1. Sourcing local on a large scale
Sourcing more local products is a goal of many noncommercial operators, but short growing seasons, supply chain logistics and other challenges make the goal difficult to achieve. Chefs’ Council Summit attendees learned about several initiatives that are making this happen. The University of Michigan, for example, works directly with a Dearborn, Mich., meat supplier, sources apple seconds from a local grower and contracts with a local dairy co-op of 100 farmers. Although coffee is not grown in Michigan, the college sources beans from a local roaster.
A visit to an urban farm in Detroit revealed that it’s possible to plant enough crops on a 4-acre abandoned city lot to create a supply chain to local restaurants. And a tour of Detroit’s Eastern Market, which houses incubator kitchens for food business startups, showcased products such as spiced roasted lentils that are ending up in local foodservice operations. “I found it to be entertaining, informative and outright inspiring to see what University of Michigan, Eastern Market and the urban farm are doing to support the local community,” said Rocky Dunnam, chef at Elizabeth Jane Bivins Culinary Center in Texas. “It’s refreshing to see an environmentally responsible approach take real-world application on such a large scale.”