Distributors, sellers see benefits of the local food movement

Buying local produce, dairy and meats has been a growing food trend for at least a decade.

Farmers markets are flourishing, grocery stores display in-season produce sourced locally and restaurants feature “local” in menu descriptions. In fact 1,500 chefs surveyed nationally last year predicted “local foods” as the No. 1 restaurant trend for 2011.

Local foods mean bigger taste - and potentially big bucks. A regional survey of restaurants, retailers and institutions by Iowa Corridor Food and Agriculture Coalition noted that 10 major buyers surveyed purchased about $2.5 million in local foods in 2010.

The reasons usually cited for buying local foods include a personal commitment to health and the local economy, customer demand and superior quality.

But there are also concerns such as quantity, dependability of suppliers and transportation and delivery issues. As the demand for local foods grows, suppliers are becoming better at making it easier, and more economical, to source locally.

A conversation with a customer three years ago led Lori Vogt to begin purchasing locally raised produce for Savvy Coffee & Wine Bar in Solon. That customer was a local grower from whom Vogt began buying tomatoes, green peppers and other produce.

For meats such as steaks to grill, Vogt gravitates to Ruzicka's Meat Processing.

“It's great quality, and he's local. It's nice to be able to patronize a local business,” Vogt said. “Given the option, I would buy everything local.”

Sourcing local foods became easier last year with Local Harvest Supply, a division of food distributor giant Hawkeye Foodservice Distribution Inc. Through Local Harvest, Vogt purchases heavy cream and fresh eggs featured in her made-from-scratch baked goods and quiches.

Hawkeye staff began researching the local foods option in 2008 and has been shipping local foods through Coralville-based division Local Harvest for about a year and a half. Each case notes the farm name, locale and harvest date.

Erica Miller, operations coordinator, noted the distributor has the resources and processes to audit the farms for food safety.

Food is picked up from the supplier in Hawkeye's refrigerated trucks, which helps the grower and eliminates additional buyer food safety concerns.

Delivery is made at the same time as the regular Hawkeye drop-offs, she said.

There is a price difference of 20 to 30 percent higher than commercially grown produce, though when certain produce is in season, such as zucchini, the price might dip below that, Miller said.

“As demand grows, hopefully we'll see a diminished gap,” she added.

Local Harvest's number of cases shipped has grown steadily, Miller said, but declined to give specifics. Fewer products are offered during the winter, but the distributor sustains its customer base with proteins and grains.

The business is not at the break-even point yet, but Miller hopes to reach that soon.

About 40 percent of Hawkeye's business is from institutions, such as health care facilities and schools - the percentage is a bit lower for Local Harvest, Miller said.

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Mercy Medical Center staff began incorporating local produce on a small scale during the summer of 2009, said Pam Oldham, co-director of food and nutrition services.

Staff members initially went to various farm to make purchases. It now makes its purchases through Local Harvest.

Mercy serves about a million meals a year. Although only 1 to 2 percent of the overall food budget is spent on local foods, about 30 percent of the produce budget is spent locally.

Local food spending from April through September this year tallied about $28,000. That included about 12,000 pounds of local produce - more than double the 2010 purchase.

Some 4,400 pounds of that were local tomatoes.

The difference in quality and taste is noticeable.

“Out tomato consumption was up 40 to 50 percent over the previous year,” said Andy Deutmeyer, Mercy's culinary manger.

“Local” doesn't necessarily mean more expensive, although purchasing local organic foods would be too costly, Deutmeyer said. He had been spending more on precut and pre-diced vegetables, which cost more than whole fruits and vegetables.

But with the switch to more local produce, staffers are doing the slicing and dicing to help offset the cost of buying local.

Having a large account such as a hospital can help local suppliers expand their business. For example, the hospital uses salad greens and herbs from an area grower who added a greenhouse to supply clients year-round, Deutmeyer said.

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Customers at Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery and Distillery have come to expect foods to be paired with the wines served at the Swisher facility. Jamie Siefken, general manager, said he has tried to use local foods since Cedar Ridge began offering meat and cheese trays with wine.

Although it was important to him to use local food, he was at first gun shy and concerned about inconsistency in product. But he's found that hasn't been an issue.

In addition to local foods purchased through Local Harvest, Siefken orders local meats and cheeses from regional businesses. The additional cost for local foods is offset by less prep time needed because not much needs to be done to the food to bring out the flavor, he said.

Siefken understands the local business side as a supplier, too, as Cedar Ridge wine and spirits are often featured in area businesses. An end goal for him would be to feature only local foods.

“We really believe in the buy local food movement and work to support the local economy,” Siefken said. “We will always continue to expand with local products as possible, while balancing the cost side of it.”