Restaurateur Josh Nelson of the Selland Family Restaurants was a driving force behind Sacramento's recognition in 2012 as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital.
As a restaurant owner, Nelson saw the unique position Sacramento is in with its high-quality soil, sunny climate, year-round growing season and a wide range of farmland. Coupling that access to fresh food with the talented chefs in the region, he was part of a regional push in the local food industry to get that message taken beyond Sacramento.
When then-Mayor Kevin Johnson announced that title for Sacramento in November 2012, it didn't take long for Sacramento to trumpet that message across the state, country and internationally. A series of food-focused events produced by Visit Sacramento every September has helped highlight what Sacramento has always been -- a city surrounded by some of the best agricultural land in the world that has long seen local chefs place an emphasis on sourcing quality local ingredients.
In June 2019, restaurant ratings giant the Michelin Guide released a California-specific guide in which Sacramento restaurants received a number of honors, including Nelson's The Kitchen receiving Sacramento's first Michelin Star.
In this episode of the Visit Sacramento Podcast, Nelson discusses the journey from being named America's Farm-to-Fork Capital to having Michelin in Sacramento and where he sees things going from here.
Learn more about Michelin's recognition of Sacramento's dining scene here.
The Visit Sacramento Podcast is available on the web as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms.