For Chefs: Upcoming Events and Resources for Buying Local Food
Are you a chef, restaurant owner, caterer, or other foodservice professional interested in using local food in your business? Heartland Food Network can help you find farmers, answer questions, and network with other chefs with experience using local food.
Trainings and networking events
The Heartland Food Network hosts events and trainings to bring together chefs that use local food and provide education and connections to local farms.
NEW this summer! Chef-to-Chef Days at the Market.
All events are FREE, but you must RSVP to ahultberg@mnproject.org.
Chefs, caterers, and other food service professionals are invited to join us at farmers markets across the city to learn about using local food. We will host discussions featuring chefs experienced with using local food, then offer a tour of the market and the farmers guided by the market managers. You will leave the events with connections to farmers and other chefs that use local food to help you use even more local food in your establishment.
Need another reason to come? As a participant, you and your restaurant will be listed on our website and blog, and we will announce your names at the markets, to let the public know that you are a local food supporter!
Saturday, June 12th, 2010 9:00am - 11:00am at Mill City Market
Join us at the lovely Mill City Museum, adjacent to the Market, at 9:00 am for a discussion of using local food, meeting farmers, etc with experienced Twin Cities chefs. At 10:00am, we will be led on a tour of the market with the market manager. Stay for the cooking demo! Come to meet other chefs who use local food and the vendors of the Mill City Market that are interested in selling to you!
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 1:30 – 3:30 Midtown Farmers Market
Join us at Gandhi Mahal Restaurant, (3009 27th Avenue South Minneapolis) at 1:30pm for a lively discussion of using local food hosted by chef Ruhel Islam and other guests. At 2:30, we will move to the Midtown Farmers market for a tour of the market and introductions to farmers by the market manager. Midtown is an exceptional market with many farmers that are interested in selling to restaurants. Stay for the cooking demo with Chef Ruhel Islam of Ganhi Mahal!
Sunday, July 11th, 2010 9:00 – 11:00 St. Paul Farmers Market
Join us at Goldens Deli, a venerable local food institution adjacent to the St. Paul farmers market, for a discussion of using local food with our host Jim Golden. We will then be led on a tour of the market and introduced to farmers that want to sell to restaurants.
Discussion Topics may include:
- Working with farmers
- Working with seasonal foods: what grows in Minnesota, sample dishes, menu planning
- Buying local foods on a budget
- Building support for local food with management and wait staff
- Marketing your use of local food to your customers
- Menu design and signage- sample menus will be provided
- Regulations and rules about using local food
- Working with distributors who source local
Who should come?
- Chefs and restaurant owners who want to start using more local food
- Any food service professional who wants tools that will help them integrate local food into their menu
- Farmers who want to sell to chefs!
To RSVP and for more information:
Annalisa Hultberg
Heartland Food Network Coordinator
ahultberg@mnproject.org
651-789-3328
Information and Resources for Using Local Food
Please see our written summaries to help you get started using local food in your restaurant or institution.
Tips and Best Practices for Using Local Food in Your Restaurant
Please see our handout “Tips and Best Practices”
This document includes notes and tips from a panel of expert chefs and farmers presented at an event we hosted in March 2010 at the Craftsman restaurant for chefs interested in using local food.
Please see the article the Heavy Table wrote about the Craftsman event—it also includes a useful summary of the information presented.
Sources of Local Food
Please see our handout “Sources of Local Food” for a list of farmers, food distributors, and farmer-cooperatives that provide local food to restaurants and food service.
Some of the sources from this document include:
Cooperative distributors: Cooperative distributors can be a “one-stop-shop” for finding year-round local product.
- Co-op Partners Warehouse: Offers a full array of local produce in season, and year-round organic produce, meats, cheeses, and more. Andy Wright, (612)-710-2445
- DragSmith Farms: A variety of fresh produce from organic and sustainable growers (715) 537-3307 Gail and Maurice Smith.
- Hidden Stream Farm: Chemical-free beef, pork and produce with no chemicals or antibiotics www.hiddenstreamfarm.com (507) 876-2304
- Southeast Minnesota Food Network: Delivers in southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, and the Twin Cities metro area. They offer online ordering. www.southeastmnfood.com
- Whole Farm Co-op: Delivers along a route that includes Little Falls, Brainerd, Aitkin, and Duluth; as well as to drop sites in the Twin Cities metro area. www.wholefarmcoop.com
Lists and Directories of Farmers:
Learn More
What is Local? Learn the Language of Local Food. Sustainable Table.
Why Use Local? Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
Fact Sheets on Rules and Laws related to Buying Fresh Fruits and Vegetables from Local Vendors Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
Guide to Serving Local Food on Your Menu. Glynwood Publication.
Additional Food and Farm Directories. Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.
Bringing Local Food to Local Institutions. ATTRA National Sustainable Agriculture
Information service.
Join HFN
We can work with you to help you find local farmers, develop educational and promotional materials for your staff and the public, and bring fresh, delicious foods to your customers. We work with caterers, colleges, and restaurants and more. Please see our Join Now page.
For more information, please contact:
Annalisa Hultberg
Heartland Food Network Coordinator
ahultberg@mnproject.org
651-789-3328
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