Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/648009
W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | 5 1 L ast fall, Farmer Lee Jones, decked out in his signature overalls, red bowtie and wide grin peeking beneath a friendly moustache—think Santa Claus meets American Gothic—kicked off the Roots Confer- ence by encouraging attendees to do more than take notes over the course of two days of panels, discussions and delicious meals; he implored the group to take action. Industry experts from as far away as Ireland gathered at The Chef's Gar- den at the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio. The Chef's Garden boasts more than 500 varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers, microgreens and specialty produce grown on 100 acres that supplies produce to chefs from New York to Hong Kong. The indoor/outdoor setting proved a perfect backdrop for discussions on reducing global food waste to incorporating more whole foods into the American diet. The Jones family, committed to sustainable agricultural practices, launched the Conference on their property three years ago, while on the hunt for a central place to hold vital conversations about the state of the food industry. Beyond acknowledging that the American food system is in crisis, panel- ists offered up a wealth of actionable steps that can be taken across the spectrum of the food industry, a pill that was made a little easier to swallow thanks to the dozens of guest chefs who each brought their unique styles to every meal, using ingredients largely sourced from the farm grounds that surrounded participants. One dish utilized 11 varieties of mint! "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of medicine," declared Chef Seamus Mullen, owner of Tertulia in New York City. On the panel "It Begins at Home: How Chefs Can Take Action to Improve Their Own Lives," Mullen told the story of developing extreme inflammation and rheumatoid arthri- tis—and how he radically changed his habits and diet to heal himself. "The solution started with food, fundamentally," he said. From self-care to caring for one another, Jordan Figueiredo, a Solid Waste Specialist at Castro Valley (CA) Sanitary District, passionately pre- by Becky Tsadik / photos courtesy of The Roots Conference Heirloom carrots dressed simply in salt and olive oil welcomed diners for the event's final dinner. Jamie Simpson, Executive Chef, The Chef's Garden/ Culinary Vegetable Institute, seasons charred carrots and greens for the conference's final meal. Simpson supervises a team of prep cooks plating Superior Motors chef Kevin Sousa's dish, corn four ways. Anne E. McBride, co-author Payard Cookies, Chocolate Epiphany and Bite Size with famed pastry chef François Payard, sports a pretzel bean in her pocket. McBride mod- erated a panel called Working with Dignity: Creating Ethical and Fulfilling Opportunities for International Employees. Jennifer Wolfe grills up lacinato kale to assist her husband, Chef Justin Wolfe, owner of The Early Bird and Rock Au Taco in London, Ontario, Canada. Buey Ray Tut, founder of Aqua-Africa, and a childhood refugee from South Sudan, co-founded the non-profit, which drills crucial wells in villages without access to clean water in East Africa.