families no longer live in fear of losing their farms.

And these growers trusted us even though adopting these procedures meant that the animals took longer and cost a lot more to grow out than the commodity, mass produced factory animals we wished to avoid.  And yes, these ingredients cost us more, too; a lot more.

The end result, though, was a vastly improved ingredient; one with a taste and texture previously all but unknown, and one that our clientele clamored for and upon which we built our collective reputations. Without these quality ingredients, our entire industry would not have blossomed to the level it has. 

I believe that we as a group are in danger of losing this “soul” of our industry. Imagine a world two years from now where the only ingredients you can buy are factory raised chickens, hogs, cattle, dairy, etc.; grown because they can be raised cheaply, inexpensively. This was the reality 20 years ago!   

This reality is closer than you think.     

Many among us, in order to survive, cut back or even eliminated these special ingredients, in order to lower our food cost.  The impact on these most unique of our producers has been disproportionate to the difficulties we are experiencing. They are taking far more than their fair share of the brunt. While our businesses may be off 25%, many of these farmers are suffering over 50% losses in sales. This level of decline is impossible for them to endure for much longer.     

Please do not misunderstand me. I know firsthand how tough it is right now to make ends meet.  I am not criticizing anyone for the decisions we have all made to ensure the viability of our businesses.     

But there is something much bigger at play here. I fear that these farmers and ranchers will not be around when we finally realize we want their products again. None of these growers can switch to doing something else cheaper. They have invested in animals, feed, facilities, etc., all with the intent of growing animals, a certain way, the way we asked them to. Changing now the way they produce is a financial impossibility. They are going out of business.     

So what can we do?

We have to re- incorporate these producers back into our menus. Run a special. Feature a smaller portion. Book it for a party. Educate our staffs, our cooks and waiters, so that they can educate our customers.     

I believe that if we remind ourselves of what is truly worth “cooking” for, if we recommit ourselves to a culinary world we want to have 2 , 5, 10 years from now, that we will find a way to do this. And if we take the time to explain this to our customers, they, too will support us. Because we all know deep down that extraordinary ingredients are not a frivolity, but they are what makes life special.     

It’s time to rededicate ourselves to these farmers and ranchers, if only just a little. Collectively, if we each pitch in, we can keep these producers alive. They are counting on us.

Sincerely,

George Faison

Chief Operating Officer, DeBragga & Spitler, and DeBragga.com

[weinoo]

God, is this guy starting to sound like Alice Waters, or what?

[Fat Guy]

There is no universe in which, to me, he sounds even remotely like Alice Waters.

[weinoo]

Methinks you judge too quickly - this line, for instance:

It’s time to rededicate ourselves to these farmers and ranchers, if only just a little. Collectively, if we each pitch in, we can keep these producers alive. They are counting on us.

smacks of AW.

[Fat Guy]

Not even close. When George starts lecturing poor people about their lifestyle choices, or nags us all to plant gardens, or makes any sort of unreasonable or unrealistic demand whatsoever, it will be another story. But for now he's telling an audience of chefs catering to well-to-do customers that they should support the artisanal ingredients they begged for in the first place.

[weinoo]

George, bless him, is just saying what AW was saying like 25 years ago.

[Fat Guy]

If I run into George 25 years from now and he tries to get me to plant a garden, I'm going to slap him (and tell you you were right).

[docsconz]

Alice Waters or no Alice Waters, his message is clear and right. Thanks for posting this.

[annecros]

Faison and Waters are two entirely different animals (pardon my animal husbandry ).

Waters will tell you it is "easy" and "free" and that sort of thing when you pick a tomato in your back yard, when clearly it is not.

Faison is a realist.

I hate eating chicken since I have my own chickens. Not for the reasons that most would think. It simply does not bother me a bit that I am consuming the flesh of my pets' cousins. I ate a plate piled high with fried chicken livers yesterday - wonderful. It is just that I know that the poor thing never ate a bug, never scratched the earth, never fluffed it's feathers while rolling around in the dirt.

We overseason because we don't get the flavors from the main object we are consuming. Mostly because that object had a miserable life.

Use it or lose it. That makes sense.

And, you won't get it unless you ask for it. And, if it is worth having it is worth working for.

Oh well, as long as everyone understands that it may all end tomorrow, or in 2012, or whatever...

[SobaAddict70]

There is no universe in which, to me, he sounds even remotely like Alice Waters.

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It's the method of delivery that makes you say this.

I had the same thought as weinoo -- it's a gentler, kinder version of AW.