Q&A with the Grocer:
Peter Fitzgerald is the Director of Produce at Sunset Foods, a family owned grocery store in Highland Park, Northbrook, Lake Forest, and Libertyville. Peter has diligently worked to forge Sunset Foods’s long-standing relationships with local farmers and Goodness Greeness. As they found they were not only reducing the calories of spent fossil fuel but also providing for their customers fresher, healthier, better-tasting produce—they knew they had found their niche. We sat down with Peter to ask him more about the “Think local, shop local,” initiatives at Sunset Foods.
Mercedee Renz: How do you participate in local and organic sustainable agriculture?
Peter Fitzgerald: First of all, we recognize local and organic as two different things. To suit all our customers, we carry a variety of products, including both organic and locally organic produce and not excluding conventional and locally conventional fruits and vegetables. Sand Hill Organics directly ships to us their heirloom tomatoes and we were the first customer of Herbal Garden’s organic line. On the locally conventional side, Didier farms directly supplies us with items from July first until Thanksgiving. And then everything I get from Goodness Greeness is organic and even local.
MR: What are the advantages for Sunset Foods in going local?
PF: First of all, it builds consumer awareness of where their food is coming from—before it’s too late and there aren’t any “local” farmers. For example, Prairie View’s Didier Farm has come to be recognized by our customers as a sort of brand. Families make their way to those farms to experience the growing process of their food. And that is a really exciting process. Secondly, because Didier Farms is under an hour away—and they pick our product that morning—our produce is extremely fresh, as if it was taken from a garden out back. You just can’t get any better than that. And three, we know that people enjoy supporting local families and companies because it creates a sense of community. We want to give them that satisfaction.
MR: So is local really better?
PF: As far as quality, it can be depending on the year and the effects of weather.
MR: Then tell us what the disadvantages are of going local?
PF: Well, just that, that it might not be the best product because of drought, hot summers, a cold growing season—produce might show stress and taste it too. Weather can make it good or bad. Then there are gaps on availability and you have to source somewhere else. But it’s still possible to be 100% local as long as local means “regional”. Plus, another disadvantage is getting in touch with some of the smaller, local farmers and getting enough produce from them. In turn that’s really the advantage of working with Goodness Greeness: They can consolidate local produce and distribute it to grocery chains like mine. Because they’re certified organic, every product is third-party certified organic which means behind every product is traceability. We can find out how good this stuff really is for us. Plus, I’ve known Bob forever. Bob’s an original.
MR: Alright. So farmer’s markets are starting up. And they attract large crowds which detract from your business. How do you compete with them?
PF: Advertising, signage, and labeling. Our ads will feature a sale price but will also say which farm our products come from. In the store we label them with the names of the farms they come from.
MR: Do you feel offering local product competes with summer farmer markets?
PF: Yes. Absolutely. It is a direct marketing tack. But what we offer that they can’t is—like Goodness Greeness—traceability. Some farmer’s markets are like flea markets with stands selling mangoes and other products whose origins you just might not know. That’s why, if you can’t establish a documented trail, that you talk with your farmer and really find out about what they’re doing. Visiting them at their farms is even better. It supports them and encourages them too.
MR: What kind of advice do you have for consumers who want to find more local products in their grocery store?
PF: Look for specific labeling. If it’s vague, ask questions to find out more. And if it isn’t there at all, ask for it! Your requests really do matter. A whole local initiative in the grocery stores could be started just by consumers getting more involved.
MR: Well thank you Peter for taking the time to talk with us.
Q&A with the Chef:
Michael Altenberg opened Bistro Campagne in the summer of 2002 with a full commitment to using organic products and supporting the sustainable agriculture movement. Mercedee Renz, the newest addition to GG’s marketing team, sat down with him to find out more.
Mercedee Renz: When did you start going organic and why?
Michael Altenberg: Let me count back. It was about fourteen years ago when my oldest child was diagnosed with leukemia. I wanted to find the cleanest produce, meat, and fish. Thinking back to that time in Chicago—these things were extremely difficult to find. But I worked for it and the more I ate at home like this, the more I wanted to be transparent at work. I was feeding parents-to-be, children, and elderly who may or may not be struggling with their own illnesses. I wanted to make a conscious effort to bring them the best as well.
MR: What are the advantages of going “local”?
MA: The food’s fresher, brighter, and more flavorful. It supports farmers and our local economy directly. In going local, fossil fuel use is reduced and so is pollution. With local food, I’m bringing in, frankly, a better product for my customers, my kids, and myself.
