Growers collaborate with chefs to create local dishes

From local grown greens to handmade pumpkin bread pudding, up to five different entrées were served at the 2013 Local Growers’ Guild Harvest Dinner Thursday night at Upland Brewing Company.

Proceeds from the dinner came from ticket sales and will benefit LGG education programs, promotion of local food and farming resources for the community.

Originally formed in 2004, LGG is an agricultural cooperative made up of 75 farms throughout Indiana. With nearly 200 members, including growers, retailers and community members, the organization has expanded over the last decade by increasing its community to make growing local food a more common practice.

Megan Hutchinson,  manager of LGG, said the goal of the organization is to promote local food and educate people interested in farming.

“We try and promote small farm advocacy,” Hutchinson said. “We’re a smaller organization, so we do what we can.”

The goal of the dinner was to introduce chefs to local growers, Hutchinson said.

“We’re working with five local chefs and have paired them to work with farmers so they can build relationships and hopefully work with each other in the future,” she said.
Attendees at the dinner included both community members interested in farming and local growing as well as actual growers.

Michigan native Mike Sill has been a produce farmer in Greene County for the last three years. Sill said he sells his grown produce to the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market.

With the constant demand for fresh produce throughout the state, Sill said he constantly stays busy during harvest season.

“It’s rewarding,” Sill said. “I like looking at what I accomplish at the end of the day and appreciating it.”

Many farmers like Sill participate with LGG to help expand the amount of local food resources around the community. In addition to Upland Brewery, LGG has also worked with Nicks English Hut to expand their promotion of local growing.

Although this is currently the organization’s only fundraiser, LGG has plans to possibly host a similar event in the spring at a farm.

Shari Rogge-Fidler, an LGG board member,  also serves on the board for SEED Corp., a Bloomington-based nonprofit organization committed to the growth of small business and economic self-sufficiency in south central Indiana.

Using her resources with LGG, Rogge-Fidler has helped provide business-planning courses for new entrepreneurs, farmers and growers. In addition, LGG has collaborated with SEED Corp. to help teach new growers the business side of farming.

“This is the first year we’ve launched this program with SEED Corp.,” Rogge-Fidler said. “Over the eight-week course, farmers and growers put together a business plan for their farm and the hope is that by planning in advanced, they will be able to improve their success rate.”

Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.