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Kate Barney
F.A.R.M.S. Apprentice
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
September 13, 2011
While Kate unfortunately falls under the category of another gastrognome we have yet to meet in person, we know she's a kindred spirit because of her passion for Blue Hill and the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a place that embodies the values of sustainability and food culture and translates them beautifully through education and service. She was among the first to fill their coveted, and relatively new, apprenticeship program, and you won't be alone in feeling jealous. But don't let yourself turn green with envy - fill out your own application for the next round of hiring!
What attracted you to a good food job?

I started my career in good food doing farm to cafeteria work at my alma mater Kenyon College. When I graduated, I knew that I didn't want to be a chef and that I didn't want to be a farmer (two occupations I admire greatly!) so I forged ahead figuring out what else I could do to be working with chefs, farmers and food. I fell in love with restaurant service the minute I started. I love being the steward of good food.
The F.A.R.M.S. Apprenticeship at Blue Hill at Stone Barns is about educating service professionals about this stewardship of ingredients and craft in the Front of the House. And even though I don't aspire to be a full time farmer, I love volunteering side by side with the farmers at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture once a week; they are so intensely knowledgeable and passionate about their craft. I bring the knowledge they've passed on to me to the restaurant's guests during their dining experience. I then in turn can share anecdotes of the guest experience with the farmers-it is beautiful to see the whole process.

How did you get your current good food job?

For as long as I can remember Blue Hill, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Chef Dan Barber have been on my professional radar. I've been admiring them from afar for years. When I was finishing up graduate school at UNISG (yes, Kate also a recent grad of the same Master in Food Culture that Taylor attended back in '06). I was looking for my next step and found the F.A.R.M.S. Apprenticeship on the Blue Hill website. Given my background in restaurant service and farm to table work, the F.A.R.M.S. Apprenticeship was a perfect fit!

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

For the past several years I have my fingers in many good food pots-I worked in farm-to-table restaurant service, at farmers' markets and in food education/access in an effort to piece together my ideal day. The F.A.R.M.S. Apprenticeship at Blue Hill at Stone Barns packaged all this up for me in one incredible program. Through the apprenticeship I have built upon my knowledge of these fields from one of the premier farm-to-table establishments in the country.

What advice do you have for others in search of a good food job?

Read constantly! Our field is so creative and exciting that there are always new projects and people to work with. I started adamantly following Dan Barber's career by reading his piece "The Mouth That Matters" in Gourmet several years ago.
And?always say yes to opportunity! You never know what volunteer job or internship can lead you to your dream job or meeting people who you will work with in the future. Before moving to Italy I worked in the good food world in Atlanta, Georgia. While working at the restaurant Holeman and Finch Public House my boss asked me if I wanted to sell our bread at a local farmers' market. This job selling bread for H&F Bread Co. at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market led me to opportunities managing the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market and working as the Program Assistant for Wholesome Wave Georgia.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Frequent flier miles and free meals! There are so many restaurants and farms around the world that I would love to visit.
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