A Movable Feast
North Dakota farmers aim to add value
and educate consumers with D.C. eatery
By Sheri Aldape,
.
USDA Farm Service Agency
orth Dakota farmers help
feed the nation and the
world with the crops and
livestock they produce.
Now, under the umbrella
of the North Dakota Farmers Union
(NDFU), they are taking it another step
forward: they are going to cook up the
food and dish it out at their own restaurant
in Washington, D.C. The new
establishment, called Agraria, is slated
to open this summer in Georgetown, a
primary nightlife and upscale shopping
area.
Agraria was originally going to open
in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, but that
plan was eventually shelved in favor of
the Washington locale. If successful, it
is hoped that this will be the first of a
number of such farmer-owned restaurants
around the nation.
The project was first conceived in
2002 as part of the work on an NDFU
project called the Ultimate Value-Added Cooperative. Planners saw benefits
for NDFU members in owning a
restaurant that could gain a marketing
edge by promoting the fact that its
meals are derived from family farmers.
The restaurant will also provide an
opportunity to educate consumers
about how their food is grown.
The restaurant is wholly owned by
Agraria LLC, a North Dakota-based
limited liability company. NDFU,
organized as a farmer-owned cooperative,
currently owns about 60 percent of
Agraria, but that share will be reduced
as more family farmers purchase shares
and become direct owners, as many
have already done.
The company has a
seven-member board of
governors, of which
NDFU President Robert Carlson is
serving as interim president. Carlson, a
grain and oilseed farmer near
Glenburn, N.D., was also an organizing
member of the Dakota Growers Pasta
Co., in which he remains an active
member. He is also a former member of
the USDA-Agricultural Trade Advisory
Committee for Grains & Oilseeds, and
recently traveled to China and Japan to
develop niche markets for North
Dakota commodities.
Direct marketing
Farmers are eager to capture more
profits from direct marketing, says Tom
Prescott, the project manager and president
of the Magnate Group LLC, the
development firm for Agraria. Running
parallel to that is the desire of many
restaurants to source more of their food
directly from the farmers who grow or
raise it. “So this takes it to the next level
— allowing farmers to participate in the
ownership structure of the business.”
Information on various farmers and the
foods they provide will be available at
the restaurant.
“Farmers are important, not just in
the overall industry that provides the
food on our tables, but also as a vital
fabric of the American way of life,”
Prescott says. “So it’s very important for
this business to serve an educational
purpose by promoting farmers, in terms
of their work and daily life, and the
security they bring to the food system.”
Having the first restaurant open in
Washington is a great opportunity to
showcase the family farmer to important
decision makers in the nation’s capital
since “every state in the union
is represented by their congressional
members here,” Prescott
notes. Washington is also a hub
for business and industry leaders
from around the globe.
The District was also attractive
because it is a major tourist destination
and is home to a relatively
transient population that dines
out more frequently than average.
The D.C.-area population also
has higher-than-average disposable
income. All of this adds up to
making it one of the nation’s
fastest growing restaurant markets.
If Agraria restaurants open in
other cities, Prescott says the
cooperative, farmer-owned character of
the business will stay intact.
Room with a view
The 14,000-square-foot restaurant,
located in the Washington Harbor
complex in lower Georgetown, will
have a beautiful view overlooking the
Potomac River. The décor, being
designed by the award-winning
Adamstein & Demetriou architecture
firm, will be modern, while still grounded in the roots of
the family farmers who own and supply it. The restaurant
will seat 355 people, but that number can change depending
on table configuration and private events.
The cuisine will be contemporary American, with some
Italian and French influences. Since the food will be
sourced from farmers from across the country, the menu
will have the ability to change daily to ensure that the
freshest products are used.
From 30 to 60 percent of the food initially served at
Agraria will be sourced from family farms. In time,
Prescott says the percent of food sourced directly from
family farms will increase. He also hopes to secure food
from co-ops in the Washington, D.C., area.
“The seasonal aspect is always an issue you have to contend
with here. When the weather warms, right at the time
that we are opening, it will be a prime opportunity for us
to source from local farmers. We also encourage farmers to
contact us regarding products that they are offering so we
can discuss sourcing from them,” Prescott says.
The restaurant will also look to source seafood from
the Chesapeake Bay to attain the highest quality products
possible.
Chef linking
with farmers
When trying to pick a
name of the restaurant,
“Agraria” was the natural
fit. It is Latin for
“one of the fields, or
lands,” which was felt
to be applicable to
farmers’ way of life and
to best reflect the
restaurant’s slogan:
“From our fields to
your tables.”
Paul Morello, the
head chef, was recommended
for the job
based in part on his
background of working
with farmers and
obtaining products from farmers markets. Morello, who
has been featured in several publications for his cuisine,
was previously an executive chef at Les Halles, a French
restaurant in D.C.
Morello has been talking to Pennsylvanian farmers who
will supply food for some “exotic” dishes, and has met with
North Dakota farmers who will supply flour for his homemade
gnocchi and lasagna. Morella is also using American
cheese from Wisconsin and Idaho, and he plans on using
North Dakota beef, lamb, pork, potatoes, honey and sugar.
Agraria, he says, is “a chef’s dream.”
