Patrick Martins

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Since 1998, Patrick Martins, a born-and-bred New Yorker, has been leading the Slow Food Movement in the U.S. as the president of Slow Food USA. Recognizing a need to offer Americans the opportunity to support the movement, he started Heritage Foods USA in 2001 as the sales and marketing arm for The Heritage Turkey Project, which helped double the population of heritage turkeys in the U.S. and upgraded the Bourbon Red turkey from “rare” to “watch” status on conservation lists.

Today Heritage Foods USA is an independent company with the aim to save American food traditions. It processes 150 genetically sound, antibiotic-free and pasture-raised pigs every week, from 20 farmers from the Midwest and Virginia, 10,000 heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving and a few hundred head of cattle per year.

“We must eat these foods to save them,” Martins explains. He and his staff are committed to total traceability, an essential part of food safety regulation. At Heritage, the staff knows every single farmer and has visited every farm. The slaughterhouses and processing facilities are equally well vetted.

Martins newest addition is Heritage Radio Network, which explores and deciphers the complex U.S. food system and its relation to daily life. Check it out at heritageradionetwork.com. —Denise Shoukas

Martins shared more of his story with us:

Growing up in New York City, are you surprised that your work is so directly connected to supporting American farmers?

Yes; NYC is far removed from agriculture. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to it. And over summers I loved visiting farms in Florida and France and Italy.

What is the most challenging or satisfying part of your job?

Definitely selling all the parts of the pig each and every week. We kill 200 pigs a week and have to sell all the cuts.

If someone could shadow you for one day at your job, what would surprise that person most?

How many people we have to deal with on a daily basis to keep Heritage Foods USA and Heritage Radio Network going. We are always on the phone and always marshalling people to move food in the right direction.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A fireman. Each and every day they dedicate their lives to save and better that of others. Also, a centerfielder for the Yankees, but Bernie Williams took that job from me.

Aside from your products, what three items can you always find in your kitchen?

Pork chops, coffee and olive oil.

Denise Shoukas is a regular foodspring.com contributor and is the
author of foodspring’s food forager blog.

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