A Conversation with 2022 Farmer Champion Award Winners

By Kayla Williams

Farmer Champion Senior Coordinator

A Farmer Champion is a restaurant or chef that strives to strengthen and grow Georgia’s ‘good’ food movement. With verified weekly sourcing, Farmer Champions demonstrate a commitment to Georgia producers and serve as an example to other chefs and restaurants that sourcing locally is possible  

The Farmer Champion campaign was launched in 2019 by Georgia Organics to raise awareness about local sourcing, both by highlighting chefs and restaurants who walk the walk and by giving people new to the movement tools and opportunities to begin sourcing from Georgia producers.   

The 2022 Farmer Champion Awards celebrate these outstanding Farmer Champions in the following categories:   

Top 3 Organic Spend 

Top 3 Local Spend 

Farmer Champion Community Award (in partnership with Slow Food Atlanta)

We got to chat with the awardees about how they started their journey sourcing locally, their dream locally sourced dishes and more. 

How did you get into sourcing locally?  

Terry Koval: I got into sourcing locally at Canoe Restaurant in 2001.  Georgia Grown, a co-op of farmers at the time, and Laurie Moore from Moore Farms and Friends were bringing produce through the back doors. It was very eye-opening for me as a young chef to see this beautiful product come into a restaurant from folks who grew it! But it really expanded and became more of a passion when I joined the Farm Burger team in 2010! Olivia Sargent and George Frangos introduced me to a network of local emerging farmers and from there I have met some incredible people that have a passion for good food! 

Emma and Sean Shacke: It’s just been instilled in us throughout our careers! We’ve had a combined 30+ years of experience working under other chefs and bakers who also care deeply about local sourcing and cooking seasonally and regionally. Hopefully, we can continue to pass along the expertise and passion to the next generation of butchers/bakers/cooks who work with us at Evergreen. 

Parnass Savang: I learned from working at places that promoted locally sourced food like Empire State South, Kimball House, and Staplehouse. It wasn’t a fad, it was just something we did.  

Miller Union by Ginger & Carrot Productions

Steven Satterfield: I started sourcing locally over 20 years ago when I worked for Chef Scott Peacock in the early 2000s. Since we opened Miller Union in 2009, we continue to push ourselves to source more and more from local farmers and producers. 

Jarrett Stieber: I got into local sourcing when I worked at Abattoir and then Empire State South between 2010-2013 and saw the quality of the product, the variety of what grows here, and it made me want to continue doing it and commit even further to sourcing only local fresh products. 

George Frangos: Sourcing locally goes back over 30 years to two very influential restaurants and chefs I worked with.  First, I worked with Nora Pouillon at Restaurant Nora in Washington DC from 1992- 1995. Nora was an organic and biodynamic restaurant before the term "Farm to Table" was born. But it was then, over 25 years ago, when we were listing local farmers, and producers on our menu, that I was able to learn about the small organic farmers and foragers that came through our kitchen door every day. From 1998-2001 I worked with Chef Peter Hoffman at Savoy restaurant in NYC.  Savoy's menu was created from Peter's weekly shopping at the Union Square Farmer’s Market and his connection to local farmers in the Hudson Valley that would deliver to NYC.  We also hosted author dinners for some amazing food writers like Michael Pollan, Betty Fussell, Mark Bittman, and Mark Kurlansky before they were hip and popular. Both these experiences laid the foundation for a commitment to local sourcing. 

The Deer and The Dove by Ginger & Carrot Productions

What advice would you give a chef, butcher, or baker who wants to source locally or organically but doesn’t know where to start?  

Terry Koval: The advice that I would give is to go to the farms that you are interested in, plan a work day on the farm, see how they farm, and start that relationship! 

Emma and Sean Shacke: We’d just recommend reaching out to other industry folks who seem to care about the same things you do. When we were opening, that was our best resource, everyone in the community was very forthcoming and willing to help out to further the cause! 

Parnass Savang: I'd contact a chef you know who has been working with farmers and ask if they could connect you with some farms that you are interested in. 

Farm Burger by Ginger & Carrot Productions

Steven Satterfield: Visit your local farmer's markets, sign up for farmer availability lists, and pay attention to the seasons. You can start small by purchasing a little bit of something local to see how far it goes on your menu and then ramp up the quantities when you see the patterns of sales and pars. 

Jarrett Stieber: Go to farmer's markets and meet the farmers! Start there!  

George Frangos: The best way to start is to go to a local farmers’ market.   In the last decade, they have grown from almost non-existent to thriving marketplaces.   Start to talk to the farmers that are there.  Understand the best way to find their availability and delivery.  Talk with other restaurants and chefs that source locally.  We are all here to share information and support our farmers.  

