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In her project, "American Pantry," Andrea Blum uses aerial photography to photograph individuals involved in the food production and culinary cuisine of their area to create an interactive geographical food atlas of the country.
( Kenny Blum Photography and Andrea Blum for MAP )
My American Pantry, a national photography project aimed at mapping artisan food and drink, will visit the Pioneer Valley on Sept. 15 at 3 p.m.
MAP will make a stop at a historic apple orchard on Mount Warner Road, in Hadley, as it travels around the United States, documenting an interactive tapestry of farms, food, story and recipes that celebrate the American table by aerial photography.
“The idea is so that people can learn where the food is coming from, and be able to ‘travel’ to an area to discover things special to that place, or special to a person. It’s like a beautiful, on-line farmers market, but curated and full of potential stories,” said Andrea Blum, culinary artist and MAP founder.
Blum documents the wide array of artisans, products, and food traditions native to different geographic areas of America. The photographic shoots provide an opportunity to gather stories from participants about their practices, products and their craft.
Blum combined her background in art, food, agriculture and journalism to start the Local Food Lab at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. There, she wrote a business plan, launched the project website, and came across the inspiration for how to do it.
“I saw an overhead photo in the New York Times about a survivalist family and their provisions they would need in case of an emergency. I was attracted to the pattern of the photo, and remembered that my brother has a drone and that we should use it,” she said.
Blum’s brother uses drones as a professional tool in his work as an extreme sports photographer. The two collaborated on the first shoot in January 2013, and since then she has been talking to press for stories, galleries about shows and with a publisher for a possible book deal.
Pioneer Valley farmers and food artisans interested in information about the shoot should visit myamericanpantry.com. Participants must RSVP on the Western Mass link on the website or by calling (415) 300-6686.
“Everyone will get confirmation information but, essentially, you bring yourselves, your products and the tools of the trade that represent you, and we will do the rest,” she said. “The drone will fly above and my brother and I will be on the ground controlling the camera and the machine as a team. The drone will go up and land quite a number of times.”
The shoot is slated to last two hours. Participants are encouraged to bring a picnic for afterwards. In the case of inclement weather, the shoot will be called off or postponed. All updates will be posted on the MAP website.
Blum, a resident of the Bay Area, was determined to take her project to the Pioneer Valley because its connection to farming, food and her family in Hadley.
“My sister and her husband happened to settle in the Valley and own Carr’s Ciderhouse. You could say this particular shoot is a family affair on this go-around,” she said.
The end goal of the MAP project is to create an online, and off-line, map of people, products and stories, allowing viewers and even shoppers to interact with the images and stories.
Blum hopes to bring the finalized project from all 50 states to the World's Fair in Milan in 2015.
Blum's passion for food dates back to her childhood. A graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School Journalism program, she seeks to discover the stories each dish can tell, whether from the highlands of Tibet or remote villages in Turkey.
My American Pantry is an extension of Blum's geographic quest to follow food back to where it is made and, in some cases, totally renewed.
“We are in the middle of a zeitgeist moment in American food. I really think that all this ‘back to the basics’ using raw materials and innovation will help change the way we think and eat,” she said.
“At the same time, we can support local economies, no matter how small they are, and no longer do we need to get our olive oil from Italy, or spices from Spain. We can get it all in here in the U.S. and at a very high quality.”
Blum is the culinary artist in residence at California's Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga.
“Local scale economies still thrive and that’s why a MAP could really help artisans get on a national map, so to speak, and help them grow. The stories are so interesting and I can’t wait to share them all,” she said.
For more information about My American Pantry, visit myamericanpantry.com.