ok, so we’ve established one thing for sure…we love to eat local food, and we feel really good about supporting our local producers by buying directly from the farmers. We enjoy the special trips to the farms, where we can see where the food is grown. We delight in our visits to the farmers markets, where we can fill our baskets with the freshest produce and chat with the farmers and our friends in the sunshine. We’re keeping our shopping dollars closer to home and narrowing the distance our food travels before it reaches our kitchens and our plates. We’re spending more time in our kitchens, preparing and sharing meals.
All in all, we’re making great progress toward an understanding of what real food is, and where it comes from.
In our quest to behave more sustainably, shop more locally, support our community …. there seems to be something missing – I see a disconnect – in the momentum to support our local producers, and our local businesses. Caught up in a wave of … maybe .. romanticism – we tend to see farming, and buying from the farm, through a rose-colored mist. The so-called ‘middle-man’ has become a loathsome interloper in the perceived progress.
So, I’m writing this – perhaps a misguided plea – for the cause of the ‘middle-man’. The local restaurateurs, specialty chefs, and groceries, who sincerely want to be a part of this local food renaissance – but are, for a variety of reasons, still hesitating on the side-lines.
Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I don’t see the harm in ‘middle-men’, when they are providing us with “food-service”. Perhaps, wearing my own rose-colored specs … I am happy to support my local grocers for the convenience … and practicality … of picking up my food in a central location. And, to the local restaurants and chefs … my hearty thanks for sharing your love of cooking with all of us.
For a small farm, the thought of selling to a popular local restaurant is both exhilarating and daunting. Local fare on the menu is a coup for sure. For the restaurant, the same is true. And the customers are clamoring for more local entrees, more local ingredients. So – what’s the hold-up ?
If you set aside the rose-colored spectacles, and take a real look into the business of providing local food, you’ll begin to see the hurdles … not impassable, but enough to cause most business people (farmers included) to pause.
Supply and demand, price and margin, labor and time, consistency, accountability …. this isn’t rose-colored, its just plain boring black and white, with some gray areas.
To simplify the story – groceries and restaurants have a much higher product turnover than we ( looking in from the outside ) realize. Keeping shelves full, and menu items available are fundamental to their operation. Small farmers may not, even on a very good day, be able to provide enough to sustain the demand.
There is a balancing act for small producers – a wavering line where the benefits of selling to a store or restaurant barely outweigh the benefits of selling directly from the farm.
The financial risk is there for the businesses also – paying producers for the real value of real ( unsubsidized ) food – is a substantial hit to the budget of a small restaurant or business.
The uncertainty of this, unfortunately leaves a void …
One that is noticeable to the community that is hungry for good local food.
To fill this void, there has to be flexibility, determination and listening to the needs of both parties. Does this sound like relationship counseling ? Good. That’s what it is. Its not going to be a typical vendor-buyer dynamic, this must be a partnership.
For those farmers and businesses who have taken the leap – the partnership is so very worth the effort.
Along with the partnership between producers and businesses, will be education for the community. More education about real food … about seasonal availability, about knowing – and paying for the real value of real food, about flexible menus to accommodate supply, surplus and variety of local foods. And about finding the middle ground that will provide benefits for everyone involved.
So – to end my story this week, I would like to encourage new partnerships – and cheer the existing ones ! And to the rest of us out there … ask for local food at your favorite restaurant, and be sure to thank your local groceries for partnering with local producers.
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– thanks to my personal favorite restaurants for offering flexible menus featuring locally available ingredients :
fudenjuce vegetarian café & juice bar
and, of course our locally owned groceries featuring local products :
BriarPatch Co-op Natural Foods Market, SPD Markets, Mother Truckers and Natural Selection Markets
If I left your favorite off this list …. start your own list !!
or check in with Think Local First Nevada County Foothills to help make connections.