Dive Brief:

• Dan Barber has decided that the farm-to-table movement he helped spawn is too passive in its approach to changing the American diet, and he's urging chefs to do more. 
• The farmer and chef behind restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is calling for a new, American palate that is aimed at supporting the land and working in opposition to industrial agriculture. 
• At its most basic level, the new menu that Barber seeks would emphasize flavor over volume and increase the use of legumes, cover-crop grains, and less-glamorous cuts of meat. 

Dive Insight:

It's easy to dismiss Barber as an elitist foodie. That, of course, is what many in the industry did when Barber and others like him first began talking about grass-fed beefs, sustainable seafoods, and an emphasis on organic greens.

But the farm-to-table movement has had an impact on American cuisine. Without the movement, we may not have a Whole Foods, let alone an entire retail industry aimed at duplicating its success.

Barber's new manifesto, titled "The Third Plate, Field Notes on the Future of Food," may seem radical today, but the early buzz would suggest that Barber is finding an audience among chefs, food writers, trend-setters, and other influencers.

For other books worth reading about the food industry, check out this list of eight books that food professionals need to know about.