WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chef/Restaurateur Mike Isabella, who appeared on Season Six of Top Chef and was the runner-up on Top Chef All-Stars, joined leading restaurants around the country showing their support for local farms by enrolling in American Farmland Trust’s second annual Dine Out for Farms™ week October 16 to 22.
Dine Out for Farms™ week is a nationwide celebration of delicious food and the farmers who grow it that raises money to save farms and farmland. Restaurants participate with a special dish, by donating a percentage of sales during the Dine Out for Farms™ week, or by making a straight donation to help save farms.
To view a list of restaurants participating in the 2011 Dine Out for Farms™ week, go to the AFT website. The deadline to enroll is September 30.
“Living and cooking in D.C. allows me to source great products from local farms in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast,” says Mike Isabella, chef/owner of Graffiato and Top Chef All-Stars runner-up. “Working with local farmers supports their business and the economy, hopefully making it affordable for more Americans to eat locally sourced, fresh and healthy food.”
In return for supporting Dine Out for Farms™ week, American Farmland Trust provides participating restaurants with promotional and engagement tools that encourage consumers to dine out often and make a difference.
“Dine Out for Farms offers restaurants a fun way to showcase their support for local farms,” says Jane Kirchner, senior director of marketing and communications for American Farmland Trust. “Supporting local farms and protecting farmland is important so that Americans can enjoy farm-fresh food now and in the future.”
“Our local farmers are the true backbone of our restaurant, without them we would not be able to truly provide the quality of food our guests have come to expect,” says Chef Jesse Layman of Galletto Ristorante in Modesto, California. “Besides, they are the last stand to our heritage and the pride of this great country.”
“Farmers Restaurant Group and the North Dakota Farmers Union are very proud of having a sustainable, and nationally recognized business in the Mid-Atlantic region that is a model for our industry as a whole,” says Dan Simons, concept developer and managing partner, Farmers Restaurant Group. “We continue to improve upon our achievements and to continuously seek authentic, top quality, regional and seasonal products from the region and beyond whenever possible, to help continue the education of our guests and to help maintain focus on the challenges facing American family farmers.”
American Farmland Trust is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices and supporting a sustainable future for farms. Since its founding in 1980 by a group of farmers and citizens concerned about the rapid loss of farmland to development, AFT has helped save millions of acres of farmland from development and led the way for the adoption of conservation practices on millions more.
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit the AFT website.