L'Etoile is a fine dining restaurant established in 1976 by Chef Odessa Piper. Our seasonal menus are inspired by the Midwest region and are rendered with a French influence.
"Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." — Gail Feenstra, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, University of California-Davis
Sustainable Agriculture
For thirty years, L’Etoile has been a
Midwestern innovator in dining that supports community-based,
sustainable agriculture. What is ‘sustainable agriculture’ exactly?
Though definitions of this term can be complex, at the heart of this
concept is a dedication to methods of food growing that do not deplete
natural resources and do not use harmful, artificial substances that
accumulate in the environment.
Due to the dedication to sustainable agriculture on the part of
restaurants like L’Etoile, an array of naturally and organically raised
foods that were considered exotic just a few years ago--free-range pork
and poultry, grass-fed beef, and heirloom fruits and vegetables--are now
readily available to diners. Farmers and chefs introduced these culinary
delights to customers who embraced them enthusiastically. The
cooperative nature of this system is demonstrated in the close
relationships L’Etoile shares with the purveyors who supply the
restaurant with produce, meats and cheeses. These farmers often visit
the restaurant to talk about what they raise, and restaurant staff are
invited out to the farms in the Spring and Summer to enjoy a meal and
walk the fields where vegetables are grown or cattle
graze.
Agriculture Lesson on Jones Valley Farm
How does supporting sustainable agriculture influence the running of a restaurant? Rather than letting recipes determine his shopping list, Chef Tory Miller lets fresh and local ingredients inspire seasonal menus, bringing rainbows of color to the plates of diners: sugar-snap peas, tomatoes and asparagus, all locally grown by small farmers who raise products of quality, naturally and often organically. For you, the diner, it means that you’re not only enjoying a world-class meal in an elegant setting, prepared with the finest and freshest ingredients available, but that you’re also supporting small family farms in Wisconsin. A dining experience at L’Etoile is something both you and your taste buds can feel good about.
Sustainable Agriculture Links
American Farmland Trust has a vision for change: a vision of well-managed, protected farm and ranch land that provides open space, clean water, healthy food, wildlife habitat and a renewed connectedness between the farm community and the rest of America. Founded in 1980 by a group of farmers and conservationists concerned about the rapid loss of the nation's farmland to development, American Farmland Trust (AFT) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting our nation's strategic agricultural resources.
The Animal Welfare Institute strives to prioritize the well-being of animals and the sustainability of humane, independent family farms. The Animal Welfare Insitute has implemented an Animal Welfare Approved seal that consumers should look for when grocery shopping or dining out especially when looking at poultry, beef, lamb, pork, eggs, and dairy. Additionally, farms that want to be a part of the Animal Welfare Institute must comply with the most progressive standards in terms of animal well-being in the United States today.
Fountain Prairie Farm Cattle Grazing
the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS)
CIAS is a sustainable agriculture research center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Cornucopia Institute is a progressive farm policy research group based in Wisconsin that aims, through research and investigations on agricultural issues, to provide needed information to consumers, family farmers, and the media.
This Madison based non-profit works to support and empower small scale family farms. Family Farm Defenders started in 1984 as a grass roots organization. Today, through fundraising and advocacy, Family Farm Defenders raises awareness for consumers and money for farmers especially times of need.
Find a Farmers Market Near You!
This page is part of the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Service web site. On this page, you can search for a farmers market in all 50 states and locate the one that is closest to you.
John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics
Professor John Ikerd was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri. He studied at the University of Missouri, earning BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Agricultural Economics. His career was spent working for research and education programs related to sustainable agriculture. Since his retirement and appointment as Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics on February 1, 2000, Ikerd spends most of his time writing and speaking out on issues related to sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on the economics of sustainabilty. Please visit his website to read more about his career and many of his published works.
One of the Goats at Fantôme Farm
Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy
The Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy works to propose policies that will benefit farmers, consumers, rural communities and the environment. IATP runs a number of different programs aimed at their aforementioned mission. Some of their programs and departments include trade and global governance, environment and agriculture, food and health, forestry, and rural communities.
International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM)
IFOAM's mission is leading, uniting and assisting the organic movement in its full diversity. Their goal is the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems that are based on the principles of Organic Agriculture.
The mission of the Land Stewardship Project is to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop sustainable communities. Through their Farm Beginnings program, this non-profit works to ensure that family farms can remain operating as small family farms by educating enthusiastic beginning farmers.
Michael Fields is a public, non-profit learning center that focuses its efforts on research, education, technical assistance, and public policy issues of farming. This wonderful community asset is located in nearby East Troy, Wisconsin.
the National Agricultural Library
The United States Department of Agriculture's web site designed to advance access to global information for agriculture; this site provides links to other relevant sites and has posted many written works on the topic of agriculture.
the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is a network of local, regional and national groups working for federal policy that supports family farms, sustainable agriculture and a socially just, economically and environmentally sustainable food system. Their web site has great resources on important policy as well as avenues for action.
The government's home page for the United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. This site lists important consumer information, certification standards and guidelines, and frequently asked questions and answers.
Piglets at Willow Creek Farm
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is created and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. It provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.
The Organic Consumers Association is a non-profit public interest organization that uses grassroots efforts to safeguard organic standards and food safety labels, to raise awareness on issues involving industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and environmental sustainability. If you are looking for an action alert group to support with your volunteer energy or with a donation, please visit their web site for more information.
Organic Seed Alliance is a nonprofit public charity that supports the ethical development and stewardship of the genetic resources of agricultural seed. They accomplish their goals through collaborative education and research programs with organic farmers and other seed professionals. The Organic Seed Alliance works to restore and develop seed varieties for current needs while safeguarding invaluable genetic resources for future generations. They also share information with the public & policy makers on seed issues via their web site, newsletter, published papers and their Seed Growers Conference.
Snug Haven's Barn
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP)
SAREP is a state-wide program that was created through the grass roots efforts of organizations and indivduals concerned about the environmental impacts of agriculture, the health of rural communities, and the profitability of family farming operations in California. SAREP provides leadership and support for scientific research and education in agricultural and food systems that are economically viable, conserve natural resources and biodiversity, and enhance the quality of life in California's communities. SAREP serves farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, researchers, educators, regulators, policy makers, industry professionals, consumers, and community organizations across the state.
Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food Group is a non-profit organization located in Madison, Wisconsin. The REAP Food Group is building a regional food system that is healthful, just, and both environmentally and economically sustainable. REAP connects producers, consumers, policy-makers, educators, businesses and organizations to nourish the links between land and table.
The founding father of the Slow Food Movement, Carlo Petrini, recognized in 1986 that the industrialization of food was standardizing taste and leading to the annihilation of thousands of food varieties and flavors. Concerned that the world was quickly reaching a point of no return, he wanted to reach out to consumers and demonstrate to them that they have choices over fast food and supermarket homogenization. He rallied his friends and began to speak out at every available opportunity and soon the movement was born and Slow Food was created. Today the organization is active in 50 countries and has a worldwide membership of over 80,000.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program is part of the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, is managed in partnership with regional land grant hosts, and funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.
