Zero Food Miles, Yum

A couple of weeks ago I went to Windy Corner and Berries on Bryan Station to talk about local food and its importance to our individual health and the health of our local economy. You can watch the video on GTV3.

I chose these two businesses to highlight because they are almost next to each other and represent the ultimate in reducing the gap between where food is grown and where it is consumed.  I had heard that workers on the Berries on Bryan Station farm literally walked fresh greens from the farm to Windy Corner, and I found out that is indeed true.  There are NO food miles involved.

Windy Corner, a casual-dining restaurant and country store located at the corner of Bryan Station and Muir Station Road, opened in the fall of 2010.  It is operated by local chef and restaurateur Ouita Michel, a leader in the movement to include more local ingredients in restaurant fare and a tireless advocate for the proposition that local food is important because it tastes better, supports the local economy, is healthier, and is better for the environment. When she discovered that Berries on Bryan Station is across the street from her new restaurant, she began using their produce, and she challenged the farm to provide her fresh lettuce and other greens throughout the winter.  The farm rose to the challenge, and salads are one of the the stars on the Windy Corner menu.

Erik Walles and his wife, Gayle, are the owners of Berries on Bryan Station.  Erik trained as a chemist and has worked for large corporations in the plastics industry for many years before moving to Kentucky with his wife in 2005.  In 2006 he started his own community supported agriculture (CSA).  This is his 3rd year as a certified organic farm. He jumped at Ouita’s challenge and built a greenhouse on the sunny side of the old barn on his farm. He has supplied her lettuce and other greens all winter.  Ouita and Erik now collaborate on decisions about what produce Erik will grow and Ouita will use at Windy Corner and her two other local restaurants.

There are many exciting things happening in local food. Go out and taste the goodness! Lexington Farmer’s Market opened this month, and Kentucky Proud has an extensive list of local farms and restaurants.