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This story was produced in collaboration with Civil Eats.
During the summer months, chef Rob Rubba and his team at Oyster Oyster, a restaurant in Washington, D.C. that focuses on vegetable-centric dishes, prepare for the seasonal reduction of ingredients that winter brings. This involves a detailed process of drying mushrooms, vegetables, and herbs, as well as making pickles and slaws, and storing garlic blossoms and coriander seeds in airtight containers to ensure these flavors are available during the colder months.
While this practice may seem outdated in today’s world of global food distribution, it remains critically important to Oyster Oyster. Named after two key ingredients—a bivalve and an oyster mushroom—the restaurant exemplifies a commitment to local, seasonal sourcing from the ocean, regional farms, and foraged wild plants from the Mid-Atlantic.
Rubba notes, “As winter approaches, the produce list often shrinks significantly. By February, our selection is quite limited, mainly consisting of root vegetables and kale.” To counter this limitation, Oyster Oyster frequently utilizes its pantry stocked with preserved items and wild foraged ingredients, which deliver vibrant flavors that enhance the winter menu. One enthusiastic critic described the restaurant’s cuisine as “a garden of good eating.”
The recipient of the Outstanding Chef award from the James Beard Foundation in 2023, Rubba is part of a growing movement of chefs reevaluating the farm-to-table concept with regards to climate change. As the impacts of severe weather events escalate, restaurants like Oyster Oyster are increasingly aware of the environmental implications of the ingredients they select and the necessity for sustainable food systems that can endure future challenges.
Rubba’s commitment to regional sourcing stems from a troubling realization: many ingredients commonly found in grocery stores and restaurants contribute to ecological destruction and exploitative labor practices in distant countries. Staples imported from areas that once housed vital ecosystems, such as rainforests, often result in significant environmental degradation.
For instance, consider chocolate. Most cocoa is harvested from West Africa, typically involving child labor on large plantations that are driving deforestation. Similarly, sugar production is riddled with environmental issues. Even when produced domestically, the burning of sugar fields contributes significantly to carbon emissions and pollutes surrounding communities. As Rubba emphasizes, he consciously avoids foods with high environmental impacts, including meat, which is responsible for 60 percent of food-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Through diligent research, Rubba has identified regional alternatives for these problematic ingredients. “We may not use many sweeteners, but when we do, we procure high-quality maple syrup from Pennsylvania,” he explains.
The restaurant also utilizes unique, sustainable substitutes: vinegars are sourced from Keepwell Vinegar in Pennsylvania, which are crafted using local sweeteners like honey and sorghum. The salt comes from Henlopsen, a flaky sea salt harvested from Delaware. Their oils are produced from sunflower and canola grown in Pennsylvania. To enrich their dishes with flavor, they collaborate with foragers to gather and store spicebush, a versatile native plant with both fruity and peppery notes, which they incorporate in various recipes.
However, Rubba cautions that not all locally-sourced foods are cultivated sustainably. “[A farmer] might be using pesticides and fertilizers while idling a diesel truck outside my restaurant for 20 minutes,” he notes.
This understanding has led Rubba to forge deeper connections with the farms he sources from. He engages in conversations to understand each farm’s production methods before committing to purchase. Although he often opts for organic produce, he prioritizes sustainable practices over official certifications. Adaptable farming techniques and diverse crop varieties are imperative as farms face increasingly erratic weather due to climate change. Healthy soils, for example, can absorb excess water during heavy rain and retain moisture during dry spells. Techniques like agroforestry not only combat climate change but also contribute to carbon sequestration.
Rubba visits each supplier farm, inquiring about crop rotation practices, soil health, and worker treatment. “Observing their operations helps me understand their systems and the people involved,” he expresses. “I refuse to offer food from farms that exploit labor.”
Other environmentally conscious restaurants echo this philosophy of carefully considering food origins. For instance, Carmo, situated in New Orleans, has centered its mission around ethical and regenerative sourcing through enduring relationships built by co-owners and chefs Dana and Christina do Carmo Honn. They have established connections with Gulf Coast fishermen and Indigenous communities in the Amazon, learning to uphold traditional ecological practices. Each ingredient thus carries a story deeply entwined with culture and geography.
“Cultivating these relationships is our priority,” Dana Honn remarks. “While farm-to-table is vital, we envision it more as origins-to-table, narrating the journey of food.”
Chefs have a role in shaping the future of food, contributing not only by recounting its history but also by fostering a sustainable market. This dedication inspired Honn’s initiative Origins: Amazonia, which has arisen from decades of collaboration with the Juruna Indigenous communities in Pará, Brazil, who have faced livelihood challenges due to megadam projects. This ambitious multidimensional project aims to narrate the critical loss of biodiversity and Indigenous territories while seeking to re-establish a market for traditional foods like cassava, enabling these communities to sustain their heritage. By highlighting the Amazon, a region crucial to global biodiversity, the Honn’s strive to instill awareness about critical environmental issues that impact the planet.
