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Iowa Restaurant Association, state alliance launch Iowa Farm to Table Dinner Series
New series aims to reclaim trend, promote Iowa’s culinary and farming scenes
Nov. 2, 2024 4:30 am
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IOWA CITY — The hottest new dinner reservation in Iowa is planting a different type of seed in one of America’s most quintessential farming states.
The Iowa Farm-to-Table Dinner Series, launched Oct. 29 at Wilson’s Ciderhouse & Venue, may not be starting a new trend. But it is reclaiming what “farm-to-table” means as a new alliance of state agencies collaborate with farmers and chefs to tell a story that is fundamentally Iowan.
“This is really looking at how we lay claim to this story, plant the seeds of legacy in our culinary future, and how we make them appreciate so much what we’re growing and raising ourselves to keep talents in the state of Iowa,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “We’re going to use this as a way to show the world … you haven’t done farm-to-table until you’ve done it on the farm.”
For years, “farm-to-table” has been a buzz phrase used by trendy restaurants in major cities across the country, where chefs find acclaim using seasonal ingredients produced in smaller quantities with higher quality. But most of those upscale restaurants bring the farm to the diners.
This new partnership between Choose Iowa, the Iowa Tourism Office and the Iowa Restaurant Association hopes to do it the other way around — bringing diners to the farm. With one dinner scheduled per season at various farms across Iowa, and hopes for the dinners to recur annually, their goal is to position Iowa as the No. 1 destination for farm-to-table dining with unparalleled authenticity.
Survey data used by the alliance indicates that 60% of travelers expect to find that kind of experience in Iowa.
“In Iowa, farm-to-table isn’t a trend, it’s a way of life,” said Amy Zeigler, state tourism manager at the Iowa Tourism Office. “There is no better way to showcase Iowa as a foodie paradise than by connecting our agricultural heritage to the culinary arts.”
At the dinner Oct. 29, Dunker went a step further in trying to articulate Iowa’s unique perspective on farm-to-table: “dirt to dish.”
The phrase, said to about 70 diners overlooking 90 acres of orchards and farmland in Iowa City, captures the grit of determination among partners hoping to bring the spotlight back to Iowa food again.
If you go
For more details about the Iowa Farm-to-Table Dinner Series, visit IowaFarmToTable.org.
The next dinner in the seasonally-oriented series, led by chef Aaron Holt, is set for Dec. 12 at Rose Farm in Norwalk.
Tickets for the multicourse meals, with beverage pairings, are $150 per person and only available in limited quantities. Proceeds benefit culinary mentorships and scholarships for Iowa students through the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation.
Elevating the culinary scene
With 40 to 70 seats at each dinner, they expect the series to draw foodies to the Hawkeye State for a taste of what’s catching fire.
The first dinner, a five-course experience led by Big Grove Brewery chef Ben Smart featuring products from farms across Eastern and Central Iowa, went for $150 per person. Tickets for the December dinner, which will be led by chef Aaron Holt at Rose Farm in Norwalk, are on sale now.
Each dinner includes an invitation for high school culinary students to work side by side with Iowa’s most talented chefs. Proceeds, benefit the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation, which supports culinary mentorship and scholarship for Iowa students.
“I believe that the connection of farmer to chef is a virtuous loop that allows both to be influenced by one another. I think that the connection to the growing season is a catalyst to creativity for a chef, and being able to utilize produce at the peak of freshness is an ongoing quest for anyone who has ever tasted a Sungold tomato still warm from the sun,” Smart said. “The more chefs who are inspired by what is locally produced, the more we will stave off the homogenization of our food.”
With a unique culinary value proposition, the series also may show promise to get Iowa out of the shadows of Chicago and Minneapolis for James Beard Awards, which consistently seem to overlook Iowa.
“We have the same level of culinary talents, and we have it in the volumes,” Dunker said. “James Beard isn’t going to dinners on the farm like they should be. This is elevating the notion of what a culinary experience looks like.”
Recognizing farmers
But more than culinary recognition, each meal is deliberate about showcasing the reason for each season: the farmers whose products are used every step of the way.
For the smaller producers in between rolling fields of dominant corn and soybeans, there’s a lot of room for growth on several fronts.
Emma Barber, owner of Lamb’s Quarter and Rhubarb Botanicals in Mount Vernon, wishes fresh herbs were in the daily lexicon of average home cook for daily use. For her and other small producers, education is an ongoing goal.
“Lamb used to be consumed more than beef and pork combined before the 1940s,” she said. “Now, it’s hard to find someone who’s willing to try it.”
Events like this dinner series get her farm’s name out through experiences that “feel really magical and special,” especially given the small number of organic farms in Linn County.
“We’re growing value on a smaller acreage,” she said. “There’s not as many resources for our kind of farming, but there’s growing awareness of it.”
For Benny Ahrens, whose goat cheese from Sweet Doe Co. in Keota was used for a tart in the first course, that awareness is important.
“There’s just a very small segment of the population that comes out for farmers markets. They’re recurring, but there’s a vast amount of the state they don’t know exists,” he said. “Even when they know we exist, they don’t know how to support us.”
In a consumer world dominated by convenience, local products reignite a recognition of what makes food good. But showcasing that in a curated way that connects with consumers takes a lot of collaboration.
As farmers work to make their products more accessible, Dan and Debbie’s Creamery co-owner Josie Rozum hopes the dinner series will make shoppers become more cognizant of the food they’re buying.
“The quality of their food and meals are that much better, and it helps people fall in love with food they think they didn’t like,” she said.
Choose Iowa
Choose Iowa, a program administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), has been helping Iowa catch up to other states’ programs since launching two years ago. In addition to being a partner in the new dinner series, it works to connect Iowans with farmers year-round.
The state brand makes it easier for Iowans to find and buy local food. Their Choose Iowa logo is displayed on packaging of products that meet or exceed standards, assuring consumers they’re 100 percent Iowa products.
Other states around the country have had similar programs for decades — like Georgia Grown, Go Texan and Fresh From Florida.
“By linking Iowans to the food and ag products grown, raised and made right here in Iowa, Choose Iowa is opening new markets for farmers, broadening options for consumers, and boosting economic activity in our rural communities,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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