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