"Embrace the Slime": Chris Smith's Okra Trials

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.

Amplifying the Sheats' Farm Restoration Project

Story by Corinne Kocher

Photos by Bailey Garrot

Shared Plates

Mike and Shyretha Sheats, the couple behind the multi-faceted The Plate Sale, spend their time juggling pop-ups, taking care of their 3-year-old daughter Luna, and working in Athens restaurants.

In recent months, they've added sanding floors to their list, working to update Shyretha's grandmother's home and farm.

The 12-acre Farm Restoration Project, located in Oglethorpe county (east of Athens), includes an old chicken yard, smokehouse, and heaps of wild plums, bamboo, and shiso. Shyretha's grandmother had lived on the property until she passed away in 2012.

Shyretha, who grew up on the property just next door, saw it as an opportunity to build on the hard work her grandmother had done. "The least we could do is come back and keep it up," adds Mike. 

"When you have that opportunity to restore something that's been in your family, everyone in this community is in good support of that," says Paul Sorah, farmer at Hearts of Harvest and member of the Athens Land Trust, who has advised the Sheats around the navigation of beginning farmer challenges.

As of October 2019, the Sheats have acquired their first cover crop, rye, in a pasture they plan to plant in the late spring. They're thinking about starting with crops like peas, beans, and leafy greens, in addition to cut flowers and herbs, to continue conditioning the soil. With combined experience in the culinary and agriculture world, as well as support from mentors in Atlanta and Athens, the Sheats aim to one day provide employment and housing on the farm.

The couple is embracing land ownership, and planning on running a business collective off of the farm. Showing us an aerial photo of the farm taken in the 1990s, Shyretha calls it "the blueprint.”

"Right now, the property is mostly overgrown," Shyretha said. "We have a vision for the project as a whole, but it's a process.”

Their goals are wide-ranging: "We want to grow things that are bountiful, that we can extend to the neighborhood," in a CSA or pay-what-you-can model, says Shyretha. Longer-term projects also include growing ginger for a ginger concentrate beverage, adding high tunnels, and, of course, a future brick-and-mortar restaurant.

With all their projects, the Sheats have the support of the local food community. "Down here, we're pretty tapped into the importance of local food systems," Sorah said. "Small farms are the backbone of the future of sustaining accessible food for communities. We all support each other, because we understand that we're much stronger as a collective together.”

The Sheats are well aware of their role in today's conversation. Nationally, the USDA reports that black farmers made up 1.4 percent of the country’s 3.2 million farmers in 2012. The same study reports that in Georgia, black farmers make up 4 percent of the state's total farmers.

"Here, our family could keep the land and build off of what has been done for 40-60 years," says Mike. Gesturing to Luna, playing nearby, he adds, "and we can pass it on to someone else - creating generational wealth.”

Mike is also interested in the using the land to showcase the food from this particular region. "Most of the spotlight on southern food is about low country cuisine or Appalachian food," he says, but "the Georgia woods are a totally different environment.”

The Sheats are aiming to secure a location for their restaurant by the end of 2020, as well as leasing out agricultural space on the farm. Currently, they're staying busy with opportunities networking for resources, sponsorships, and funding.

As members of the host committee for the Georgia Organics 2020 Conference & Expo in Athens, Mike and Shyretha are looking forward to the networking at the conference, connecting with progressive farmers to talk about the future of farming. 

"We're discussing how we can contribute, how to we fit in the scope of farming," Mike said. “It's about preservation, but it's about amplifying as well. It's making a statement, and using this as a voice to then tell the stories that we want to keep going.”

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.

Organic farming's biggest challenge tackled in UGA's "Biology of Weeds" conference session

Story by Corinne Kocher

Photos by Bailey Garrot

Shared Plates

"The climate here in Georgia makes weeds and weed management one of our toughest production challenges," says Michael Wall, Director of Farmer Services at Georgia Organics.

Dr. Nick Basinger, Assistant Professor of Weed Science in UGA's Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, knows this challenge well - and he's ready to speak about it during his session, "Know Your Enemy: The Biology of Weeds" at the Georgia Organics Conference. 

