Bruce Anderson

Thank you Derek, for all that you have done for Agraria in the few months that you have been there. From my three visits to Agraria (and my three visits with you), as well as from the comments on this board, I know that you will be missed and that you have contributed greatly to Agraria's future success. I wish you luck and success as you move a couple blocks north and I hope to meet you again in a future visit to DC. BTW, your future bottle of beer (barley harvest) is underway in my neck of the woods (I don't grow barley, I just drink it) and your future slice of bread (wheat harvest) and your future plate of pasta (durum harvest) is just a week away. Farmer Bruce

I am a political person and I agree that, “all politics are not evil and that strategies are useful”, but I would have to say that if we gain anything politically from opening the Agraria Restaurant in Washington DC that it is merely a side benefit. The principle strategy for choosing the DC location, over other cities considered, was economic. DC as the seat of government is pretty much recession proof. There will always be large numbers of people looking to eat at a high end restaurant. Having said that, I must explain that although, as an active member of the North Dakota Farmers Union I am friends with the people who conceived of and shepherded the project, I was not one of the principals, so I am not privy to any strategy other than the one I just stated. Having had the pleasure of hearing Wendell Berry in person, twice, I appreciate your inclusion of a part of one of his works. Number 4 in his list – “Whenever possible, deal directly with a local farmer, gardener, or orchardist … by such dealing you eliminate the whole pack of merchants, transporters, processors, packagers and advertisers who thrive at the expense of both producers and consumers.” – comes close to describing what I feel is the reason behind our principle strategy, which is economic. The telling of our story to diners is subtle, in the décor, and on the menu. I expect that when the new chef has created a complete menu that there will be ever changing opportunities to feature an individual farm family and the food item that was created from their labor. Why North Dakota? I could probably go on at length. ND has a populist heritage. ND has more Cooperatives than most other states. It’s our culture. The ND Farmers Union is a progressive organization that believes in the family farm, in Cooperatives and, yes, in the political process – so some of our members will travel to DC and will appreciate the ability to dine at their own restaurant. ND farmers grow: Beef, Potatoes, Sugar Beets; we are the nations largest producers of Spring Wheat for bread flower and Durum Wheat for Pasta – the list goes on. We don’t raise shrimp or scallops but the restaurant sources those from family fishers. Will I, as a Wheat and Durum grower, see a higher price for my grain because of this restaurant? No, but I do hope to realize a return on my investment. And I can imagine that when raspberries are in season, Pattie, who grows wonderful raspberries in ND, could be one of those featured farmers. And farmers like her may be able to realize greater returns when the consumer is able to deal, as Mr. Berry said, with a local farmer. Bruce

My name is Bruce and I am a wheat farmer from North Dakota who invested in Agraria Restaurant. I would like to assure you that our goals are really quite simple; it's not about politics, not about lobbyists, it's about trying to run a business that makes money and adds value to the food that we grow. If at the same time and in some small way we can tell a story about American agriculture and acquaint restaurant consumers with American farmers, then we have succeeded. As a farmer I invest (risk) tens of thousands of dollars every year putting a crop in the ground with no guarantee of profit so it wasn't much of a stretch for me to invest (risk) a few thousand dollars in a business venture that deals with the products that I grow. Farmers have been investing in businesses that process and package their products for years (albeit not a restaurant in DC). Most of these businesses are cooperatives, some have become national brands: Ocean Spray, Welch’s, Land o’ Lakes to name a few. Some have become large in their respective product lines but package mostly for other brands: Dakota Growers Pasta, Ventura Foods (margarines and dressings). North Dakota farmers, particularly, have invested in many ideas to add value to their farming business, some quite successful, some, well, not so much. Anna, you linked to an article on Agraria’s web site and suggested that it was the restaurant’s letter to DC lobbyists. It was not Agraria’s letter; it was one of several newspaper articles that were listed on the “in the news” page. The one listed just below the one you referenced may give you a more complete picture. I would also like to direct you to the article and audio from NPR. I was in DC on business in early June and was able to attend the opening event. I have family that live in the DC area and my wife and I were out there last weekend. We ate at our restaurant. I am quite proud of what we have started and I, naturally, hope it is hugely successful. My thanks to the members of dr.com who hope for the same. Bruce