By Hillary Lindsay
Sunday, November 3rd, 2014, marked the Second Annual Slow Food NYC Producer Summit at Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, NY. As the Slow Food NYC bus crossed over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, entering the Hudson Valley, we were greeted by the stunning hues of autumn illuminated by the morning sun peaking through wispy clouds. The picturesque scene embodied a pastoral perfection, setting the tone for the day. Soon, we arrived at Hawthorne Valley Farm, a 400-acre biodynamic farm with an education center structured around place-based learning and an impressive farm store, all making up a small, intimate village.
The summit brought together members from all along the supply chain to discuss:
- Scalability, distribution, and communication
- Connecting the supply chain
- Creating a community of shared values
- And breaking down barriers
In the Welcome Address, Anthony Fassio, Chair of Slow Food NYC, called the troops to action. The day was for finding solutions, not just talking about problems. "Action must happen now!" Fassio declared. Incremental action furthers the slow food movement — step by step — and a new step in the movement was taken recently when Slow Food NYC's Producer Matrix (slowfoodnyc.org/producer_matrix) partnered with FarmersWeb . The Producer Matrix connects Snail of Approval establishments with local farms, fostering partnerships and facilitating distribution, and is now includes a searchable list of all participants. After the call to action, the panel discussions began.
Scalability in the Local Food Network
This panel of farmers and distributers discussed shifting the practice of buying local from the exception to the norm. A change is needed in both marketing and the empowerment of farmer networks. Many consumers want what they want when they want it and most participants agreed that marketing and education is needed to shift people away from these attitude. Another challenge is in the communication of product availability and demand — consumers and buyers must gain flexibility due to seasonal planning and the flow of the farm. Also, as local farms scale-up, they must find the most cost effective volume and pricing as they balance wholesale orders, CSA's, and market sourcing.
Using Technology to Manage Food Waste
The next panel was concerned with the environmental, economic, and social benefits of reducing food waste as well as techniques for the industry to track, manage, and reduce this waste from "purchase to plate." As Tatiana Orlov of City Harvest stated, "We waste about a third of everything we produce in this country." This figure is even more shameful considering our national food insecurity and the lost potential of distributing edible waste.
Establishments must quantify their food process, tighten margins, and only order what is needed. Compost buckets provide an effective tool for visual education. LeanPath has created a customized digital tracking system for managing waste that both documents food waste and sends notifications to food pantries. "We manage what we measure,"Sofia Johnson of LeanPath stated. When examining trim waste, one can see what's being wasted and make adjustments. Perhaps a new menu item can be produced; for example, broccoli stem waste can be used to make a soup.
The idea of a "zero waste menu" was introduction during the Q&A section that had the room buzzing. The next goal will be to create a waste conscious culture, leading by the example of responsibility and accountability, and using an open dialogue to discuss the waste elephant in the room.
Institutional Sales and Large-Scale Accounts
Representatives from Chipotle, Dig Inn, and Culinary Innovation tackled the challenges of upholding standards at a large-scale in a highly financially driven system with unrealistic demands from clients, customers, and shareholders. A shift needs to happen in the purchasing departments with their pre-approved suppliers through a negotiation of the terms and a reimaging of the large-scale supply chain. Another shift needs to occur in the perception of food. People want local sustainable food, but they still want that perfect shiny apple and 100% bug free kale, yet both blemishes and bugs are natural. Dig Inn urges its customers to get used to it and embrace the nuanced world of food. These perception changes can be brought through marketing with farmer images and stories. Story-telling with transparency and honesty is a key part of Chipotle's new initiatives for the coming year. Getting through to unreasonable customers requires constant dialogue and feedback.
The Slow Food Producer Matrix: Alternative Distribution
The final panel discussed the realities of organizing an effective means of alleviating the pressures of distribution for local producers. Distribution logistics and mitigation calls for a "sweet spot of efficiency," as explained by Mark Jaffe of Fresh Connection, with the perfect truck load/time ratio considering routing, communication, and hidden costs, such as the very real threat of NYC parking tickets. Client understanding, shared collaboration, and joint infrastructure are required for successful distribution. Thus, these distributers aren't just looking for customers; they're looking for partners.
The overall takeaways were:
- The supply can't meet the currant demand, so the demand, expectations, and habits of the consumer must change through increased awareness, education initiatives, and marketing campaigns.
- There's much work to be done, yet there are many opportunities and many people willing to do the work. Passion is breading change and a gradual paradigm shift.
- The supply chain is incredibly nuanced and can't be viewed as a black and white system.
- A shared infrastructure of collaboration, understanding, and adaptability will help to build a more united community and sustainable culture.
To learn more, get involved with the producer matrix, or become a part of the Snail of Approval community email sydney@slowfoodnyc.org.
*Special thanks to the panelists, moderators, Hawthorne Valley Farm, sponsors, and especially to Sydney Schwartz for organizing and running the event.
Hillary Lindsay is a NYC resident with an anthropology degree who explores culture through food by engaging in work on farms, in restaurants, and in shops, as well as through blogging and social media. Check out her blog at fttdeconstructed.wordpress.com.