With a background in the organic and biodynamic world, as well as years of research at North Carolina State and University of Georgia, Basinger has seen firsthand how much time these farms spent battling weeds.

"Growers have a lot on their plate in terms of production challenges, but for many organic growers, weeds are their biggest problem," says Basinger. "It's important to understand when to implement weed control practices, and the potential losses they could have if they don't.”

Basinger says that the timing of the Georgia Organics Conference is perfect for this discussion.

"Come February, farmers are going into a critical time of the year," he says. "If farmers can have weed control as part of their plan of action, they can essentially start with a cleaner field before some of the more challenging times later in their season.”

Basinger's approach prioritizes understanding the ecological factors behind why certain weeds are located where they are in the field. "Don't stick a bandaid on it and say we're going to cultivate these out - instead, get to the root of the problem," he explains.

Using timed tillage or planting, based on when weeds sprout, can have "a huge impact in the amount of weed control farmers have to implement," says Basinger. It's all about protecting crops when they are most vulnerable.

"A big focus of my program is talking about integrated weed management," says Basinger. "It's analyzing all the different 'little hammer' management practices to get to an integrated approach". This includes integrating controllable factors (row spacing, planting day, seeding rate) and uncontrollable factors (rainfall, temperature) to manage weeds most effectively.

Michael Wall agrees that this sort of advance planning. "Understanding more about the biology of weeds, when and how they will seed out and spread, can allow our growers to be much more proactive, and can let them deal with their weed problems before they get out of hand.”

"It's important to have an understanding of what weeds are going to be problematic when, and which weeds are the most competitive," says Basinger. To help farmers work on their weed identification, the first step toward understanding plant biology, Basinger will also bring resources from books to weed ID apps.

For the farmers who struggled with weeds last year, Basinger advises them to stay two steps ahead this year. "Weeds are pre-programmed to come up at a certain time, persist, and go to seed at a certain time," he adds. "But if you can understand their biology, you can understand what their Achilles Heel is.”

Need to Know: UGA Professor Nick Basinger will be presenting "Know Your Enemy: The Biology of Weeds" as the first session of Saturday's (2/8) Advanced Growers Track.

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.

Long-Term Hoop House Research at Woodland Gardens

Story by Corinne Kocher

Photos by Bailey Garrot

Shared Plates

Celia Barss, owner of Woodland Gardens, a 12+ acre organic farm just outside of Athens in Winterville, Georgia, know the benefits and weaknesses of hoop houses firsthand.

With about an acre and a half of hoop houses, the oldest one at the 15-year mark, Barss recounts how her hoop houses started to suffer a decline in production, due to pest and disease pressure, around year ten.

One of the prime issues in Barss' hoop houses, which is common with most growers, is root knot nematodes, parasites that build up to large numbers in the beds and destroy root systems. "Everyone will end up having problems with it, because they're present in our soil - it's a matter of time," says Barss.

"Our hoop houses have been here for a long time, so we're seeing more of the problems," she adds.

Dr. Elizabeth Little, extension plant pathologist and associate professor with University of Georgia, has been working with Barss and Woodland Gardens for over seven years, and she backs up the grower's assessment.

"It's not just with Celia's - hoop houses are valuable territory," Little says. "They tend to be used extensively, and growers don't always do the same cover crops and long-term rotations that they do in the fields.”

"Most of the small, local, organic producers have at least one hoop house," adds Little. "But, they don't really come with instructions," she jokes. 

Little is evaluating different best management practices to keep issues like nematodes at bay, including cover crop rotations, non-host rotations, soil solarization in the summer, and different soil inputs. 

"There are challenges with the research. You can prove something and have results - but is it something that will work with the grower?", says Barss.

According to Barss, because many growers get their first hoop houses through NRCS grants, this is an important issue for everyone. For growers with only a few houses who will want to push production, "you invest a lot in these hoop houses, so you need to get production out of them and stabilize farm income," she adds.

