Farm to Table is a grass-roots organization working throughout New Mexico to increase the viability of farmers, expand the economic impact of food and agriculture and sustain the culture and traditions of rural communities around the state. New Mexico, though economically distressed, is enriched by a mix of cultures including Hispanics, Native Americans, Mormon settlers and White ranchers.
In 2009, SCALE’s Anthony Flaccavento provided the keynote address at Farm to Table’s annual conference in Santa Fe, along with more hands-on workshops on scaling up rural food systems. This work was followed in January, 2011 by two days of consultations focused on building value chains, expanding farm-to-restaurant distribution systems, and addressing food safety for larger wholesale and institutional buyers. Participants included stakeholders in nearly every part of the food system: University dining services, chefs, food brokers and distribution companies, value-added food companies, farmers and non-profit leaders of farm and food organizations. This consultation also included detailed assistance to the Manager of the Santa Fe Alliance’s Farm to Restaurant enterprise, helping him develop a strategy for expanding the business and increase it net revenues.
“Anthony is one of those rare people who can connect with third generation farmers and with CEOs and managers from the world of food distribution and retail. When he conducted a ”Value-chain 101“ workshop for our regional farmers, food service buyers and distributors, he helped them create a common language and develop a mutual interest in getting local food into our colleges, grocery stores, resorts and restaurants. His credentials speak for themselves: he farms, he aggregates, he markets and he works closely with farmers, retailers and groups like ours to constantly improve and strengthen our approaches to getting food from farms to tables.”