Idaho’s Farm-to-Table Connection

Help us share these incredible “Idaho Farm to Chef Connection” Stories:

In this special six-part video series called, “Idaho’s Farm‑to‑Chef Connection,” Idaho Preferred proudly features Idaho chefs working hard to stock their kitchens with locally‑grown or raised ingredients, forging genuine relationships with area farmers, food crafters, and ranchers and strengthening local economies in the process.

The Idaho Farm-to-Chef Connection series raises consumer awareness about the importance of choosing to eat at local restaurants, diners, and food trucks that are committed to supporting Idaho farmers, ranchers and food crafters.

Idaho is the nation’s 5th largest agricultural economy, producing more than 185 crops and commodities from over 24,000 farms and ranches. Restaurants are one link in the local food supply chain, and Idaho Preferred celebrates dining establishments that procure Idaho-grown or raised ingredients for their menus.

Idaho’s Farm to Chef Connection Series Blog Posts:

Launched October 11, 2022,
Each video was shot on location throughout the Gem State, including Boise, Caldwell, Middleton, Moscow, Sandpoint and Twin Falls. The videos are each approximately 5 minutes long (we call them “minisodes”), and each tells the story of Idaho grown or raised food through the experiences of the chefs and farmers who have made sourcing local ingredients a priority.

Creativity, a sense of playfulness and KINship radiates from the kitchen at @KIN_boise.. Four‑time James Beard nominee and head chef, Kris Komori, believes that supporting local farms is vital to KIN’s mission of creating memorable culinary experiences. Kris knows that sourcing from local farms is about more than using the highest quality ingredients available…it is about building community from the ground up. In this video, Kris collaborates with close friend, farmer Justin Moore of @FiddlersGreenFarm to create beautifully plated dishes that will be savored — once through the senses, and after, in memory!

The concept has always been “hyper‑seasonal, locally‑grown food that nourishes people and inspires them to eat healthier.“ It is evident that Kathy McRae, owner of Yellow Brick Cafe, walks the talk. She and chef, Jimmy Vasquez, share their appreciation for the local farmers who grow product for the cafe. Meet @PetersFamilyFarms, @RedStarGrassRanch and @River.Road.Farm… hard working farmers and ranchers who are part of the solution in cultivating a tasty culinary community in Twin Falls, Idaho!

Despite his formal training and impressive resume, Alex Jacobson has an aversion to the word, “chef.” Maybe its because his training began as a teen in the kitchen of the infamous Pack River Store, with his mother, Arlene, who earned her own reputation for serving up delicious and nourishing comfort food for locals. Today, Alex builds on that family culinary legacy, by collaborating with Jeamette and Troy Lock of @PackRiverFarm who grows ingredients exclusively for @PearlsontheLake.

Executive Chef of @thelivelyboise Edward Higgins was very happy to join the food community of SW Idaho, with its abundance of agricultural resources just outside his door. “It’s a pretty amazing place for someone who does what i do,” he says.

We caught up with Chef Edward on a day when he was making a family recipe, Agnolotti, using pastured eggs and pork from nearby @McIntyrePastures.

Chef Nate Whitley and Remi Courcenet are passionate about feeding their gastronomic vision: a retail specialty food business. The team behind Terroir Butchery + Wine have proven that you don’t need a place in order to create a sense of place. Instead, they rely on their ingenuity and their local connections with area farmers and ranchers like Purple Sage Farms to do what they do best — creative artisan and specialty foods characteristic of Idaho’s own unique terroir.

Husband and wife team, Chef Alex and Melissa Barham, have worked together for many years, he in the kitchen and she managing the front end of upscale eateries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Since Lodgepole first opened in 2015, the couple, have utilized connections to local purveyors of produce, protein, craft foods and wines, building a strong network within their local food supply chain located in Moscow, Idaho. 

General Graphics:

The following graphics are for general use across your social media accounts. Click on each image to save a high resolution file to your device and then post to your social media platforms.

Please credit our photographer with his appropriate social tags
IG: Photographer: @GuyClarkHand
FB: Photographer: @GuyHand

Suggested Captions:

Caption:
Great things happen when farmers and chefs connect. Food gets fresher and healthier while nourishing local economies. That’s what Idaho Preferred’s new video series on Farm-to-Chef Connections is all about! Watch as we explore these tasty connections all over the state!
#LiveEatLocal #IdahoPreferred #IdahosFarmToChefConnection

Caption:
Let’s celebrate the chefs who make it a priority to connect with their local farmers and ranchers, choosing Idaho-grown or raised ingredients for their menus. When you dine out, choose the restaurants that commit to sourcing locally!
#LiveEatLocal #IdahoPreferred #IdahosFarmToChefConnection

For press inquiries, contact:

Erica White
Marketing Trade Specialist
Office: 208-332-8532
erica.white@isda.idaho.gov

Creative Collaborations

We love collaborating with content creators to help spread awareness of the Idaho Preferred mission!

Social takeovers, virtual LIVE sessions, roundtable discussions, pop-ups, REELS…these are but a few of the ways we have collaborated with creators in the past. If you are interested in supporting Idaho Preferred’s mission with your content creation, please reach out! We’d love to hear your ideas and discuss potential collaboration opportunities.