What is your favorite thing to source from within Georgia and why?   

Terry Koval: I really love the mustard frills, they are spicy and can be eaten raw or gently cooked  

Emma and Sean Shacke: Probably tomatoes and peppers. We’ve lived in multiple regions throughout the country, and nobody can grow and have them taste the way they do in GA!  

Parnass Savang: Produce that you can't find in stores like pink celery from Woodland Gardens and green garlic from Snapfinger Farm 

Steven Satterfield: I love that we have a 12-month growing season - at this point, I just get excited about whatever is in season, and the most exciting thing is when something new comes in for the first time in a long while.  It always gets us inspired for a seasonal menu change. 

Jarrett Stieber: Peaches because Pearson Farm peaches are the best in the world, for one thing. But I also absolutely love Georgia root veggies (hakurei turnips, the sweetest carrots ever, rutabaga, parsnip, etc.). Feijoa is super fun, too, when it's in season for a short while in the summer, it provides a shockingly tropical vibe for a fruit grown in Georgia. *Feijoa is also known as pineapple guava and is native to South America, but grows in Georgia as well.  

George Frangos:   That is a hard one.  I have a soft spot for locally raised foraging pork and all the heritage breeds here in Georgia. The flavor is so fantastic. And then anything at the peak of the season.  Georgia strawberries are so amazing - I can crush two-three pints, no problem! I eat little sweet cherry tomatoes like candy. 

Farm-fresh ingredients arriving to Talat Market and the scene at their dinner service. Photos by Ginger & Carrot Productions.

Describe your dream locally sourced dish.

Terry Koval: We love White Oak Pastures duck! Pair it with some amazing local veggies! 

Emma and Sean Shacke: Anything that uses multiple goods from multiple farms. Example—fruit pies! Flour from Nathan at Dayspring Farms, fruit from Pearson Farm. Or smoked ham hock terrine—hogs from Jon at Comfort Farms wrapped in collards and speckled with pickled peppers from Paul at Hearts of Harvest.  

Parnass Savang: Bramlett Farm's Trout with green curry made with local turmeric, cilantro root, galangal, lemongrass, local Thai eggplant with locally harvested bamboo, Thai basil, and Bird's Eye Chili.

Steven Satterfield: Anything that reflects what is currently being harvested with little manipulation so you can taste the freshness of the ingredients. 

Jarrett Stieber: Peaches and tomatoes covered in a ton of sliced fresh chilies, herbs, and cultured buttermilk while they're all in season, with lots of flake salt on top! 

George Frangos: A big Ossabaw pork chop with strawberry mostarda and creamed collards.  

Jarrett Stieber and seasonal dishes (right) from Little Bear. Photos by Ginger & Carrot Productions

What are you looking for in working with farmers? Any qualities that make you especially interested in working with a farm?  

Terry Koval: Good communication and consistency. Knowing that they are farming for a cause and love what they do. Having the opportunity to choose the size of a vegetable is also a plus! 

Emma and Sean Shacke: When we can contact the farmer directly, and potentially have it delivered straight from them without having to coordinate with a middle man. It brings the personal touch back into doing business. And we can communicate with them about our needs, what we’re looking for, what they need us to purchase to help them out, etc. It’s also nice to be able to share with them what we’ve created with their produce when they come back for the next delivery!  

Evergreen Butcher and Baker by Ginger & Carrot Productions

Parnass Savang: I’m looking for consistency, clean vegetables, passion for what they are growing and anyone growing Thai vegetables! 

Steven Satterfield: Communication about availability and pricing, clear understanding of delivery days/times, well-groomed produce that is restaurant ready (not covered in dirt and good quality upon arrival). 

Jarrett Stieber: I'm looking for farmers who take growing and harvesting vegetables as seriously as we take preparing and serving them. I want to see super clean produce without lots of dirt still on it and stains from the dirt not being cleaned off soon enough. I want to see petit roots harvested while still sweet and tender, perky greens, herbs that aren't sad and wilt before they arrive... the details that show that the farmer knows what we're looking for and that they are willing to produce things that are worth the price that local ingredients cost. Simply being a farmer and growing veggies isn't good enough if you don't put effort into doing it right! Communication is also really important and I'm always more apt to work with the farmers who are organized, responsive and consistent.  

George Frangos: We look for passionate farmers that are committed to the land and soil they farm.  Farmers we can support and that we can continue to learn from. Communication is a very important quality.  We understand that harvest dates can change, and availability can change from sometimes less product to sometimes an abundance of product.  The more we know, the better relationship we can have. 

Check out our Annual Awards video spotlighting these winning Farmer Champions and some of the farmers they support!

Video by Ginger & Carrot Productions.