Credit to Belle Crawford
By Corinne Kocher, Shared Plates
Chris Smith's book, The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration, released June 2019, was only the beginning of his "ongoing okra journey.”
With Asheville-based nonprofit Sow True Seed facilitating the formation of The Utopian Seed Project, Smith explored the plant's vast varietal potential with 76 trial varieties of okra for the book. He has completed an additional 50 trials (and growing) since.
"I feel like this might be okra's time," says Smith, a reluctantly-titled "expert enthusiast.”
He relates that his crop variety trials have not only helped him market and differentiate what he grows, but they have also allowed him to explore the wider food system. His experiments are fueled by a belief in both the rise of smaller producers, as well as the growing impact of climate change on farming.
"I firmly believe we're going to find southern farmers returning to traditional southern crops," he says. "We've got to look to crops that thrive here, and in these conditions. Okra is drought tolerant, disease resistant, and highly nutritious… And on some level, the entire plant is useful.”
By exploring culinary applications and organizing chef-centered okra taste tests, Smith aims to expand the narrow idea most people have of okra.
Lauren Cox, organic procurement coordinator for Georgia Organics' new Farm to Restaurant program, works to expand growers' markets as well. "I think that just the act of thinking about ways people can use and relate to food as the grower leads to creating a connection to your customer," she says. "It asks the farmer to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and I believe that ultimately, the power lies in the customer feeling that.”
"I would suggest that if a farmer is going to try a new variety or product, they should focus on the flavor of what they’re growing. Does it taste good? Does it tell a story?" asks Cox.
"Being open minded about what is a marketable crop, or what part of a crop is marketable, allows farmers to get creative," says Smith. "And we're at a point where customers are receptive to that.”
In his "Whole Okra" session, aimed toward both growers and chefs, Smith will expand on the value of pushing the boundaries of the stories we tell about certain plants. "Both farmers and chefs are so important to changing the food system," he adds.
Smith will be speaking on a second session, "Seed Saving and Seed Preservation,” which will teach the basics of seed saving for backyard gardeners to farmers.
"There's a perceived complication to it - but is very important that you save your seed, and it's very achievable," says Smith. "The aim is to have people walk away thinking "oh yeah - I can definitely save seeds.”
Smith's love and obsession with okra isn't ending with the publication of his book. Championing okra because "it needs a helping hand in this cruel world full of people who think it’s too slimy", Smith continues to experiment with different varieties and preparations of the plant.
"I've seen more and more people using okra creatively, and enjoying it," said Smith, laughing.
"My next t-shirt is going to say 'embrace the slime'.”
Need to Know:
Chris Smith will be presenting on two sessions at the Georgia Organics Conference.
Traditions Track, Session III (Saturday, 2/8): Seed Saving and Seed Preservation
Traditions Track, Session IV (Saturday, 2/8): The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration
Corinne Kocher and Bailey Garrot are the writer-photographer team behind Shared Plates, a blog exploring food in the world and how it gets to the table. Read all of their work at www.shared-plates.com and follow them on Instagram @sharedplatesatl.