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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Advice for meeting with chefs?

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  • From: Richard Stewart <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Advice for meeting with chefs?
  • Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:09:38 -0500

My bit wordy thoughts on the matter.  Others will vary greatly I am sure.

I meet with chefs I give them a per pound price that is valid throughout the entire calendar year.  I then give them a listing of what we will be planting (not have available, but planting).  Much of what I plant now is based on feed back from the same chefs I have sold to the previous year.  Herbs are where its at on a purely dollar  per square foot basis.  I am multiplying what I have in herbs by a factor of three to ten which is probably not enough, but I am conservative in my expansions.  We are also starting to get chefs interested in forage: wild dandelions, chickweed, nettles, and the like.

My first question is:  Are competing with or complimenting the other growers?  

This is EXTREMELY important.  Unless its a generic local food event that is tackling issues at large I never participate with other growers in the discussions with a chef.  My prices are lower and higher and my costs are different than other growers as well.  I communicate this with the chefs.  I also do a lot of cross promotion with their business so there is a value added benefit to working with me as opposed to the farm that is not.  So our prices may reflect that.  If you are a co-op of sorts, each growing different elements that they chef needs so you are not competing with each other then there is less issues involved other than...your business is grouped with other businesses so bad practices with one may reflect on another.  I would suggest you and the others overlap plantings of certain crops so you can provide a longer in season availability.  I may offer cheap prices are certain items so long as I know they are willing to pay top dollar for other items that are hard to find locally...willing to pay much more for, say local horseradish and fennel but sell bulk lettuce cheaply if they meet a certain per week poundage.

All things to consider and far more difficult when there are other parties doing the same thing at the same exact time.

I would also look at chefs in one of three categories:

1) The TRULY local food chef.  Hardcore seasonality.  Prints menus weekly or monthly to reflect availability.  Refuses to serve things out of season and tries to source from as close to the establishment as possible.  May have some  delux non-local items especially wines and beers sometimes.  Wants to be a part of the community and works well with the growers/producers.  Great for buying small quantities of specialty items.  These chefs are the best to work with...I mean super fun and good business both.  They will also do things like dinners on your farm or have you come in and talk to their guests about the food they are eating.  Great steady business IF they have great steady business.  Gems in your crown.

2) The Hybrid.  Wants to source locally but either cannot afford to source all of it locally, offers different tiers of availability within the restaurant/business, or simply wants to have a hybrid system not relying on one or the other and may not heavily promote that they do it.  These are usually large scale operations, chains/corporate owned that go through a WHOLE LOT of food.  They'll buy from both local and the regional services.  They are usually willing to pay a premium price for quality stuff.  They are also usually good for buying bulk amounts of less common items.  Not a good source usually to buy 1000 pounds of potatoes for more than .50 a pound, even if they are fingerlings...they vary a whole lot.  Purchases vary in size and quantity.  Can be your best business in terms of keep the books balancing and folks employed.  They may not be all about getting EVERYTHING local, but they are doing a good job supporting local.

3) "The Trend Chef".  Uses the word local but does not truly understand what it means.  Will buy sometimes, especially for single events.  Buys rarely just to say they use "this farms" food.  Sometimes these chefs are popular and get LOTS Of air time and press but its a lot of smoke and mirrors.  Farmers who question the ethics of the business my frown on involvement with them or you can look at it as business is business.  These chefs though, they DO NOT TRULY UNDERSTAND OR APPRECIATE the seasonality of the food you grow and will order stuff from you at the oddest times or sometimes or out of schedule.

There are, of course, shades of grey between all of these descriptions, but I think the three categories give you a really good idea what to expect.

If you are doing markets and/or other non-chef wholesale customers, you need to run an EXTREMELY tight ship.  You cannot select one over the other after you make promises.

Get them onto your farm and establish a relationship with them.  Some will just want order and deliveries others want to know where the food is coming from.  I have found that chef types 1 & 2 always want to come out, at least once.  Number 3, almost never.

Watch the cash...some business will always be on a COD basis with you for some reason or another.  Others will work fine as a 7 or 14 day payment cycle.

Lastly...eat there at least once and make sure they do not know you are coming.  Its fun and you get a good idea of what kind of business you are teamed up with.

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106




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