What is the Best Local Food Story in America?

The Perennial Plate has been creating weekly videos about Real Food in Minnesota for the past year. Today we released our 52nd video: a trailer for our upcoming project. This spring I will be traveling across the country for 6 months, documenting stories about good food in America. Each week we will be filming, editing and releasing unique short films and for that we need your help. We want this cross country film project to be made up of the stories from your friends, farmers and neighbors. So, if you have an opinion about what good food is? Submit a story. Know of an incredible farmer, fisherman, gardener? Let us know.

This project isn't going to be possible without you, beyond stories, we also are setting a fundraising goal of $20K. So check out the trailer for the trip and go to our new website, submit a story or DONATE. Get involved in any way... and perhaps we can meet up along the way.

For more videos, visit www.theperennialplate.com

 

Follow Daniel Klein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/perennialplate

Comments

[Debra Webb]

01:12 PM on 03/18/2011

How about beautiful Hanalei, Kauai? Life here, among the locals, is all about fishing and hunting. Long before it became trendy, people here have always shopped at the farmers market, kept a garden and raised their own chickens for eggs. My son and his friends have been fishing for their dinner since they were 6 years old, maybe younger. He has his own 14ft Whaler and spends his school vacations fishing and selling his catch to the locals. These kids have grown up on boats catching Mahi, Ahi, Ono ect.. and hunting for wild boar. You must come check it out some day!

[David M Boynton]

09:39 AM on 03/17/2011

We're trying to start a food hub, community supported brewery, and local food restaurant on the oldest family farm in America. Hope you stop by. email Dave at [e-mail] for more info.

[Ethan Genauer]

06:58 PM on 03/15/2011

Students launching a new wave of sustainable food cooperatives on college campuses across the US!!! Civil Eats & Grist recently covered the UC-Davis effort, Food Safety News touched on the one at UW in Seattle, San Francisco Chronicle & others have hit the UC-Berkeley student food co-op ... But there's still a bunch of awesome emerging student food co-op initiatives in other places (Washington, DC ... Madison, WI ... New Mexico ... etc) that the media is missing ... And on the national level, the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFed) is training & inspiring students across the US to establish these projects!! http://cofed.org

[Idaho dachnik]

02:10 PM on 03/15/2011

I am reminded of when the tourist asked the rancher's kid "Are there any good places to eat around here?" the kid said "um- up at the house?"

[DavidMG]

09:03 AM on 03/15/2011

I suggest "Healthy Highways: The Traveler's Guide to Healthy Eating" will help them find great places to eat.

[freedom4allau]

08:18 AM on 03/15/2011

Hatch, NM --- green chile - yum!

[XWyomingrepub]

07:31 AM on 03/15/2011

Don't bother stopping in Wyoming if good food is your goal. Aside from the way overpriced tourist traps in Jackson, there isn't one single, solitary restaurant worth returning to.

I know, I live here.

[Soulfest]

07:02 AM on 03/15/2011

Alice Waters and the Edible Schoolyard.

[journ student]

06:25 AM on 03/15/2011

Really cool idea, and I hope it's successful. It does seem odd to me that you're more or less bypassing the entire midwest interior, given the agricultural offerings in that part of the country. Lots of local farmers markets and family outfits for dairy, eggs, baked goods and meat, for instance. As someone with family ties in Vermont, I also agree with the poster who said it's worth it to stop there. Nothing like Vermont cheese!

[Daniel Klein]

11:05 AM on 03/15/2011

The map is just a rough estimate of where we will be going. We've had 150 stories come in so far, so that will be the guiding factor. Also, the midwest isn't our focus because we just spend the last year making 52 episodes about just that. Thanks!

[Moe Majors]

02:39 AM on 03/15/2011

How are you NOT stopping in Vermont? The State with the highest concentration of microbrews, innovating the farm-to-table scene, year-round farmer's markets (despite -30 degrees and several feet of snow), a grassroots culture that's been raising goat, sheep, and cow milk cheeses for decades (and even producing the internationally-awarded Cabot cheddar cheese)!

I rate this entire excursion as bunk if you don't stop between your (2!!!) New York destinations and Maine. Trust me, Pete's Microgreens, Vermont Soy, Stonyfield Farms, Applecheek Farms, Winding Brook Farms, Snowflake Chocolates, Rock Art Brewery, Long Trail Brewery, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Jasper Hill Farms, Squash Valley Produce, Black River Produce, and all the other hundreds of VT food experiences will make it WELL worth your while!

[Lunch Lady]

06:05 AM on 03/15/2011

I was dumbfounded myself that Vermont was not included. I agree, with you.

[Daniel Klein]

11:06 AM on 03/15/2011

The map is very rough. We will most certainly be stopping in VT- don't you worry. Cabot clothbound cheddar is one of my all time favorite cheeses.

[Moe Majors]

11:39 AM on 03/15/2011

Excellent to hear you'll make it that way; and it makes me a little bit more envious of your delectable and mouth-watering X-country sojourn.

Don't forget to say a warm-felt "hello" to Hen of the Woods, American Flatbread, all the Maple Syrup farmers, Lazy Lady Farms, Magic Hat Brewery, Vermont Farmstead, 500 certified organic farms, more than 80 CSAs, 60 farmers markets, hundreds of farmstands, nearly 40 artisinal farmstead cheese makers, a dozen wineries and 100-plus schools that buy local food.

Bon appetit!

[thinkaboutit2]

11:40 PM on 03/14/2011

Downtown Des Moines, IA farmer's market, with local vendors Coyote Run Farms organic produce and eggs, LaQuercia proscuitto, Fresian Farms farmstead gouda cheese, Lucca homemade mozzerella and pasta, Tami's Tarts with local butter, eggs, flour, and fruit.

[dekadente81]

10:47 PM on 03/14/2011

Ventura County, CA Strawberries!!!

[DejzaVoo]

09:49 PM on 03/14/2011

Tennessee! Be sure to stop by The Perch in Brentwood, and Joey's Pizza, also in Brentwood :)

[Phoebe917]

08:29 PM on 03/14/2011

Mr. Klein, my son is proud to be a Chesapeake Bay Waterman. our state, MD is blessed to have some of the best seafood, anywhere. enjoyed some chicoteague oysters earlier. :)

[Daniel Klein]

08:31 PM on 03/14/2011

Awesome, if you think he'd be interested, put his info on our site and we'll reach out: http://www­.theperenn­ialplate.c­om/get-inv­olved/ Thanks!

[Phoebe917]

08:47 PM on 03/14/2011

my son, who was raised on the water, it has become his first love. they are getting ready for crab season, next month. i will pass on the info. thanks for your response. :)

[Randy White]

08:07 PM on 03/14/2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv_WVUDjmIc