The Slate

Why Restaurants Should Consider This Option...

There’s no place like home especially when it comes to locally grown produce. While many restaurants venture to get products elsewhere, it’s more beneficial to buy from community farms and artisans. 

According to LocalHarvest.org, the average commute for fruit and vegetables in the United States is 1500 miles. Therefore, chemically induced produce is engineered to withstand that distance. When the food makes it to your plate, it isn’t the fresh quality you are paying for. Nothing compares to local farmed goods.  

Having local foods also helps support the local economy. Being able to do business with farmers and producers within the area helps to foster relationships for future business.Many people believe that organic and locally grown produce is more expensive but that is not always the case. When taking in consideration of higher quality of produce, restaurants get more bang for their buck. Being able to say that a restaurant's foods are only used with fresh, local produce is a major selling point for customers. Customers like to see that their community is being involved in what they eat. Instead of eating produce they buy every day at their general food market. 

Many restaurants also believe the only local products you can buy are fruits and vegetables which are not the case. Many farmers make their own cheese and milling their own flours. They even produce their own meat from smaller, humane, and more controlled conditions. With today’s technology, there are many apps that can tell you how each farm produces their products. 

By using locally grown products for restaurants, owners should see a remarkable difference in their customer satisfaction and the quality of meals they produce.