Ben Kieffer delivers the goods yet again on his Iowa Public Radio show The Exchange. Kieffer interviews chef Daniel Orr as he releases his new cookbook FARMfood. Orr says he returned to his home state of Indiana to start a restaurant, be closer to his now-organic family farm property and get some dirt under his fingernails.
Which reminds me… I believe it was my mother-in-law who made me aware of the Midwest’s use of the word “dirt.” She understandably associated dirt with filth, rather than something so potentially nurturing as soil. Perhaps it’s the result of “dirt” being the lifeblood of the Midwest – the locals seeking additional options for speaking about a subject that surrounds their daily lives. I realize I relate the word dirt to gardening, or more personal and casual interactions with the earth, and the word soil with technical aspects of growing crops… because, you know, that is quite technical in these parts.
Anyway, back to Orr in Bloomington, Indiana. One of the most interesting segments cited the fact that farmers eat at his restaurant to see how he’s preparing their products. It’s an indicator that various stakeholders along the food production chain may be gaining a greater understanding of how they’re all connected and that it’s in everyone’s interest to join the dialogue.
Orr’s enthusiasm, knowledge and involvement in Indiana’s local food industry is inspiring. Besides knowing about what type of pastures produce the best grass-fed beef, he acknowledges that health and the environment are important factors in the growing interest in food production and preparation. He even claims that the Midwest’s reputation for unsophisticated food may be waning as his friends from New York and Brazil compare their Midwest visits to Napa Valley. Orr specializes in spices (including an espresso chili rub) and has a regular radio program titled Earth Eats.
I am further intrigued with his informal group of friends, the Male Chauvinist Pigs, who are raising pigs this summer and plan a ceremonious luau to compare flavors. The way he speaks of cooking a whole pig may sound rude to some, but I found it refreshing to hear someone talk comfortably, with up-close-and-personal knowledge, of their role in an animal’s path from pasture (if they’re lucky) to plate. For the industrial farmer the language is usually all business and, for the consumer, discussing anything beyond the freshness date and marbling can make them queezy.
FARMfood will soon be mine.
Posted by thedirtonthefarm 