Barss' moveable hoop houses don't experience the same level of nematodes issues, because the soil isn't being as used as intensely. As for her old hoop houses, "I'm not using them as intensively as I used to, and in my newer houses, I'm not pushing it as much," says Barss. "We're still having success, enough of a return… but we have to negotiate and manage the problem.”

Barss and Little will be sharing best preventative management practices that have come out of research and trials at their "Advanced Hoop House Soil Management" session at the Georgia Organics conference.

"Growers often aren't aware of soil-borne problems that build for quite a while," says Little. "It can help raise their awareness of potential issues, so they can take preventative measures as needed.”

On farm research is always a challenge, says Little, but "there's a need for more research on what works in organics in Georgia". But in partnering with Barss, Little can work to replicate results, providing critical research that is based on years-long, long-term trials. This research, says Barss, is about meeting the growers' needs, whether they are "new farmers or farmers eight years in."

Need to Know

Advanced Growers Track, Session II: Advanced Hoop House Soil Management 

(Celia Barss, Woodland Gardens; Dr. Elizabeth Little, UGA Associate Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist)

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.

Regenerative ag research growing in Georgia: Rodale's Regional Resource Center

Dr. Andrew Smith, Rodale Institute

Story by Corinne Kocher

Photos by Bailey Garrot

Shared Plates

The South saw the most growth in organic farming from 2011-2016, and the Rodale Institute is looking to contribute to that expansion - through providing scientific research, economic models, and educational outreach at a Regional Resource Center (RRC), about an hour outside Atlanta in Chattahoochee Hills.

"There's some data to show that areas that have research and education tend to have a higher concentration of organic farmers," says Andrew Smith, PhD and Chief Scientist at Rodale. "We're hoping to use this center to spark a movement and start to expand the amount of organic farmers in the region.”

The RRC is located on the site of Rebecca and Ross Williams' Many Fold Farm, land formerly used for cheesemaking that also includes pasture-based livestock and forest. While the research site is starting on a small footprint of the 300+ acre farm, over time, Smith is hoping to expand. 

Georgia Organics Board Member Rebecca Williams is on the RRC board, helping facilitate some development work, and is excited to see what the RRC can do in the region.

"This RRC is so important because it will offer southern farmers the opportunity to see organic and regenerative agriculture from the farmer's perspective," says Williams. "It will provide answers for farmers to the real questions they have... questions southern farmers want answers to before they make a change."

Aiming to focus on vegetable production from the beginning, Rodale also hopes to take advantage of the farm's already-existing setup for grazing sheep to study the impact of integrated crop and grazing systems on soil health ."Rodale prioritizes long-term systems trials," says Smith. "Anything we do at Rodale, it has a focus on long-term soil health and regenerative agriculture.”

Things are underway at the center, starting with breaking ground on fields identified for research. Rodale is also prioritizing hiring someone from the southeast to design research that fits the warmer temperatures and higher rainfall of the region.

"Research done by the RRC in southern soils, in a southern climate, from within the specifics of the cultural and economic realities of the region will provide real support that will allow regenerative organics to take root here," says Williams. "I am excited to see new methods and techniques that can be used here in this region.”

With all of Rodale's activities in Georgia, Smith will be presenting at the Georgia Organics conference. Smith will be speaking about Regenerative Organic Certification labeling, for which he has helped with the soil testing standard. Smith is also particularly excited about his session "about the science behind the principles of what we call Regenerative Organic Agriculture", one of his areas of expertise. 

"The session could resonate with existing farmers, and also new farmers who are maybe thinking about organic for the first time and are planning the changes they might want to put on their farm," says Smith. "The farmers that I've met that are the most successful are lifelong learners," says Smith. "And it doesn't just have to be from a book - there's scientists, there's other farmers, there's people in the industry."  

"The more I get know farmers, the more I'm blown away by the amount of knowledge that they have, and the amount of learning that they continue to do." And with Rodale's new regional resource center, farmers in Georgia will have even more opportunity to learn and teach within their community.

Need to Know: Dr. Andrew Smith will be presenting at two sessions during the Georgia Organics Conference.

