SERVING LOCAL FOOD AT YOUR NEXT EVENT

Transcription

1 A G U I D E T O SERVING LOCAL FOOD AT YOUR NEXT EVENT Gary L. Valen and Meredith R. Taylor

2 A G U I D E T O SERVING LOCAL FOOD AT YOUR NEXT EVENT Gary L. Valen and Meredith R. Taylor This pamphlet is designed to help planners of conferences, seminars, retreats, conventions and other public events use locally produced foods. Your doing so will be a powerful gesture for the community and region where your event is held, support small and mid-size farmers, and be greatly appreciated by your guests, who will enjoy fabulous meals! WHY SERVE LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOODS? Support Local Farmers Purchasing local food supports small and mid-size farmers who in turn provide many benefits to their communities, including protecting habitat, preserving scenic landscapes and re-circulating capital in other local businesses. Environmentally Sound In the present food system, the average morsel of food travels more than 1300 miles from farm to table. Fresh, locally grown foods are harvested at their peak and served nearby soon thereafter, resulting in more nutritious and tasty meals, while reducing oil use and air pollution. Local/regional foods allow purchasers to know where their food comes from and how it is produced. In an era of increasing health concerns, more and more consumers want meat from animals that are treated humanely and produce that is grown sustainably. 1

3 Healthy and Nutritious Consuming wholesome and locally grown food is healthier because it often contains less salt, fat, and sugar than highly processed foods. Chances are that using local foods at your event will require some planning and a little legwork. However, the more often you and others do it, the easier it will become. Just remember that the keys to planning a successful event are to: 1. BEGIN EARLY As the conference organizer, stress your desire to use local food at the outset of negotiations with the food service manager. They will generally try to satisfy your request. If they refuse, ask to speak with the owners of the facility and make your request directly to them. If you are still unsuccessful, there may be time to locate a facility that is more eager to satisfy your needs. Establishments are more likely to be willing to use locally produced foods if you tell them upfront that you will publicize their cooperation at every opportunity. The prospect of raising the profile of their establishment and staff may help persuade them to try a new approach. 2. BE PREPARED TO OVERCOME THE USUAL OBSTACLES Food service managers may resist locally produced fresh food because of concerns about dealing with multiple vendors, contract issues with their regular food providers and labor unions, the concern about additional cost, and their lack of knowledge about the variety and abundance of locally available products. 2 Farmers may be hesitant about pursuing these markets because they are unfamiliar with this type of transaction, are concerned about receiving a fair price for their products, and often lack the

4 resources to compete with large-scale food suppliers. If you encounter these kinds of obstacles, be creative in your solutions to overcoming them with the following strategies: Networking As a potential customer, you have a lot of power to stimulate a market for locally produced foods wherever you do business. You can build a network of farmers, distributors, processors, caterers and facility managers who use local foods as their common link. Your actions combined with similar requests from other event coordinators can change the way meals are handled at conferences and other meetings. Finding farmers who will work cooperatively can be invaluable because food service managers are busy people and usually do not have time to receive multiple deliveries of small volume food items. Many managers at colleges and universities say, "I will not haul single baskets of tomatoes out of a pick-up truck when I need fifty baskets every week." Once the sources of food for the event have been identified, encourage the farmers to coordinate pick-ups and deliveries through one farmer, so everyone s harvest is delivered to the caterer in one truck. Contractual Restrictions Some hotel chains and conference facilities have contracts with major food distributors that do not allow their managers much or sometimes any discretion to buy local foods. Try to understand the exact nature of their problem and seek to find a solution that will satisfy all parties. 3

5 Speak with representatives of the food distributor to inquire about whether they purchase anything from local producers. They may have access to local foods through sources of which the food service manager is unaware. Or, they may be willing to add some local foods. If labor issues become a stumbling block, you can negotiate with local union stewards to arrange for their workers to unload deliveries from the farm, rather than having the farmers do it. If an agreement cannot be reached, then seek other locations that will accommodate your requests. Pricing Food service managers may resist purchasing locally produced fresh food because many items on their menus are delivered already prepared. Working with fresh local products may increase their labor costs. However, the price of the meal should not be a deal breaker. Conference attendees are not likely to mind paying a little extra for high quality and exciting meals. Suggestions for controlling costs include the following: Negotiating special prices for locally-produced food Depending on the size of your order, some farmers may be able to offer you locally-produced food at wholesale prices. In addition, promoting local food as part of your event provides free marketing - a cost otherwise incurred by the farmer. Asking for specific foods that make it faster and less expensive to use local items. 4

6 For example, fresh herbs, dairy items, eggs, and breads are items you can purchase that will be received from local farms in a manner that requires no additional preparation time or handling by food service staff. Limit choices to items that are in season, or come from farmers who do their own processing The prices of foods at the peak of their season are likely to be lower because the supply will be greater. Also, attempt to identify farmers who do some of their own processing. On balance it may be cheaper to pay a little extra for the farmer to wash, peel and trim certain items than to pay for the food service staff to perform these same tasks after the food is delivered. Plan the menu strategically The cost of meat is higher than fruits and vegetables. Some groups have larger than average numbers of vegetarians and vegans. An accurate estimate of the proportion of meat vs. vegetarian meals can help contain costs so that higher priced foods are not over ordered and wasted. In addition, recipe selection can be a critical way to control costs. For example, rather than serve whole chicken breasts or steaks at your event, look for recipes that call for shredded, chopped, or ground meats. You will yield more servings from each bird or cut of meat you purchase. Availability Managers for large events have their own way of organizing the menu and the service. They will often say they have no idea of what is produced in their region and who the farmers are. Using your own contacts or the sources noted above, you can help make connections between farmers, food service managers and facilities that will support your own event and provide future opportunities for more business for the farmers. 5

