MDA Celebrates Spring by Hosting Screening of "The Maryland Harvest" Broadcast highlights partnerships between farmers and chef

MDA Celebrates Spring by Hosting Screening of "The Maryland Harvest"
Broadcast highlights partnerships between farmers and chef

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 03, 2012) – To celebrate the beginning of the spring planting season, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) today hosted an advanced screening of the upcoming documentary "The Maryland Harvest." Local chefs and farmers featured in the documentary, which will air on Maryland Public Television (MPT) later this month, participated in a panel discussion immediately following the piece.

“The documentary highlights the growing importance that top chefs are placing on food that comes fresh from the farm and the partnerships that are being formed between restaurants and farmers to ensure consumers get the best tasting and most nutritious food possible,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “We hope that as many people as possible will see this documentary and gain a better understanding of where their food actually comes from.”

Houpla, Inc., a Baltimore company, produced the documentary, which follows the growing season and chronicles several chef-farmer partnerships. For Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, Spring means lamb from Whitmore Farm; for Chef Cindy Wolf of Charleston restaurant, spring means Godfrey’s Farm asparagus. Chef David McCallum of Tilghman Island Inn plans his spring menu with neighbor Lisa Jones-Raymond of Dogwood Farm. And Rob Plant, chef at Blue Wind Gourmet in Southern Maryland, collaborates with Brett Groshgal of Even’ Star Organic Farm and Kathy Cropper of Friendly Hall Farm.

“Viewers beware: don’t watch this program hungry,” said Houpla’s Brooke McDonald, executive producer of The Maryland Harvest.

“My primary function in the restaurant is to work with farmers,” said Chef Gjerde in the documentary. “And my primary function up to this point has been trying to create relationships with growers and try to understand better what they do and what their challenges are, and how this restaurant can better serve their interests.”

Local radio personality Al Spoler hosts the documentary and was on hand at MDA to lead a panel discussion with farmers and chefs in attendance. Spoler is the creator and co-host of "Cellar Notes" and "Radio Kitchen" on WYPR radio. He recently produced and hosted MPT’s "Chesapeake Wine Country" and "Brewed on the Bay: The Craft Beers of Maryland." Spoler also organizes the annual Maryland Wine Governor’s Cup competition. Additional panelist include Gjerde (Baltimore), Lisa Godfrey of Godfrey’s Farm (Queen Anne’s County) and Russ Shlagel of Shlagel Farms (Charles County.)

"The Maryland Harvest" is scheduled to air on MPT on April 17 at 9 p.m. The screening at MDA featured about 15 minutes of the hour-long broadcast. "The Maryland Harvest" is made possible in part by MDA through a grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Other underwriters include the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO), the Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture, and MidAtlantic Farm Credit.

# # #