Farm-to-Chef Week Begins; Restaurants and School Cafeterias Participate

The farm to table connection in Connecticut is growing. Drive any winding Nutmeg State roadway and you're sure to pass one of the countless roadside farm stands. And there are more of the 100 certified farmers' markets selling fruits, vegtables, poultry, fish, meats, dairy, breads, honey, syrups, herbs, plants, flowers and more. 

This year more than 65 Connecticut eateries and farmers’ markets are participating in the 2012 Farm-to-Chef Week.  An initiative of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Farm-to-Chef Week attracts a variety of restaurants, hotels, school cafeterias, university dining halls, and health care facilities that create a special farm-themed menu featuring one or more Connecticut Grown ingredients.

The weeklong event runs from today to September 22 and includes a variety of restaurants from across the state and school cafeterias including Ella Grasso Technical High School in Groton and Norwich Technical High School Restaurant.

Participating locations often create new and unusual dishes using local foods, and they all set their own prices for their Farm-to-Chef menus. Businesses that serve alcohol will also offer one or more Connecticut Grown wines. 

“We encourage participants to go above and beyond for Farm-to-Chef Week,” explained Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky.  “Some are new to buying and using ingredients from local farms, so they might start more conservatively. Others are accustomed to working with local farm products on a daily basis. In that case, we ask them to stretch creatively, incorporating Connecticut Grown proteins, dairy, maple, honey, and more unusual produce items.”

As locally-grown and produced foods contribute $3.5 billion to the state economy and represent about 20,000 Connecticut jobs, Governor Dannel P. Malloy is encouraging everyone to go out to eat this week.

“Our state’s farmers produce an astoundingly wide variety of foods, and Farm-to-Chef Week is a great opportunity for people to get out there and really enjoy everything Connecticut has to offer,” he said.