I am nothing if not passionate about food. I believe that eating good food, recognizing quality, and focusing on small-scale providers creates a more balanced food ecosystem that results in healthier people and healthier farms. The problem is, most people don’t ever get to meet their farmer. They don’t understand that there is a person behind that carrot, a person who planted a seed, nurtured it, watched it grow long feathery greens wondering what was hidden beneath the earth, and who harvested before delivering it to your local farmers market, CSA, or grocery store.

Food doesn’t grow on it’s own, but we often forget that.

This summer, a collection of chefs, artists, and activists dedicated to sustaining small-scale farming in the U.K. are coming together to put on  a series of farm-to-table pop-up dining events to bring awareness to farmers and small businesses. The project, called Enroot, is based on the belief that I agree with wholeheartedly – that there is an ever-increasing disconnect between the food people eat and the people who produced it.

Enroot’s goal is to bridge this gap in a high-touch and local way. There have been countless documentaries and features about the food production system, but Enroot believes that in order to really understand the food system, you have to become better acquainted with your local food system, not just the ones shown on screen.

The dinners will be centered around a menu that reflects the produce of the communities in which they take place, and diners will enjoy the company of the very farmers and community members who took the food from field to fork.

Enroot was founded by Angus Buchanan-Smith and DeVonn Francis, friends from college, who have deep ties to food and farming. Angus grew up on the Cockburn Farm Dairy, a small family farm located just outside of Edinburgh, Scotland, that was forced to close in 2003 due to the collapse of the dairy market in the UK. DeVonn grew up working in his fathers restaurant in Virginia.

By connecting farmers with their local communities over what is perhaps the most unifying of human experiences, a meal, the Founders of Enroot hope to strengthen the relationship between the two and build a greater level of understanding that will keep small-scale farming alive and thriving.

The Enroot Kickstarter campaign is currently is only $3000 away from their $20,000 goal, but they only have 10 hours to go. It will only happen if they meet their goal, and I’d hate to see such a huge opportunity for both farmer and the public to go up in smoke. I’ve backed it, and if you believe that food matters, I encourage you to do so as well. A small amount goes a long way towards more sustainable food practices and more secure small-farms.