Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Chantell LaPan is an Assistant Professor in the Sustainable Tourism & Hospitality program at UNC Greensboro. Her research focuses on micro-entrepreneurship and tourism, with a particular interest in rural tourism development. She received a PhD in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management as well as a Master of International Studies Degree from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Erick T. Byrd, PhD is the Director of the Center for Industry Research & Engagement in the Bryan School of Business and Economics and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, and Tourism at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His research interests include agritourism, wine tourism and tourism stakeholder understanding and participation.

Sebastian Wolfrum is the founder and maltster of Epiphany Craft Malt in Durham, NC, with the mission to provide an integrated regional supply to brewers, distillers, and other sprouted grain ventures. Born and raised in Germany, he earned his certification as a brewer & maltster with the Ayinger Brewery outside of Munich in 1999. Instrumental in the founding of the NC Craft Brewers Guild in 2008, Sebastian has served the industry in various roles and speaking engagements until this day. In 2012, he added a certificate in distilling from IBD, London. As executive brewmaster at Capitol Broadcasting Company from 2014 -2020, Sebastian developed the Rocky Mount Mills Brewery Incubator.

Abstract (150 Words)

Food is foundational to culture. While farm-to-table culinary tourism has expanded greatly over the past several decades, the abrupt onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly reversed course overnight. In the U.S., many restaurants were shuttered for several months and subsequently had to alter their business model to reopen. Meanwhile, farmers that worked closely with chefs were vulnerable to dramatic changes in purchasing habits. Therefore, this study sought to explore the relationship between chefs and farmers and how the stress of the pandemic impacted these relationships. It also looked at the role of shared sustainability values on the farmer-chef relationship during times of stress. The study took place between October 2020 and March 2021 and involved in-depth virtual interviews with farmers and chefs. Preliminary results suggest that while working relationships are not always contingent on shared values, shared sustainability values can be critical in maintaining these connections during difficult times.

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Examining farm-to-table during the COVID-19 pandemic: Sustainability and the chef-farmer relationship in times of stress

Food is foundational to culture. While farm-to-table culinary tourism has expanded greatly over the past several decades, the abrupt onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly reversed course overnight. In the U.S., many restaurants were shuttered for several months and subsequently had to alter their business model to reopen. Meanwhile, farmers that worked closely with chefs were vulnerable to dramatic changes in purchasing habits. Therefore, this study sought to explore the relationship between chefs and farmers and how the stress of the pandemic impacted these relationships. It also looked at the role of shared sustainability values on the farmer-chef relationship during times of stress. The study took place between October 2020 and March 2021 and involved in-depth virtual interviews with farmers and chefs. Preliminary results suggest that while working relationships are not always contingent on shared values, shared sustainability values can be critical in maintaining these connections during difficult times.