BLUE HILL x STONE BARNS
Dan Barber
In five sentences or fewer, describe what Rhizome Co. stands for.
We need a new recipe for the future of food. Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture and Blue Hill restaurant launched Rhizome to accelerate our efforts to develop a recipe for resilient food systems - one that priotizes flavor, nutrition and farmer equity. Rhizome is a regional food research and incubation company. We develop and study methods and products for stronger food systems by tackling food and farming as one subject.
In what way can you draw special value from the collaboration with AVINA?
Our collaboration with AVINA provides us with the backing and expertise to help our work make lasting change in the food system.
The Stone Barns Center features a unique model where farmers collaborate closely with chefs, artists, scientists, and food artisans. What additional role does Rhizome Co. play in this context?
Stone Barns and Blue Hill have collaborated on research and innovation work for more than 20 years, but too many of our ideas have stayed within the confines of our farm and restaurant. Rhizome Co. is a new home for our research that gives us more ways to spread our ideas for the greatest impact, whether as open-source resources for farmers, published scientific research, or commercializable products and intellectual property. This flexibility allows us to pursue expanded research and development, including field evaluations, culinary analysis and nutritional testing to validate and spread the projects with the potential for the most impact. It also allows us to tap into a new generation of supporters and collaborators who want to see their philanthropy and work generate immediate impact.
How did farming and surrounding yourself with nature change you as a Michelin star chef? Did nature pull you from your chef position?
From Chef Dan Barber: I've always favored a style of cooking that keeps ingredients naked on a plate, not covered up by complicated technique or too many components. To make this kind of cooking work, you need to start with the highest quality. To find that quality, you need to work with farmers who prioritize soil health above all else. The right kind of farming leads to deliciousness.
In your opinion, what is the most important lever for creating a sustainable food system?
Flavors is one of the most powerful tools we have to inspire change in the food system. We've seen that asking consumers to make different choices for the sake of the environment doesn't cut it. People do not want to be made to feel that they need to sacrifice pleasure and enjoyment in favor of virtue. We need to prove that pursuing flavor, nutrition, and resilient agricultural practices are on in the same.
