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Local farmers and the fresh food movement Written by EMilY EthErEdgE
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hen the summer months of July to late September arrive, Birmingham chef and Café Dupont owner Chris Dupont eagerly awaits certain varieties of figs that will be delivered to his restaurant. Once the fruit is delivered, Dupont samples the selections that create ideas from his taste buds which recognize the dedication, hard work and determination of local farmers. The produce will eventually be transformed into elegant and delectable cuisines for someone’s dinner. “There is something about the fruit that comes from Chilton County that just tastes wonderful,” Dupont said. “When a certain fruit goes out of season and those of us in the restaurant know it won’t be available again until another year, we are seriously bummed.” Dupont is one of many restaurateurs following a growing movement in the food industry of purchasing local products from area growers, creating new and innovative recipes for consumers that want to be informed of where their food is coming from. “When I first opened my restaurant in 1992, I opened in Springville and had to use a lot of things purchased from local farmers because I didn’t have a lot of money, at the time” Dupont said. “When I started serving foods that had been purchased from farmers markets it was kind of looked at as unique and different and what used to be a novelty is now an expectation.” The metamorphosis of food consumers who want to know where the foods they are eating come from is benefitting local farmers in Chilton County who are recognizing that not only are people wanting to eat foods that are healthy, but they are wanting to eat foods that taste good. Dr. Arlie Powell, co-owner of Petals from the Past in Jemison, services numerous retail and wholesale markets with
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