Afternoon Workshop (Friday 2/7): Really Really Organic: the Next Generation of Labels (along with Johana Mirenda, Organic Trade Association and Linley Dixon, Real Organic Project)

Forward Farming Track, Session IV (Saturday 2/8): Principles of Regenerative Agriculture

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.

Black Farmer Prosperity Track focuses on ideas of abundance

Story by Corinne Kocher

Shared Plates

Matthew Raiford encapsulates his wide-ranging background by calling himself a "chefarmer", a mashup of the two different hats he wears.

Raiford is a farmer at Gilliard Farms, a multi-generational family farm he runs with his sister Althea. Having participated in the Georgia Organics conference since 2010, Raiford has used his background as a chef to serve as the chef coordinator for Jekyll Island's Farmers Dinner, work with the farm-to-school team, and serve as a member of the Georgia Organics board.

Chefarmer Matthew Raiford of Brunswick is a farmer at Gilliard Farms and a member of the Georgia Organics Board of Directors.

This year, Chefarmer Raiford helped shape the 2020 Georgia Organics conference "Black Farmer Prosperity" track through conversations with Georgia Organics staff with funding for Chefarmer Raiford helped shape the 2020 Georgia Organics conference Black Farmer Prosperity Track with a committed group of farmers and Georgia Organics staff along with funding for the track being provided by Southern SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education), which was championed by Brennan Washington, Southeastern Outreach Coordinator and 1890 Land Grant Liaison for Southern SARE.

"We were asking, 'how do we create a track that is about honoring - the ancestors, the people currently farming, and the folks who aren't even here yet?'" says Raiford.

Raiford will be speaking as part of the Black Farmer Prosperity track, in a session titled "Collards Aren't the New Kale". Raiford and his partner, Jovan Sage, will discuss African foodways in Southern Cuisine, and how to "authentically market your traditional crops, and stand your ground in the face of market and cultural pressures to change who you are and where you are from.”

Rodney Brooks, USDA Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator, will also be speaking as part of the Black Farmer Prosperity track. With an extensive background as a Farm Loan Officer, he is based in SW Georgia but has been addressing beginner farmer and rancher issues around the entire state since 2016.

At the conference, Brooks will primarily focus on the FSA's Direct Loan program, which lends funds directly to farmers and ranchers, as well as the FSA's Guaranteed Loan program.

"At FSA, we consider ourselves to be the 'Lender of First Opportunity'," says Brooks. "If a farmer or rancher’s financial position isn’t good enough to secure credit from conventional sources, we’re here to give them a start.”

Having been a lender for over a decade, Brooks will be a helpful resource at the 2020 Georgia Organics Conference. "I can answer questions with clarity using my knowledge of our handbooks and regulations as well as my firsthand experience," he adds.

When speaking about the Black Farmer Prosperity track, Raiford emphasizes the key word: prosperity. "I don't think that, on a bigger scale, we've ever had a conversation about the idea of prosperity at the conference," he says. "It's time.”

Conference-goers are going to walk away from this track with a new thought process on what prosperity really means, says Raiford. "It's about abundance - that we should be making money, not just working within the margins," he adds. 

Brooks sees funding as fundamentally tied to the idea of "prosperity", because it allows a farmer or rancher to enter the business world and turn a profit. "Profitability leads to increased equity and wealth building, and, in turn, prosperity," he says. 

"Prosperity is important build a family legacy or even maintain a family legacy. Family farmers make up the majority of farmers in this country," adds Brooks, "and we want to make sure they’re still around for generations to come".  

Raiford, too, looks at prosperity in the long term, rather than how much money is in your wallet. "Prosperity is building up the fertility in healthy soil, creating nutrient dense food, and feeding our families with a kitchen garden - and then have such an abundance that we can sell," he says. "At that point, you're really prosperous".

To Raiford, the conversation can lead to a different mindset on what prosperity actually looks like, with an emphasis on network and community.

"It's what Georgia Organics has become - a collective of farmers, of all kinds of backgrounds, coming together and trying to figure out how to make this thing work". To Raiford, "this is how I see prosperity happen". 