“Reestablishing the consumption of ancestral foods can reinvigorate community connections,” Honn explains, noting that the Juruna’s traditionally grown crops, such as manioc, have thrived for millennia. Carmo supports this revival through a dinner series that integrates Juruna foods, alongside fresh local produce, while also functioning as a fundraiser to support the renewal of agroforestry practices in these communities.
Similarly, Honn is committed to enhancing Louisiana’s struggling fishing industry by countering the overwhelming influence of cheap imported seafood, which has been diminishing for decades. Currently, a significant portion of the seafood available in the U.S. is sourced from abroad, which presents a myriad of issues.
Aquaculture in some countries is notorious for labor exploitation and mangrove destruction, which exacerbates vulnerability to climate change. To combat these challenges, Honn collaborates with chefs, fishermen, and experts to revitalize Louisiana’s seafood sector, establishing a more local supply chain for products like shrimp. They have initiated a program called Full Catch, creating protocols for the sustainable harvesting and distribution of Gulf seafood while also mitigating waste through promoting the sale of the entire catch.
“Usually, processing facilities discard fish parts that could be utilized,” Honn comments. “At Carmo, we embrace all parts of the fish, serving them nightly and receiving positive feedback.”
Despite the benefits of sustainable sourcing, it can pose challenges due to its inherent unpredictability.
Farmers often do not adhere to set quantities of crops year-round; instead, they innovate with their planting strategies, soil improvement measures, and other increasingly vital practices. Consequently, sustainable agricultural methods may be less predictable—designed to react responsibly to the fluctuating effects of climate change, ultimately promoting long-term resilience and stability in yields.
The restaurants that champion such farms tend to be flexible, adjusting menus according to the ongoing input from farmers. Chefs may maintain ongoing communication to align their menus with seasonal crop availability, forgoing fixed production schedules in favor of adaptability.
Isaiah Martinez, chef and owner of Yardy Rum Bar in Eugene, Oregon, maintains close contact with local farmers. “I continually ask them about the seasonality of their crops, including peppers, melons, and stone fruit,” he shares, noting that building rapport with farmers makes him a preferred recipient of their first harvests.
“I create genuine connections that encourage farmers to share their best produce with me first,” he asserts. “This means when the peaches are ready, I already know it!” Martinez frequently updates his menu, typically every few weeks, while making daily adjustments based on ingredient quality. “If carrots aren’t in good shape, we pivot to beets, and if beets are out, we go for collards,” he illustrates.
For peppers, herbs, lettuces, and beets, Martinez partners with Red Tail Organics, an organic farm that emphasizes crop diversity and the ecological benefits of hedgerows filled with native Oregon flora. This approach aids in carbon sequestration and maintaining soil stability by preventing erosion and absorbing rainfall.
Martinez also sources ingredients from Hummingbird Wholesale, a local distributor dedicated to fostering a robust market for sustainable organic farms. “We aspire to make organic norms commonplace in agriculture rather than the current 2.5 percent of total U.S. food sales,” explains marketing director Stacy Kraker. Hummingbird acts as a vital conduit, connecting organic farms, grocers, and restaurants to enhance the regional supply chain.
Hummingbird’s sourcing team evaluates climate-related stressors, including concerning drought conditions, informing their selection of farmers. “Some producers intentionally practice dry-land farming, relying solely on rainfall for moisture,” Kraker adds. “They choose crops that thrive under drought-like conditions.”
While Martinez values direct relationships with farmers, collaborating with Hummingbird allows him to confidently source ingredients from nearby farms, streamlining what could otherwise be a time-consuming process.
Dedicated sourcing can cultivate appreciation for certain ingredients among chefs, encouraging more mindful consumption. Rubba believes certain items should be perceived as special treats, including the restaurant’s celebrated bivalve.
His oysters, sourced from Chesapeake Bay, have experienced a dramatic decline in population due to overharvesting practices like dredging. Although Rubba prioritizes oysters from sustainable growers, he still opts to limit his orders. He emphasizes the need to respect the earth’s natural resources, recognizing these delicacies require gratitude in consumption.
“We must view [these oysters] as a luxury,” he concludes. “This doesn’t imply elitism; rather, we should be appreciative of them when they grace our plates.”
Grey Moran is a staff reporter for Civil Eats. Their work has appeared in The Atlantic, Grist, Pacific Standard, The Guardian, Teen Vogue, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Intercept, and elsewhere. Grey writes narrative-based stories about public health, climate change, and environmental justice, especially with a lens on the people working toward solutions. They live in New Orleans.
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