Forget the hair bands of the 1980s. Celebrity chefs are the new rock stars.

Long gone are the days of tuning in weekly to see what Martha or Emeril were preparing on their cooking programs. Instead, you’re more likely to see your favorite celebrity chef on television shows like “Good Morning America,” “Oprah” or “The Biggest Loser.”

Thanks to the rise in popularity of television cooking shows, chefs now enjoy rock star status. Says the publication South Coast Today, “It was 20 years of Food Network broadcasting that gave chefs and food personalities the widespread visibility to become celebrities.”

And celebrities they are.

The general public is as likely to catch a celebrity chef sighting as they are a famous actor or lead singer of a band, since chefs now travel the country doing book tours, cooking demonstrations and participating in other big venue appearances where thousands of people pay concert ticket prices to attend.

“It’s easily the most lucrative part of what I do,” said Chef Anthony Bourdain, who was paid for about 25 live appearances last year and plans to do 40 this year, according to foodie blog Friends Eat. Bourdain said the majority of his income now comes from live appearances, rather than his Travel Channel show, “No Reservations,” or from sales of his books.

But the rock star lifestyle takes some getting used to. Guy Fieri, who hosts the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” sought advice about living on the road from members of the rock band AC/DC and rocker Sammy Hagar.

Chef Alton Brown, who better resembles a scientific food professor than a celebrity chef, has groupies who follow him from show to show. One of them, a library associate, said she has spent thousands of dollars on hotels and tickets to repeatedly see Brown’s live appearances.

And it’s not just a U.S. phenomenon.

All eyes were on British Chef Jamie Oliver to see what he was going to prepare for global leaders at last year’s G20 summit dinner. His Welsh lamb and asparagus garnered headlines in food sections around the world. This infamous dinner, coupled with his numerous television shows, books, restaurants and activism in reducing childhood obesity (he got Britain to change its school lunch program to include healthier, non-processed, fresh ingredients) has made him a household name.

Australian celebrity Chef Curtis Stone has also become a star in his homeland. “When I grew up cooking, we were the stinky bunch of dudes that weren't allowed into a nightclub because we had long hair and tattoos and we got out of work at midnight,” he recently told The Sunday Telegraph.

“It's crazy because now we are rock stars,” he said. “But I'm not complaining.”

While food safety will always be the cornerstone of our production process, allegiance is making inroads into why and where consumers buy their products.

Sure, the majority of today’s shoppers enjoy and often take for granted the expanded menu in supermarkets. They look forward to shopping in a meat case filled with dozens of new cuts, pre-packaged, oven or grill-ready, custom portioned, “natural” and pre-cooked products. Today’s shoppers can’t wait to get their mitts on the marinades, dry rubs, cooking bags and other specialty items designed for time-strapped, two-income families.

There’s also another growing group of consumers who are purchasing products based on trust and nostalgia. This notion of nostalgia, or pining, harkens back to the good old days — a time when events and lives were perceived as simpler, more wholesome, just downright better.

Many in this new group of consumers want to share in the story behind the product they are buying. They wish to establish a direct link and cultivate a relationship with the producer who provides them with tomatoes, asparagus, corn or that special leg of lamb for the upcoming Easter holiday.

There is a growing number of shoppers who yearn to develop a trust with producers who they believe and demand will provide them with a quality, consistent, wholesome product time after time.

Tapping into this ever-changing consumer landscape, today’s food producer — especially those located near large-population, urban areas — must not miss the opportunity to reach the hearts, minds and stomachs of consumers who feel strongly about their food.

Some consumer-savvy producers are already honed in on this concept. They’ve retooled their farming operation from a conventional commodities-only business to one that includes pick-your-own sweet corn, pumpkins, flowers and strawberries. They’re giving people what they want.

Others now provide home deliveries of fresh produce and sell their produce at local farmers’ markets. Still others have added a corn maze, day-on-the-farm activities, ice-cream socials and chuck-wagon cookouts, while inviting everyone from school-aged kids to wedding rehearsal parties — all to enjoy the farm and ranch way of life.