Need to Know:

The full Black Farmer Prosperity Track is as follows:

Session I: Funding your Farm: Understanding FSA Loans, Community Banking, and Non-Traditional Options 

(with Rodney Brooks, USDA Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator; Donna Nuccio, The Reinvestment Fund)

Session II: Collards Aren’t the New Kale  

(Matthew Raiford, chefarmer, Gilliard Farms; Jovan Sage, culinary historian)

Session III: Black Farmer Prosperity in Action

(Ricky Dollison, Warrior Creek Farm; Ron Simmons, Master Blend Family Farms)

Session IV: Cooperative Principles and Black Farmer Strength

(Eric Simpson, New Eden Farms, and West Georgia Farmers Cooperative)

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.

Happy New Year! Have you had your Hoppin' John yet?

Photo courtesy of Garden & Gun

Many families will sit down to a New Year's meal on the first day of 2020 with the hopes of prosperity and renewal for the coming year. Thanks to Georgia Organics’ Farm to Restaurant program and their group of amazing farmers, Georgians and those in surrounding areas will have the opportunity to use fresh, local produce to create the quintessential combination of greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread for the popular New Year’s dish known as Hoppin’ John.

While New Year’s Day dishes might vary depending on the region of the country, one thing that everyone can agree on is that the meal is meant to nourish the soul while feeling hopeful about the future. Hearty winter greens such as collards and a side of cornbread, possibly representing gold, are often paired with the soul-soothing rice and peas combination known as Hoppin’ John.

Hoppin’ John can be first traced back to the low country areas of South Carolina, where rice grew well in the marshy river deltas. Soon, the popularity of the dish spread throughout the entire area of the South. Even further back, hoppin’ John has evolved through the many bean-and-rice meals consumed by enslaved West Africans headed to the Americas. Many versions of this savory dish have been produced, from Cuba to the Caribbean and of course, the American South.

Steven Satterfield, chef and co-owner of Miller Union in Atlanta and a Farmer Champion chef, talks about the history of one of the most popular food items on New Year’s Day in his book “Root to Leaf: A Southern Cook Through the Seasons.”  

“Throughout the South, Hoppin’ John and collard greens are served together on New Year’s Day to ensure good luck and fortune for the coming year,” Steven writes. “The peas represent coins and the greens, dollar bills. Hoppin’ John is a mixture of peas and rice believed to have originated during the mid-1800s in the coastal plains of the Southeast. The black-eyed pea is more commonly seen now, but the red pea was the true original in this historic mixture.”

If you don’t have a copy of “Root to Leaf,” or your own recipe, here’s an excellent Hoppin’ John recipe from Garden & Gun’s “The Southerner’s Cookbook” for you to try.

Many farms participating in the Georgia Organics Farm to Restaurant Campaign offer produce perfect for the New Year’s Day meal: 

West Georgia Farmers Cooperative (West Point- The Common Market GA)

• Collards

• Hot peppers

Truly Living Well (Atlanta- Freedom Farmers Market)

• Collards

• Hot peppers

Narrow Way Farm (McDonough)

• Collards

New Eden Ecosystem (West Point - The Common Market GA)

• Collards

• Hot peppers

Also look for seasonal bounty at these farms: 

Brown’s Place (Augusta)

Adderson’s Fresh Produce (Augusta)

Dig in to holiday recipes from our Farmer Champions

Phote Credit: Atlanta Magazine

Good company and comforting meals overflow during the holidays.

Whether friends and family gather around the table at their own home or at the counter of one of the many outstanding restaurants in our home state, gratitude will be in abundance.

We asked some of our Farmer Champions from Georgia Organics, chefs who go above and beyond in their local and sustainable purchasing, to share a recipe and a note of what they are thankful for during this season. 

Steven Satterfield, executive chef and co-owner of Miller Union in Atlanta, shared two of his favorites: Greens, Field Pea, and Cornbread Casserole and Slow Simmered Field Peas.

“Miller Union just celebrated 10 years this year, and as I reflect on what I'm thankful for, I keep coming back to the good food community,” Steven said. “We have so many people in our local food system that are doing such important work, and it just keeps growing. It's an honor to be a part of it, and I look forward to many more years to come as I participate and witness us grow into a more resilient city in every passing season. If we hold ourselves to a higher standard, we can accomplish just about anything.”

