Eating local is more than a passing trend
A quality meal starts with the freshest and finest ingredients. In the past two decades, many chefs have been focusing on local farm-fresh produce, dairy and meats. This new national approach, known as Farm to Table or Farm to Fork, has given the dining guest the highest quality menu choices and has also opened the door to industry chefs to be more creative with locally-grown seasonal items in their daily offerings. Through this new initiative of sustainability, the benefits are endless.
A chef that buys local has better understanding about the ingredients they are utilizing. In the past, produce would have taken seven to 12 days to go from harvest to restaurant kitchen. Now it is picked regionally and implemented within 24 hours. Depending on the location, some chefs are able to head out in the early morning to local farmer’s markets to hand select produce. By selecting local produce, meats and dairy, a chef can feel confident and proud knowing it is free of pesticides and growth hormones. The benefits of this partnership are reaped by the restaurant guest.
In Southwestern Pennsylvania, a leader in the Farm to Table movement is Eat’n Park. The hospitality group has paved the way for smaller businesses with their FarmSource program. They work with more than 200 local farmers each year to bring fresh produce and dairy to implement into their menu. Through this innovative initiative, $24 million is spent annually on locally-sourced food.
Years ago, as a child, I would sit at the corner of my yard with baskets of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini picked from the garden, selling to the neighbors who drove by. That same spirit can be found on a larger scale at local farmers markets. In Greene County, we have two of the best! Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon in Greensboro and Wednesdays in downtown Waynesburg from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Another local option is Duda’s farm, which has roadside produce stands as close by as Masontown on Route 21.
Eating farm fresh foods, whether at home or on the go, is something we all strive for. If growing your own is not an option, take comfort knowing you have many great options right here in Greene County.
Dan Wagner of Rices Landing has been the director of culinary arts at Greene County Career and Technology Center for 24 years. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.