Richard, this is outstanding information. We were approached by a few
restaurant owners last year at market and really didn't have the capacity to
meet their needs right at that moment. But ever since then I've wondered
what it would take to expand into meeting at least some of their needs. I
had heard horror stories about trying to work with chefs, due to many of the
concerns/experiences already listed. I'm sure those concerns and risks
still occur and bear consideration. But your very thorough description
goes a long way to demystifying the process and working with
chefs and other growers to find win/win situations. Not sure I'll
tackle that monster this coming year but now I have a little better idea what I
can do proactively, if/when the time comes. Thanks again.
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com Snohomish, WA
In a message dated 12/22/2010 5:09:28 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
ramoyer AT gmail.com writes:
We met
yesterday, 6 growers with 3 chefs, and heard input from 4 other chefs who
could not be there. Meeting lasted ~90 min with us all, then growers
only for 90 more min to divy up chef requests, then fewer growers for 30
min to coordinate joint seed orders to Fedco and E&R, to take advantage
of volume discounts.
Even before meeting began, we were shaking hands,
updating family news and contact info, discussing winter
deliveries.
We started by asking for gaps in produce supply, along with
those items where there was plenty of supply. The divergent
preferences of each chef were obvious, this info worth noting and
remembering. Chefs take these preferences with them, even when moving
to another restaurant.
Lettuce: More needed during summer,
both baby heads and mesclun. Onions: Major need for more local
growers of large red and yellow onions. Some
shallots. Carrots: Another major need, seldom is local demand met
anytime during the season. Some colors requested, but primary need is
more orange. Potatoes: More fingerlings and alternate colors, more
storage potatoes for late fall and winter. Beets: More golden
ones. Parsnips: Several requests; I've done these
before. Horseradish: One chef needs a local source. Celeriac, Kohlrabi,
Salsify, Cardoon, garbanzos, favas, edamame: Chefs want some unusuals,
locally produced. Jerusalem Artichokes: One request. I
volunteered, please let me know if you have some tubers for
sale. Rhubarb and Asparagus: Lots of growers have these for a short
window, but more needed outside this span. Growers reiterated these
are perennials for takes time to ramp up. Peas: Need season
extension around grower glut, earlier, later into summer, fall. Pea
tendrils and flowers a limited market but high dollar item. Green
Beans: More in fall. Tomatoes: More colors needed. Mixed
cases, including heirlooms, requested. Peppers: Color over
greens. Request for mixed boxes of hots-colors, flavors. Melons,
broccoli, cauliflower: Local supply adequate. Cucumbers: Need
alternate colors and shapes. Radishes: extend season beyond
glut. Herbs: Restaurants moving toward growing their own, couple of
exceptions noted. Bok choi: Baby instead of full size
heads. Arugula: demand constant, but not huge. One chef
stressed privately that quality needs to be better for him to buy
local. Leeks: More needed.
I volunteered to grow these outside the
seasonal glut: baby head and leaf lettuces; peas and green beans, unusual
cucumbers, radishes, arugula. Also, we've grown these less common
ones, so I signed up for these: parsnips, horseradish, salsify, sunchokes,
baby bok choi, multiple edible flowers, including herb flowers.
Lastly, I signed up for carrots and large onions in quantity. Will be
asking you all for advice on the above as 2011 progresses.
We asked
the chefs about pricing, they agreed that our prices were in line with
their expectations. We also requested they let us know if a price
(and by implication, quality) were out of line, and give us a chance to
right these before dropping this item or our farm from their orders.
Or, please ask/tell us when we need to change to retain
their business. This meeting helped build emotional capital, so
hopefully chefs can be more comfortable requesting changes. And
growers more comfortable prepping then offering our best for sale, even
those who would rather be pulling weeds in the rain/heat than giving
someone the chance to reject what we've lovingly raised.
Comments to
some of your questions below:
> From: "Wendy's Produce"
<info AT wendysproduce.com> > Please, please share the notes from
your meeting. I have recently started > supplying one local chef. I
could really use some real world input, as he > would like me to grow
everything and I just can't do that. This is also a > new business for
him so we are both "just learning". Wendy, we growers said that some items
we can't grow here, or in quantity, or such miniscule amounts. But we
do want to meet as many requests as possible, so they know we are listening
and so we can do this again next year.
> In my limited
experience, chef's don't use nearly as much produce as we > would
think. We asked chefs and were told how many lbs or cases per week or
month on almost every item, esp. tomatoes, cucumbers, onions,
carrots, lettuce, etc. This helps us match our supply with
their demand. We growers also sell at local markets, so have other
outlets.
>And on some things ... I had one ask me to
grow chervil for > him. A new crop to me (a little herb). I
seeded a 3 x 6 bed, hoping it > would be enough. He wanted less
than 1/4 oz per week! A 4" pot/week would > have sufficed. He just
dribbled a few leaves on a plate as a garnish. > Beth Spaugh One
grower asked for herb flowers, minimal amounts. I realize he won't
use much, but if the only supplier for some of his wish list, could build
this into a weekly delivery of other items.
> One of thing's that
they need to understand is using fresh produce is not > the same as
ordering from their wholesaler/broker. I had a chef call on >
Thursday wanting Micro Greens for a party on Saturday, like all I have to
do > is shake my wand and it is instantly growing on a tree in
December, Daaa. > WE have always had a standard order and a
min order for delivery or in > summer three day notice of an
email or call. If you are not careful they > can > dollar
you to death. > > Phil from Iowa Phil and Rivka, we hope
sitting down with chefs, seed catalogs before us, impresses on them (and
us) the planning needed to bring these requests to fruition. We also
give extra copies of our preferred seed catalogs to them, asking for
anything in there they'd like us to grow. > Yes. The idea that if you
want to buy it in August, you may need to > talk to me about it the
previous January as I may need to order seed > and start plants by March
takes a certain amount of education. As does > the idea that it's
necessary to check both what's in season usually at > a given time of
year, and how the particular year's weather is > behaving, before
promising to cook a specific item for a shindig on a > particular
day. > > Of course, there's also the possibility that the
restaurant which sat > down with the farmer for a long conversation in
midwinter and said > they wanted to buy all sorts of stuff may not want
it at all by the > time it's ready. > > I would also be
interested in seeing advice on selling to chefs/ > restaurants. I'm not
very good at it. > > > -- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5
mostly > Fresh-market organic produce, small scale >
-------------- next part --------------
> > Richard what kind
of chefs do u have in SW VA? Do the chefs want organic? > Do they
want items out of season where a hoop house might help satisfy the >
need?
Richard wrote: Chefs here do not demand organic.
But, among our growers, my general observation is that organic (and
transitioning) producers have the highest quality produce, and that may be
why they are most attractive to chefs buying at market and continuing
midweek and off-season.
> The chef we deal with found us at the
farmers market. He was looking for > local produce and at that
particular market we are one of the few who > actually grow what we
sell. We also act as his supplier by keeping abreast > of what other
growers have that we do not. We then procure for him and add a > small
handling/expediting fee. And yes, he will text us at 8pm asking for a >
delivery the next day. Not usually possible but we do what we can. We
feel > that it is a work in progress on both sides. Hoping for great
business for > both he and us next year. > Thanks for you
inputs going into this meeting. Now to plan where and when to grow
these items. Richard Moyer SW
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