This new direction in farming is being driven by farmers and ranchers who are attempting to be less dependent on cheap land and vast acreage. This pioneer is tapping into the population surge and wealth of consumers who shop online, drive a couple cars, including a pick-up, and don’t mind paying a premium for the food they feed their families.

Another common element of this non-traditional farmer is the belief that this shift in production style may not make them rich, but will keep them out in the open spaces, running their own business and doing what they enjoy and want to do. A large percentage of those willing to try something new are younger farmers. In many cases, a young farmer is often considered someone who has yet to reach the half-century mark.

For some, traditional farming became too expensive. Others decided traditional farming was no longer worth the effort. Whatever the reason, any farmer will tell you that farming is a difficult process. Still most would agree they are glad they bought their land, and glad they’re doing what they enjoy and want to do.

No doubt, more and more farmers will be looking at a different direction to stay on their land in the future. The land will continue to be farmed. There will no doubt be fewer farmers but those who are determined to stay in this business of agriculture will have to find innovative ways to farm.

This post was written by John Schlageck and was originally published as a guest column in Foodie News. John is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Especially in America. And U.S. Irish pub owners make the most of it.

There’s something about the Emerald Isle that attracts nearly 900,000 American tourists every year. One can’t deny a significant part of the Irish culture we Americans flock to is the traditional public house, aka the Irish pub. And if you can’t make it to Ireland to visit a real Irish pub, the next best thing is likely right around your corner.

In the U.S. and around the world, there’s usually an Irish pub or two in every city. They are renowned for their music, drink, food, camaraderie and “craic,” which is Irish lingo for fun. After an evening of sharing some laughs, Guinness and chips (fries for us Americans) with friends, one can see why the Irish pub in America is one trend that stands the test of time.

While we Americans typically associate a certain type of food with our Irish pubs—be it shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, or fish and chips—food wasn’t always on the pub menu in Ireland. In fact, eating out for the Irish was uncommon. It wasn’t until tourists began invading the country in the 1980s that the Irish pubs started serving food in order to capture the tourist eating trade. Still today, if one would venture off the tourist-beaten Irish path into more rural areas, they would more than likely find a real, traditional and foodless pub.

So what do the Irish think of America’s version of their beloved pub? It’s a mixed bag.

“When we go away to foreign cities, we nearly always end up in an Irish bar mainly because we know it’s going to be an English-speaking place and we’ll more than likely get food we are familiar with,” said Niall O Riordan, who lives in Cavan, Ireland. “Unfortunately, 95 percent of these pubs aren’t even owned by Irish people. It’s a bit like seeing an Italian pizzeria and going in and having a slice made and served to me by the owner who is from Albania!”

Liz Lamb Fisher, who grew up in Dublin and now resides outside Washington, D.C., explained why both the Irish and Americans seek out pubs. “I think it’s mostly because there are a lot of people that feel in some way connected with Ireland, even if the connection is many years ago. When I lived in France, the Irish contingent went to the pub because we could feel like we were closer to home somehow.”

But she warned, ”No self-respecting pub in Ireland would ever have a red, checkered tablecloth or, for St. Patrick’s Day, display anything that reads ‘Happy Patty’s Day.’”

In Ireland, it’s simply referred to as “Paddy’s Day.”

Renowned for their friendly atmosphere, “pub grub” and a place to meet someone from Ireland, Americans make the most of an Irish pub, especially if a sport is being televised. You can be sure most Irish pubs will be filled to the doors if a basketball game or soccer match is on the television. The same is true for Ireland, whose pubs are standing room only if hurling or a World Cup match is being played.

“The main attraction for us in an Irish pub abroad is that we will be able to see our favorite English soccer team live on big screens,” said O Riordan.

Whatever the attraction is for Americans, whether it’s watching a game, eating a hearty dish of meat and potatoes or sipping a Guinness, you can be sure the Irish pub is here to stay whether it is St. Patrick’s Day or any other day of the year.