Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Meg Fama. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Meg, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

As a business owner, I want to make food that is sustainable, healthy, and affordable. I was inspired by my grandmother, who used to prepare our weekly Sunday dinners from scratch. She had a large garden and would grow most of the food she used for our meals. I got tasked with the very important job of picking the ingredients to complete the meal. I loved the idea that you could grow your own ingredients and turn them into delicious food for your community. I’ve never been particularly excited to eat food, but I was drawn to the idea of making it for others to enjoy.

During my culinary career, I would watch restaurant deliveries come in from all around the world. I didn’t understand why the restaurants would order food from hundreds or thousands of miles away when we had access to fresh food that tasted better and lasted longer at the hundreds of farms in our state. I started working with a local farmer that I met at a farmers market. The quality and taste of their products inspired me to partner with more farms, bakers, and other local producers. When I launched my own business, I decided to focus on local farm ingredients, and chose the name, The Farm Belly, to reflect my commitment. I currently work with over 100 Connecticut farms, and deeply value these relationships. I have a relationship with each farmer I work with and post my interviews and photographs of their farms on social media for my customers to discover. Customers can buy all the produce, meat, and dairy I use at farmers markets or farm stands.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Funnily enough being a chef was never part of my plan! I grew up in Connecticut and lived in different places and tried out a few career paths before coming back to my home state and cooking full-time. I started out at a local school that had their own farm and hired me to teach the students how to cook sustainably so they could eat homegrown food year-round. After that, I worked at a few restaurants where I honed my cooking skills (I’m a self-taught chef), and had the unfortunately common, negative experiences women have in the restaurant world. I also got to witness some positive examples of how a kitchen could be run and I’m glad to see that the industry is changing and trending in an encouraging direction.

My grandmother used “a little of this and a little of that” instead of recipes. She taught me that the food would tell me what it needed, which has proven to be invaluable advice. I have an endless list of food allergies and am also a vegetarian, so when I’m cooking I use my instincts and sense of smell instead of taste.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Most of my business comes from word-of-mouth referrals and local support. I post on my business’s social media sites, but I’ve never used any formal advertising methods. My business is in New Haven, Connecticut, which is not a big city. Most people in my town know and support each other, which is a rare and wonderful thing. For example, I started The Farm Belly with a food truck and on opening day I was flabbergasted to see so many people, most of whom I hadn’t seen in years, show up to support me. It was truly amazing!

I started catering weddings for friends and family, and through referrals have grown a steady catering business. I also cater at local colleges and universities, where I try to network as much as possible at each catering event. This has led to several regular clients, who are happy to hire small, women-owned businesses that also support Connecticut’s local farms.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

New Haven is relatively small, and I’ve worked hard to grow my business. Making simple food that is fresh and delicious has been my formula for success. I’m not the ideal caterer for someone who needs to know exactly what their menu will be, because I won’t know what will be available and in season. My ideal client is someone who is flexible and understands the farm to table model. I love being creative and cooking with whatever ingredients the farmers have available. We have our staple menu items, but the exciting part of my business strategy is that there will always be surprises, depending on our farmers and the unpredictable Connecticut seasons.

Another part of my business strategy is to educate my customers and offer them local farm products they wouldn’t normally try. One of the farms I work with had a surplus of liver and asked if I would buy it at a huge discount. I thinly sliced the liver, cooked it with onions and peppers, and threw cheese on top. I priced it below market value and told my customers that this was a far cry from the tasteless liver we all grew up eating. One customer was brave enough to try it and loved it. Word spread quickly and within the hour I sold out of the 20 pounds of liver I got from the farmer.

Contact Info:

• Website: thefarmbelly.com
• Instagram: @thefarmbelly
• Facebook: //thefarmbelly
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-fama-78b52b95
• Youtube: @thefarmbelly9550
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@thefarmbelly

Image Credits
Mark Serman (ink marked) Meg Fama