From high end restaurants to hospital and school cafeterias, chefs and food service providers are jumping on the trend of using locally grown ingredients in their cooking. 

Go directly to: FAQ | Resources | Local Food Glossary

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I include local items on my menu?

• Locally grown foods are the freshest, allowing you to cook with a higher quality product that has superior color, taste and texture compared to foods that were picked too early and shipped from far away. This translates into a better tasting and looking meal for your customers, and increased customer satisfaction.  
• Going local allows you to expand your business by entering into a new niche market, bringing in new customers.  According to a survey of chefs by the National Restaurant Association, locally grown produce is the number one hot trend in restaurants for 2009.  Also, with the rise in the local food movement customers are seeking out more than ever restaurants that serve locally grown goods.
• If you are a school or other institution, serving fresh picked local foods can increase the nutritional profile of your menu and help to promote healthy eating habits.

How do I find locally grown ingredients?
Farmers markets are the best place to start, as you can meet local growers and see what crops are available each month during the growing season.  From there you can:

• Show up early to the market each week to purchase items for your seasonal menu.
• Create a relationship with growers and receive shipments each week to your restaurant.
• Collaborate with a grower and have specific crops grown for you, such a lettuce, tomatoes, fruits, and other desired menu items.
• Seek out local cheeses, meats, and wines, which can be included on your menu year round.
• Find out from your current food purveyor what local products they distribute

Are there any barriers to using locally grown ingredients? 
Generally cost and quantity are the two main barriers. Locally grown ingredients can sometimes be more expensive, but compared to products from major food distributors, you just can't beat the taste of truly farm fresh and artisanal products.  It's important to run your numbers and look at how locally grown ingredients can fit into your business plan.  With the issue of quantity, many choose to feature a "local" dish, which is available until it runs out.  Some also choose to focus on just a few local items they can find in quantity, such as meat, cheese, and commonly grown produce items.

Should I advertise that I use local products?
Absolutely.  By letting your customers know which products are locally grown, you advertise your support for local agriculture thereby expanding your market potential.  Also, it provides great advertising for the local farms which you source ingredients from, furthering the partnership between your businesses. If you are serving local in a school, advertising the farms where products came from can serve as a valuable educational tool.

What resources are available to me?
The Agriculture Collaborative hosts monthly meetings on a variety of topics, some of which are of interest to chefs and food service providers.  Also, in 2007 we hosted a Farm to Restaurant workshop, and we often post blog articles that are of interest to those in the food service industry. View our past meeting topics or sign up for our e-newsletter today to learn about upcoming meetings or workshops.   Be sure to also see the resources listings below.

Resources Listing

Glynwood Guide to Serving Local Food on Your Menu  
This 36-page document will help you think through how you can serve local on your menu, and it presents case study examples ranging from restaurants to hospital cafeterias.  They also have a guide for serving local at a specific event.

New Mexico Farm to Table
A great resource for learning about local Farm to Table initiatives, including the NM Farm to School program.

Local Harvest
Find local farmers, ranchers, and value added producers in our area.

Chefs Collaborative
The Chefs Collaborative offers some great resources as well as information on their National Summit.  They also offer a search of member farms that sell to restaurants, however there are no New Mexico listings at this time.  This may change as supply and demand increase for local foods in our area restaurants.