2008 Woodie Awards
Rhody Eat Beat
Rebecca Long
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
These introductions were followed by a panel, "Farmers and Food Service on Year-round Local Food." As both farmers and buyers, the panel members had insight into the difficulties of a local food economy from both perspectives.
Some of the problems faced by farmers, like Allan Hill of Hill Orchards and Karla Simmons of Simmons Farm, are having a consistent demand for their products as well as a viable method of distribution. For farmers, spending time delivering their goods to various buyers can mean less time spent working on their farm.
Another more surprising difficulty faced by farmers is the problem of donating excess food. Farmers like Karla Simmons have made efforts to find a group to pick up the produce that is leftover from farmers' markets on Saturdays for use at food pantries or soup kitchens. Despite her efforts, she discovered that most of the places that could use this excess were closed on Saturdays or simply said they didn't need her produce.
Those who use local food for their businesses also face many difficulties. Executive Chef Jonathan Cambra of Castle Hill pointed out that buying local produce is a commitment. Although he buys what he can locally and supplements only when he can't find something, he said that for many chefs this may be more time and effort than they can commit.
Mike Marrocco, the food service director of the Cranston public schools, said that for schools, buying local produce is a challenge. For those who operate their own food programs, as Cranston does, the pressure to operate as cheaply as possible creates a problem.
Although local food can be more expensive, the extra expense is not a large percentage of his budget. Out of an approximately $1.5 million budget, he spends about $15,000 extra to buy local produce. In fact, Cranston saw an increase in sales once they began to incorporate fresh local produce into their menu.
So why, despite all these difficulties, do people bother with local food? Beside the environmental benefits, such as cutting down on fuel for shipping, and economic benefits, like keeping money in the local community, there is also an advantage to businesses, restaurants and institutions that want to provide their patrons the best, freshest ingredients.
Some of the problems faced by farmers, like Allan Hill of Hill Orchards and Karla Simmons of Simmons Farm, are having a consistent demand for their products as well as a viable method of distribution. For farmers, spending time delivering their goods to various buyers can mean less time spent working on their farm.
Another more surprising difficulty faced by farmers is the problem of donating excess food. Farmers like Karla Simmons have made efforts to find a group to pick up the produce that is leftover from farmers' markets on Saturdays for use at food pantries or soup kitchens. Despite her efforts, she discovered that most of the places that could use this excess were closed on Saturdays or simply said they didn't need her produce.
Those who use local food for their businesses also face many difficulties. Executive Chef Jonathan Cambra of Castle Hill pointed out that buying local produce is a commitment. Although he buys what he can locally and supplements only when he can't find something, he said that for many chefs this may be more time and effort than they can commit.
Mike Marrocco, the food service director of the Cranston public schools, said that for schools, buying local produce is a challenge. For those who operate their own food programs, as Cranston does, the pressure to operate as cheaply as possible creates a problem.
Although local food can be more expensive, the extra expense is not a large percentage of his budget. Out of an approximately $1.5 million budget, he spends about $15,000 extra to buy local produce. In fact, Cranston saw an increase in sales once they began to incorporate fresh local produce into their menu.
So why, despite all these difficulties, do people bother with local food? Beside the environmental benefits, such as cutting down on fuel for shipping, and economic benefits, like keeping money in the local community, there is also an advantage to businesses, restaurants and institutions that want to provide their patrons the best, freshest ingredients.