Satterfield suggests using these places to source the ingredients: 

• Mustard greens or collards: Truly Living Well, Pinewood Springs Farm, Hickory Hill, Freedom Farmers Market, Marietta Farmers Market

• Cornmeal: Daysprings Farm (sells to Root Baking Co.)

• Eggs: Pinewood Springs, White Oak Pastures, Wrecking Barn, Marietta Farmers Market and Freedom Farmers Market

• Hot sauce: Rag & Frass Farm, Grant Park Farmers Market

Jessica Rothacker, owner of Heirloom Cafe in Athens, shared her mom Susie’s Sweet Potato Souffle.

“I am grateful every day to get to work with such lovely produce that is planned for, planted and cared for, then harvested and delivered so lovingly and thoughtfully by so many wonderful people,” Jessica said. “The families and individuals that I have gotten to know while working with local food have truly touched my heart. I love seeing how older generations teach new, young farmers how to thrive, and how these people work so hard day and night all year round to grow the best food possible. Further, the restaurant community in Athens inspires me every day. We have so many great chefs making such great food, and everyone is so willing to share advice and knowledge. I am lucky to have come up in such a giving community. So really to sum it up, I am grateful for the people who make the local food scene a possibility.”

Rothacker suggests using these places to source the ingredients: 

Sweet potatoes: Daysprings Farm, Hickory Hill Farm, Freedom Farmers Market, Grant Park Market

Flour: Daysprings Farm (sells to Root Baking Co.)

Eggs: Pinewood Springs, White Oak Pastures, Wrecking Barn, Marietta Farmers Market and Freedom Farmers Market

Susie's Sweet Potato Souffle

Jessica Rothacker, Heirloom Cafe 

My mom always makes sweet potato souffle for the holidays. This is your dessert for a side dish-style souffle. It is not healthy, but it is delicious, and it makes me feel like home. We get our sweet potatoes from DaySpring Farms out of Danielsville, run by maybe the sweetest family ever. Here is my take on my mom's recipe. 

For the filling:

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into several pieces

• 4 ounces unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 ounces unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

• 1 1/2 cup pecan halves

Place sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Boil until soft, about 20 minutes. Strain water. Add potatoes, butter, brown sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer or to a large mixing bowl and beat with the whip attachment or a hand mixer until smooth. Grease a 9 x 13 pan and spread filling inside. 

Put flour, brown sugar and salt in another mixing bowl and stir together. Add butter and cut in with your hands or a pastry cutter until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Mix in pecans and spread on top of sweet potato mixture. 

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until the topping is browned.

Slow Simmered Field Peas (Serves 6-8)

Steven Satterfield, Miller Union

• 4 cups fresh shelled field peas (lady peas, pinkeyed peas, blackeyed peas, crowder peas, zipper peas, or a mix)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup finely diced (1/8-inch) yellow onion

• ½ cup finely diced celery

• ½ cup finely diced fennel bulb

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 thick slice country ham or 1 small piece of smoked ham hock

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

Place the peas in a large pot, cover with water, and agitate them gently. Pull them out in small handfuls and check for blemishes or debris. Set the washed peas aside.

In a large saucepan, hear the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and fennel; season with a little salt and pepper; and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ham, peas, and thyme, and then add water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer on low hear until the peas are tender, skimming all the while, 45 to 60 minutes.

Greens, Field Pea and Cornbread Casserole (serves 8-10)

Steven Satterfield, Miller Union

I love the combination of bitter mustard greens and creamy field peas in this hot and crusty cornbread bake. Make this using the slow simmered field peas recipe, and if fresh peas are past season, use dried and soaked peas or frozen fresh peas in its place.

• 1 recipe slow simmered field peas

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 large bunch mustard or other fall greens, washed, stemmed and chopped, (about 1 pound trimmed)

• ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream

• 2 to 4 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste

• 1 cup fine cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1½ cups buttermilk

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside. Heat the batch of cooked peas and set aside. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add mustard greens and season lightly. Cook, turning with tongs, until the greens are wilted and tender, about eight minutes. You may need to add a bit of liquid from the cooked peas to help wilt the greens.

