((PKG)) BUG APPETIT
((Banner: Bug Appetit))
((Reporter/Camera: Shelley Schlender))
((Map: Denver, Colorado))
((NATS))
((WENDY LU McGILL, Founder, Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch))
Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch is Colorado's first and only edible insect farm. We raise crickets and mealworms to sell to restaurants and food manufacturers. I want to be part of trying to figure out how to feed ourselves better as we have less land and water and a hotter planet and more people to feed.
((NATS))
((AMY FRANKLIN, FARMS FOR ORPHANS))
I’m Amy Franklin and I'm founder of a non-profit called Farms for Orphans and what we do is farm bugs for food because in other countries where we work, they’re a really really popular food.
((Source: Farms for Orphans))
Most of the orphanages don’t own any land. Like in any large African city, there really is no opportunity for them to grow a garden or to raise chickens. Insects are a protein source that they can grow in a very small space.
Do you think you'd like to eat bugs? No, we're not used to it here in the U.S., are we?
((TERRY KOELLING, GRANDFATHER))
I don’t think they are very appealing as far as something you put in your mouth. You see them crawling on the ground and you see them around dead things, and it just does not appeal to me to eat something that seems to be so wild.
((NATS))
((ANDREW))
Can I just taste one?
((WENDY LU McGILL))
Yeah, one, totally and then if you like it, you can have more. It's really crispy and salty.
((ANDREW))
Tastes kind of crunchy and kind of yummy.
((WENDY LU McGILL))
So you guys have a really exciting adventure ahead of you to Linger, which has the longest running menu item of the edible insect menu in the entire country.
((NATS))
((LINGER RESTAURANT, DENVER, COLORADO))
A cricket soba noodle dish. We do black ants and sesame seeds with crickets mixed in with the green tea soba noodles, and then we garnish with Chapuline crickets.
((NATS))
((TERRY KOELLING))
Kind of like a hard raisin but the seasoning’s great! Huh!
((NATS))
((AMY FRANKLIN))
Cricket. Bug Appetit.
((JEREMY KITTELSON, CULINARY DIRECTOR, LINGER))
Nice to meet you. I’m Jeremy. Pleasure to meet you. As much as we love beef, as much as we love our farmers and stuff, there’s no scientist, there’s no environmentalist that’s going to tell you cattle farming is a sustainable practice. We should eat more insects.
((NATS))