Homegrown food takes center stage
Farm Aid’s commitment to promoting good food from family farms is almost as storied as the concert itself. When the food movement took hold in the decade after the fund-raising concert’s inception in 1985, organizers started to rethink how they filled concert-goers bellies during the daylong event. While there were always foods from a few family farmers backstage for the artists and staff, it wasn’t until 2006 that the venues’ Cream Co., Republic Food concessionaires also made Enterprise Center, Zeke’s the transition. Coffee and Lawrenceville’s
“Most of us care more Reed & Co (cold-pressed about food than farmers,” juices). says associate director Bitter Ends Garden will Glenda Yoder, “So we really be selling roasted beet explored how Farm sandwiches and A Taste Aid could reach eaters” for Something Moore will with the same type of great have three types of chocolatefamily-farm food.chip cookies made
The answer was Homegrown with Weatherbury flour on Concessions, which the menu. Two “Fresh made its debut in 2007 in Store” stands will feature New York, and is now the local cheeses. standard for food service at All the food at Farm Aid the annual music and food 2017 will be served on compostable festival. serviceware.
Legends Hospitality, the Pittsburgh-based AgRecycle food and drink provider at will process food scraps Live Nation venues, has and trash into compost to some pretty high standards. sustain soil and future All ingredients have crops. to be sustainably produced There also will be a by family farmers using Homegrown Village where ecological practices, and concertgoers can participate farmers must receive a fair in hands-on food and price for their products. farm activities, art projects
“Themargins are thin, increasing and games; a skills area food costs are a with demonstrations; and challenge and vendors are a FarmYard Stage where not used to working with a farmers will talk about issues. completely transparent supply chain,” says Ms. Yoder, At the Homegrown “but it’s a deal point.” Not to Youthmarket, young people mention one that it has been from Grow Pittsburgh incredibly successful. will be selling local cheeses
Saturday’s menu will and whatever handheld feature humanely raised fruit is in season — apples, meat and dairy; local and pears and peaches. The organic produce; and nonprofit dedicated to bread made with organic teaching people how to flour. Ingredients will be grow food will participate sourced from local farms in two pre-concert events including Weatherbury — a roundtable discussion Farm in Avella, Tiny on Thursday about building Seed Farm in Hampton, food systems that revitalize Kistaco Farm in Apollo, economies, and an Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy urban farm tour on Friday. in Indiana Township and Brunton Dairy in Indep “Pittsburgh has a end en ce, Be ave we alt hr of localized supply County. chains that doesn’t exist in
Local food vendors include other places,” Ms. Yoder Conover Organic says. Farm, Pittsburgh Ice