7 You must be flexible to get the project off the ground. Use food that comes from the state where you are located if you cannot find enough within your region. If the manager does not have staff time to research where to obtain the food, you should be ready with suggestions and/or offers to help. 3. KNOW WHAT IS AVAILABLE The first thing you must do is find out what local foods will be available at the time of your event. Meat and poultry products will be available in any season, but fresh vegetables and fruits are available only during harvest months. To learn what is available and identify farmers in your region consider contacting the following: Your county Cooperative Extension office, or state department of agriculture. They often have lists of what products are available each month. The market manager or vendors at your local farmers markets. Websites designed to facilitate connections between consumers and farmers. Some like are national; others like w w w. f a r m t o t a b l e. o r g have a state or regional focus. Advertising in local media that you are seeking farms and local foods for your e v e n t. Remember to ask about the availability of frozen or canned produce, sauces or dips that are prepared locally and nonfood items that can be used as decoration, such as: 6 Cut flowers (Spring/Summer events) Gourds, pumpkins, and Indian corn (Fall events) Boughs and pine cones (Winter events)

8 4. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND REALISTIC The time of year, your proximity to regional farms, and the willingness of the food service manager to work with you, will all influence the amount of regional food you will be able to use. Don t be discouraged if you cannot source 100% of the meal from local producers. Keep the following points in mind as you plan: You may only be able to purchase a small amount of local food at your first event. However, even a small amount will have a greater impact than you think. Just consider how much support for local farmers would be generated if every special dinner or event used even 15% local food, rather than none. As you gain experience and contacts you may be able to do more in future years. Plan your menu and purchase strategically, so that the items you serve will have wide appeal with your guests and be available locally. Don t forget to include locally produced wines and cheeses. This is often an easy way to incorporate local foods and these items require minimal, if any, additional labor or preparation. 5. CELEBRATE Make locally produced foods a cause for celebration. This is the fun part. At the beginning of every meal at Glynwood, we describe where the menu items come from, including the names of the producers. We always receive accolades from 7

9 our guests for using locally produced foods and for the quality of our meals. Several catering businesses have adapted their operations as a result and now offer more local food on a regular basis. The following points are just a few suggestions on ways to promote your use of local foods: Include a list of farmers and their addresses on the menu or in the event packet. If possible, have one or more farmers present at the meal. Be sure the manager and food preparation staff are introduced and praised for their good work. Don t forget to publicize their cooperation whenever possible. Build strategic allegiances with advocates of sustainable agriculture, local chambers of commerce, and health groups. Any of these groups may help you find farmers, deliver food or even sponsor a meal. In an era of concern about food security, knowing where your food comes from has obvious safety and health benefits. A major step towards increasing food security in our country is to shorten the distance our food travels from farm to table, learn more about who produces our food and support them with our food dollars. This undertaking is further reason for your guests to celebrate your effort to serve them locally produced foods. We wish you well for supporting your communities and farmers by selecting produce from your region. If you want additional information and suggestions, please contact us at Glynwood Center. We would welcome hearing about your experience so we can revise this pamphlet and share it with others. 8 Bon Appétit

10 GARY L. VA L E N is Director of Operations for Glynwood Ce n t e r. Gary was a co-founder of the first university-based local food project, at Hendrix College in Arkansas, and the Local Food Project at the Airlie Center in Warrenton, Va. As a former Director of Sustainable Agriculture for the Humane Society of the United States, Gary authored the Local Food Project: A How-to Manual. He continues to advise individuals and organizations who are starting local food projects. He is presently expanding the range of products at Glynwood farm to include vegetables, eggs from free-range hens, and pastured beef. MEREDITH R. TAYLOR is Manager of Special Projects for Glynwood Center. Meredith, who holds a Master s Degree in Nutrition and Food Management from New York U n i v e r s i t y, has managed a school-based nutrition education program called CookShop and the Harlem SOUL Food Project, an initiative to obtain sustainable, organic and locally grown food for institutional food service operations in upper Manhattan. She is presently assisting in the development of projects that will provide access to new markets for regional farmers and strengthen the regional food system in the Hudson Valley. photos front cover, pages 1,4,6, 8 Copyright Margrethe HR photos pages 3,7 Copyright Lynn Carano Graphics

11 Glynwood Center helps communities address change in ways that conserve local culture and natural resources, while strengthening economic well-being. Glynwood Center does this by gathering, developing, testing and sharing ideas and initiatives from the United States and abroad. For more information about Glynwood Center and its Agricultural Initiative visit P.O. Box 157 Cold Spring, New York Tel Fax Copyright 2004 Glynwood Center Printed on Recycled Paper, Chlorine Free