MR: So what are the disadvantages?
MA: Small farmers have a tough time accessing the city. Just because they’re a good farmer doesn’t mean they’re a good marketer or distributor. It’s cost-prohibitive for them to drive into the city and it takes up their time. Plus, the disconnect of information between farmers and the end users—be it restaurants or distributors—requires constant education. I try to help with this by lecturing at Eco-Farm and the Upper-Midwest Farm Conference. Small farmers don’t always know how to pack product correctly or store it correctly, so they endure a loss. The farmer’s hit with all these losses and costs and must then compensate with higher prices that I end up paying.
MR: Do you emphasize local over organic? Or in other words, would you purchase product if was grown locally but not certified organic?
MA: I will only use organic. If it’s locally organic, I’m there. Because of the long-lasting relationships I have developed with my farmers, even if I can cut costs on an item by going for a California product, I can’t do it. But I won’t make an exception if a local farmer isn’t certified. Lots of farmers complain about the cost of going organic but there are small certifiers that cost little compared to others. Yes, it requires more work to find them and then to maintain the paperwork for inspection. Anyone would love to just open a business and not have to pay for licenses and insurance or wait for inspections from government officials. I’d love to be able to play music during dinner and not pay an extra fee. But these extra procedures create accountability and trust. To me, it’s worth it. Despite my education, I can’t know everything that is going on. I am a cook and a small businessman. I’m not a certifier and so I trust third-party certification.
MR: Now be honest, do you like working with Goodness Greeness?
MA: I do. Goodness Greeness is putting out a local agriculture initiative. They are the only truly certified organic purveyor in the Chicagoland area. I enjoy my long-standing relationship that goes back to the beginning of Goodness Greeness. I honestly feel their attention and intentions are in the right place—I trust the company. I also enjoy that over the years, as Goodness Greeness has grown, they have made it increasingly easier for me to run a business with clean products. Without them, it would be cost-prohibitive to be organic.
MR: How organic is your restaurant?
MA: I’d say it’s 95%. Even though it’s my goal, it’s just impossible to 100%.
MR: How realistic or reliable are farmer’s markets for chefs?
MA: They aren’t. My impression is that chefs who claim to support them are just looking for good PR.
MR: What kind of local market hotspots and farms do you recommend?
MA: You as Goodness Greeness may not want to hear this—but CSA’s are great. I don’t know if you can still get into Angelic Organics but there’s Henry's Farm as well. At Angelic, Tom Spalding runs an amazing education center where you can bale hay, watch how they apply the biodynamic mix, visit happy livestock, and see the composting process take place. Growing Home City Farm is at The Green City Market. This farm is doing wonderful things for ex-convicts—teaching them to farm and cook so they have ready skills when they re-enter the work-force. I also enjoy the private events at Kinnikinnick Farm; if you call Dave Cleverdon you can reserve a place for their outings and dinners. Garfield Park Conservatory and the Chicago Agriculture Highschool both offer ways to get involved. My favorite of all, though, is The Growing Connection. They’re affiliated with the UN World Hunger task force and they teach families in Ghana, Mexico, Kenya, Nicaragua, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. how to grow their own produce organically with The Earth Box. Here in Chicago it’s affiliated with the After School Matters program.
MR: Well thank you Chef for taking the time to share all this valuable information with us.
MA: It’s my pleasure.
MR: Well thank you Chef for taking the time to share all this valuable information with us.
MA: It’s my pleasure.
TD Willey Farms – Tom and Denesse Willey farm a 75 acre patch of the Central San Joaquin Valley in Madera, California. They have been farming since 1980, and are certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers since 1987. They specialize in harvesting the old fashioned way...by hand. They sometimes use the white glove treatment on items that bruise easily such as crookneck squash and new potatoes. Another thing that sets the Willey’s apart is their continued use of paper lined wooden crates to protect their produce from any bumps or bruises. Theses crates are also recyclable and reusable; almost all other shippers these days use waxed cartons which are neither. Take a look at their website for more information www.tdwilleyfarms.com. Here are some of the crops you will see from them in your local stores:
- French Breakfast Radishes
- Bloomsdale Spinach
- Bunched Red Spring Onions
- Baby Asian and regular Turnips
- Baby Artichokes
- Classic Globe Eggplant
- Spring New Potatoes
- Rutabagas
- Rapini
