Straight from the vine…
One of the biggest buzz words right now is “authentic.”
According to Merriam-Webster, “authentic” is defined as “real or genuine; not copied or false; true and accurate.”
Chances are, whatever your field of work, the concept of authenticity has touched or reshaped your work because it’s being driven by consumer demand. (To delve deeper, check out communications agency Cohn & Wolfe’s recent study examining the relationships between consumers and authentic brands.)
I think one of the most significant markets where authenticity counts is the food industry. Studies show that more consumers care about where and how their foods are grown and made, whether they are organic, pasture-raised, cage-free, and local. (Click here for a recent Forbes’ article detailing 2017 food trends, with “Sustainability” as #5.)
So, being a foodie myself, and spending a good deal of time writing about food, I want to shine a spotlight on a friend who is doing an amazing job creating fun, authentic food tours and experiences. I first met Lori while covering a foodie magazine assignment, Beech Springs Farm’s Farm-to-Table Dinner Series, where she is one of the organizers. (Click here for the delicious backstory!)
Lori Korczyk created Savor Gettysburg Food Tours, and last summer successfully launched a new offshoot tour, the Gettysburg Farmers’ Market Tour & Cooking Class. I tagged along with a fellow foodie friend, and we had a blast. Try this for authentic:
- The tour began directly at the Gettysburg Farmers’ Market on Lincoln Square, led by Lori and Chef Jeremy Schaffner
- All of the tour participants–8 women who were fellow foodies–were lovely to meet
- We met real farmers, honey producers, cheese makers, etc directly at their stands, and they chatted about their unique products
- We all contributed ideas and let the “produce/products of the day” dictate a working menu and recipes (click here for a video clip)
- Heading back to the professional kitchen at the Adams County Arts Council, we unpacked all of our “finds” and Chef Jeremy put us each to work: washing, slicing, peparing ingredients
- Chef Jeremy led numerous instructional talks, showing us how to prepare key ingredients, how to tie a pork tenderloin, how to prepare a tartine (click for video clips)
- The day culminated in an absolutely delicious summer meal–prepared by us, directed by Chef Jeremy, with produce/products we had selected directly from farmers/producers that morning…
- Lori enhanced our meal with local wines and ciders, and lots of fun conversation flowed between our new foodie friends
Enjoy a visual tour, below; click on any photo to arrow through a slideshow. Visual storyteling is, after all, proof of an authentic experience!
Notes:
Savor Gettysburg is launching a new authentic tour for 2017: The Field-to-Fork Agritourism Experience. The original “Savor Gettysburg” tours kick off the 2017 season this weekend (April 1), and the Farmers’ Market/Cooking Class tours begin in June.
