Loco for Local
Reflections from The Bewildered Pig
by Janelle Weaver
We have been big fans of Word of Mouth since day one! In a way, we “grew up” together, as The Bewildered Pig opened the same year that the magazine released its first issue in 2016. We’re each going on six years in operation, and both the magazine and the restaurant have forged paths into the heart of our community and become known as trusted sources, sharing local food philosophy and ideals.
When we first permanently arrived in Mendocino County to open our restaurant, the word “local” took on a much different meaning. We had been visiting and catering in Anderson Valley for over a decade, and we had so much excitement and passion about finally being able to realize our long held dream of opening a small, intimate restaurant featuring locally sourced foods. The thought never occurred to us that we might not be considered “locals” after moving here.
Daniel and I were a bit unprepared for the unforeseen politics of earning acceptance into a new community, alongside the intense pressures of opening a small restaurant in the “middle of nowhere.” It appeared that there were endless factors when considering whether someone or something was “local.” Over time, we have come to realize that the concepts of being “local” and sourcing food locally are much more interrelated, thoughtful, and complex than their textbook definitions.
Sourcing local food for a restaurant is a fairly complex endeavor. It requires much more than just typing “sourced locally” on the menu. First, chefs and farmers have to find each other. Sounds very simple, but in reality, small farmers, like chefs, are extremely busy and don’t have a big outreach/marketing budget or team. Both are struggling business people: up at dawn (or just going to sleep after a long night of work), managing all areas of their business, and working “8 days a week.” A chef doesn’t just call up a farmer, fisherperson, or artisan food producer and “order stuff.” Like an individual becoming part of a community, the process of chef and farmer uniting requires building a relationship based on long-term commitment and trust.
Once they’ve found one another, they learn about their respective food philosophies and practices. There are discussions about availability, timing, and options. Finally, an initial order is made. Great! Now that that’s done, how to get the product? Delivery and receipt of product can be complicated, especially in a rural, spread out area like Mendocino County. I can’t tell you how many suspicious looking rendezvous in parking lots or on the side of the roads have taken place when coordinating with small purveyors to receive goods! Sometimes it’s delegating deliveries/pick ups to servers or managers coming to or from work, or maybe the purveyor knows someone who may be traveling nearby. It requires a lot of collaboration.
As time goes on, a chef and purveyor become almost like business partners: they are taking a chance on each other and making long-term arrangements in advance, up to a year or more. Some end up partnered for decades. How many heads of cabbage can you grow? Can we get them at reasonably consistent sizes? The chef expects a certain quality, criteria, and timely deliverability of goods, and s/he relies on the expertise of the farmer to deal amicably with Mother Nature. The purveyor expects to work hard to ensure that they’ve done their best to grow/raise their product with utmost care and trusts that the product will be utilized with integrity (and, of course, paid for). It is a relationship that relies on mutual commitment to survive.
Many chefs also enjoy foraging and gleaning. Though they already work 12-plus hour days, some are so passionate and dedicated that they’ll wake in the wee hours to go seeking mushrooms, wild herbs, sea salt, berries, and myriad other wild delicacies. I recall arriving at a farmer’s orchard at 4:00 am to glean figs. The farmer was contracted to a famous chef and was not supposed to “sell” to anyone else, even though the chef only used less than 10% of the product! So the farmer provided his incredible figs to me in secret. Some chefs raise and harvest their own animals. There is really no end to the depths chefs can go to express their passion for showcasing locally sourced food!
We are lucky to be in this magical area, with so many local food options: beyond-organic fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, olive oil, wine, fish, fowl, and livestock. We even have a local mill that freshly grinds heirloom grains into flour! And if you can’t bake bread yourself, you can order it from a local baker.
As a busy chef, I deeply appreciate having the MendoLake Food Hub as a purveyor and delivery liaison. I wish that the entire country could have this model, and we do as much as we can to support this vital resource. Without the Food Hub, my chef life would be markedly more difficult, and I think the farmers would say the same. Fashioned much like a CSA, the Food Hub unites very small farmers with Mendocino and Lake County businesses and individuals by way of an online portal and distribution infrastructure. This business makes sourcing amazing, locally grown product incredibly easy. Like any business, it takes a while to smooth out the kinks, and I feel honored to have been with the Food Hub from the early days! As a fledgling businesses, we were patient with one another—another great example of local communities working together.
OK, but what does it actually mean to be “a local?” While some may ascertain whether a person in a locale is a “local” simply by proxy, I believe that it is much deeper than that. Is it simply how long one has resided in a place? Must one be born there to be truly local? Were the native Indians considered local? Like, if you live somewhere for 5 years, you’re somewhat local? 40 years you’re VERY local?
Over the years, we have come to create our own thoughts (and spelling) on the subject. To us, being “Loco(l)” is about how one interacts and contributes to a place and its inhabitants. It’s about contributing positively to society in one’s own unique way. It isn’t merely subscribing to someone else’s notions. It’s about respecting the world around oneself and being able to cherish and see the beauty of the immediate moment. Being “Loco(l)” is a state of mind, a way of living that embraces that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” for the true and greater good of the community.
Being considered a “local” in a small community takes more than just existing in a place. One must demonstrate that they possess shared values, are willing to participate in some positive way, and that they care for others in the community. Each community is a kaleidoscope of these interwoven principles, and each locale has individual differences based on its demographic make-up.
Coming here, we felt that we would nestle into a curiously diverse community of artists, rebels, sustainable farmers, winos, foodies, metropolitan expats, and people dedicated to “green” living. People here appear to enjoy music, dancing, and living mindful, responsible, bucolic existences. We appreciate Mendocino County because we enjoy farming and “living off the land.” We also crave quietness and solitude. Many who live here make great efforts to help one another in myriad ways: growing “stuff,” harvesting it, sharing equipment, exchanging time, sharing information and knowledge . . . the list goes on and on.
We continue to observe what the word “local” means to us as members of society, chefs, hosts, friends, gardeners, business owners, bosses, and human beings, both in this little hamlet and in the global “village.” In the world of food, supporting our community of farmers, foragers, ranchers, and fishing boats is of paramount importance. But we also enjoy introducing ourselves and our guests to delicious and unique delicacies sourced from our global community. We live in a beautiful world, and we want to celebrate its richness and diversity.
It took a little while, but we now feel comfortable with our place and view in this unique community, and we hope to continue as humble humans practicing what it means to be a positive part of this amazing place that we truly call home.
The Bewildered Pig | 1810 Highway 128, Philo
(707) 895-2088 | TheBewilderedPig.com
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Chef Janelle Weaver, Co-Owner of The Bewildered Pig restaurant in Anderson Valley, has cooked professionally for over 20 years. She stays inspired by celebrating the local bounty of all things edible, cultivating a continued passion for the art of hospitality, and sharing her love of cooking with others. She and partner, Daniel Townsend, enjoy living a simple life on their modest farm with their “family” of chickens, rabbits, cats, and an occasional pig.
