Outstanding in the Field is a dinner series that celebrates farmers by serving the freshest food en plein air, in fields all over the world. Having grown up on a small family farm, I like the idea a lot. Vegetables so fresh that the dirt is still cool in your hands, tomatoes that actually taste like a tomato because they are not genetically engineered to be more expensive. Meat that has a name… Certainly this kind of an experience is a luxury, because the realities of industrial food production and consumption limit the direct contact we have with the origin of basic ingredients.
But getting out there, sitting at a table in a field where the food was grown – it is great way to gain perspective. And more importantly, just a great way to eat. Outside, under the sun, it really feels free. A sky-high ceiling, a bit of breeze – the food is just more present. Like the difference between shrink-wrap and something from the farmer’s market.
Andrea Wyner has been documenting these dinners for several years now, and will be photographing more this season as well. It is a special challenge because it combines the diversity of a travel shoot with the time-sensitive pressures of a wedding. The best moments are fleeting and they combine people, environments, and food. Funny how all the best aspects of the actual dinner are added complexities for the photographer.
According to Andrea, “Even though the dinners are in the most beautiful green settings it can feel like a fast paced busy kitchen!” Luckily she is outstanding with a camera, with the patience for great shots and the dexterity to capture them in the blink of a shutter. We’ll be posting more shots from the series as the 2010 season unfolds. Until then, make an effort to get outside and eat under the sun! Your local farmer will thank you.
