015, Renee Boughman: F.A.R.M. Cafe

Soul Soil: Where Agriculture and Spirit Intersect with Brooke Kornegay

Renee Boughman is from Belmont, NC. She earned a Master's degree in history and another degree in Culinary Arts. While working in fine dining establishments in the North Carolina high country, Renee joined with other citizens in a grassroots effort to open a community cafe modeled after S.A.M.E. (So All May Eat) Cafe in Denver, Colorado. F.A.R.M. Cafe (Feed All Regardless of Means) opened in May 2012 and has been operating ever since.

F.A.R.M. Cafe is a unique restaurant model that operates on a pay-as-you-can basis. Based on a restaurant in Denver, CO, F.A.R.M. Cafe brings together folks from all walks of life to a community cafe that purchases locally grown foods and creates daily menus, making high quality meals accessible to anyone and everyone. At F.A.R.M. Cafe, they address the issues of not only food insecurity, but also local food system resilience, food recovery, and nutrient cycling (composting kitchen scraps). They also build community by creating a welcoming place where everyone who walks in has a seat at the table.

In this episode...

• What F.A.R.M. Cafe does, what it's all about, and where it all started

• How purchasing local foods changes everything--how daily menus are planned, the dynamics of serving local dishes on the buffet line, and access of locally grown foods to people of limited means

• Joys and challenges of running a restaurant with volunteers

• Community reaction to this new model

• F.A.R.M. Full Circle food recovery program

• The Why of the work

Resources

• F.A.R.M. Cafe website

• One World Everybody Eats