Remove from heat. Pour off most of the cooking liquid from the peas and reserve. Add the cooked peas to the wilted greens. Stir in the crème fraiche and hot sauce to the field pea and greens mixture, adding a little of the reserved pea cooking liquid to make a smooth sauce.

Spread the pea and greens mixture into the prepared baking dish and check the level of liquid. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid from the peas to come about halfway up the solids, and gently stir to combine. Keep the mixture hot while you make the cornbread topping.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients, then whisk in the melted butter. Carefully pour the cornmeal mixture evenly over the hot peas and greens mixture, covering the entire surface. Bake until cornbread topping is set and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Rashid Nuri, Chef Alice Waters headline 2020 Georgia Organics Conference

By Jeff Romig

Two giants of the good food community are coming to Athens on Feb. 7 & 8 to share their work and impact during back-to-back meals at the 2020 Georgia Organics Conference & Expo.

K. Rashid Nuri is the visionary urban farming leader behind Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, author of Growing Out Loud: Journey of a Food Revolutionary, and past chair of the Georgia Organics Board of Directors.

Alice Waters is the founder of The Edible Schoolyard Project, owner and executive chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., and a matriarch of the farm to table movement, pioneering local, organic, and sustainable sourcing since 1971.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, Georgia Organics will host Waters at lunch, where she and her team – including current Georgia Organics Board Member and 2018 James Beard Award Semi-Finalist Matthew Raiford of Gilliard Farms in Brunswick – will create one of Alice’s Edible Schoolyard menus and present it in a way that evokes the school experience.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Georgia Organics and Chef Matthew Raiford to prepare this school lunch experience,” Waters said. “We will be sourcing all ingredients for this meal from independent, organic, local farms with the hope that this meal can demonstrate the possibility for a free, sustainable, school lunch throughout Georgia.”

The Reimagined School Lunch is being sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland’s Women Stepping Up Initiative, The Lunchbox Group, and Whole Foods Market who will provide food alongside local and organic farmers in Georgia.

Then, that evening, Nuri will deliver the keynote address at the annual Farmers Feast to an expected crowd of at least 800 attendees, where he will discuss his journey as an “elder revolutionary” through his more than 50 years of urban farming and the current efforts to create a homestead act to expand the work of urban farming.

“It’s exciting to see the number of people that have been impacted by Georgia Organics’ work,” Nuri said. “We’re creating more than a local food movement. We’re creating local food economies now.”

Raiford is thrilled to have both icons in the same place sharing their experiences and vision: “It’s going to feel like Georgia is the leader in the U.S. when it comes to organics,” he said. “And Georgia Organics is leading that charge.”

Three years before Waters opened Chez Panisse, Nuri was growing corn in a backyard, 500 miles south in San Diego.

“Technically, it was illegal,” Nuri told Natural Awakenings earlier this year. “I’ve been able to watch the growth from when we weren’t able to find a farmers market, to now, when you can find one just about every day of the week.”

This sea change in demand for local, organic, and sustainable produce is a credit to decades of work between Waters and Nuri – one on the farm, and the other in her restaurant.

“Every year, Georgia Organics brings together farmers, chefs, and eaters to learn, engage, and break bread together at Georgia’s premier good food movement educational opportunity,” said Alice Rolls, President and CEO of Georgia Organics. “Every year is special and relationships are formed or deepen that impact the landscape of our food system. But, to be able to eat with and listen to Rashid and Alice at back-to-back meals is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our members and attendees.”

The annual Georgia Organics Conference & Expo is designed to foster a community of farmers, chefs, and eaters interested in supporting healthier foods, farms, and families, while showcasing and celebrating the people of Georgia’s good food movement. Prospective attendees can register to participate in the 2020 Conference by going to conference.georgiaorganics.org and clicking “Register Here.”

Jeff Romig is the Director of Fundraising & Communications for Georgia Organics. He can be reached at jeff@georgiaorganics.org.