Farm to Table Workshop Breakout session: Farm to Chef

Farm-to-Restaurant (about half farmers, half chefs/food buyers)

Question: What are some past experiences selling to restaurants in NCW?

  • Generally the restaurants that purchase locally are “higher end”
  • They offer better prices
  • Their customers appreciate the extra effort to source local products
  • Restaurants that are “clumped” in the same area create easier distribution
  • Chefs want a weekly “fresh sheet” 
  • They often don’t have time to survey a lot of markets throughout the week
  • They want efficient, easy communication
  • Helps chefs plan ahead and create their menus according to what will be available
  • Who will generate the sheet?
  • Example: Olympia Food Co-op compiles a “buyer’s list”
  • Could send it to local chefs, farmers and farm-support orgs to serve as a “jumping off point”
  • Example: Growing WA uses a website to display available products.
  • Helps aggregate information from a variety of farms
  • CFC has generously volunteered to produce a basic fresh sheet.
  • Goal: Create a “common distribution point” for farmers to drop-off product and chefs to pick-up product
  • Suggestion: local college?
  • Chefs are also interested in value added products, meat, dairy, fish, etc.
  • Advance ordering can help farmers plan out their work load and make their deliveries and bookkeeping more efficient.
  • i.e. creating standing orders for product per week, or per month over a designated period of time or growing cycle.
  • Fact: There are at least 4 or 5 local restaurants that want to buy locally (see woman from CFC for names)
  • Will other local restaurants start ordering from local farms, i.e. will there be a “domino effect”?
  • There is a small local movement underway

Question: What are some farm-to-restaurant models that work?

  • Elsewhere, (esp. in Seattle), a single farm might grow for a single restaurant under a contract agreement
  • Example: Whistling Train Farm and Flying Fish restaurant
  • Aggregated distribution from outside of the main buying area
  • Example: Growing Washington

Question: What works for developing farm-to-restaurant relations? What doesn’t?

  • Chefs need to balance their menu flexibility to accommodate small farm changes
  • Example: list “sautéed greens”, then be accept kale, chard, spinach for the dish
  • Educate both customers and staff about the farms and why they are unique/special/interesting
  • Suggestion: include farm names on the menu, maybe even include short descriptions
  • Create limited “Farmers Market” menus, and offer them regularly to build a customer base that appreciates and expects farm-fresh food.

Question: What are some solutions to help build stronger farm-to-restaurant connections?

  • Add another Farmers Market
  • There is a strong connection between a vibrant farmers market scene and local food appearing in local restaurants.
  • Beyond a place to buy food, the market acts as a networking hub to share ideas and build relationships
  • Chefs can help petition new FM efforts

Question: What are some of the main barriers?

  • Some products have very small sales windows (e.g. cherries), which limits market opportunities
  • Idea: set up contracts with local retailers WAY in advance.
  • Some products don’t change frequently (e.g. cheese), how often do restaurants want product alerts?
  • Idea: develop a consistent “call sheet” to frequently remind potential buyers about your product
  • The responsibility is on the producer to initiate (and continue) contact
  • How do producers generate new customers?
  • Perseverance is key. If you have struggled making a sale with a chef one week, call them again the next week.
  • Give samples! Your product is your greatest ally in making a new sale (or reinitiating contact)
  • Take photos: 1) of your product (to send via email) and 2) of action on the farm
  • Sell the farm first, then the product. 
  • Your story (and back story) makes your product unique. Chefs may hear a thousand pitches about goat cheese, but your goat cheese is the only one created by you. Pitch from that angle, pitch the unusual. Chefs are also trying to stand out from the crowd, tell them how your product will help them achieve what they want.
  • More meetings and networking opportunities
  • Enhance the FM scene
  • Communication with the public
  • Farm Dinners (where the farms and chefs donate their time and resources for a community event)
  • Idea: use the farm dinner as a fundraiser to help support CFC and their “fresh sheet” project

NCW Food Events