Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] supplying restaurants

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: John Ehrlich <johnkaty AT shaw.ca>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] supplying restaurants
  • Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 08:16:37 -0700

We opened a cafe on our farm and we just went through our first winter
operating. Our menu is sparse, one salad, three soups, and indiv pizzas.

The salad in February was chickweed, (only because my ghouse was not
completed until September, and I was too late on the winter greeens
planting). (People loved it btw). Now the salad is Kale, a mild Dutch
variety, sauteed with hot sesame oil and roasted sunflower and raisins.
People love this too. Yesterday, we sold 12 salads at 5/each. It was about 2#
of kale for $60. And it took me 30 minutes to harvest and prepare.

People are starving for this kind of authenticity, because there is so much
inauthenticity now in the world.
Mothers come with their children and they see a real farm.

But we have not had to buy any veggies. The cafe is well received by the
community and we are doing really well. We dont even have a cash register
yet, and everyone has to pay cash and cash is king. I make way more per day
than going to a farmers market. We are only open for lunch and now after one
year, we are usually operating at max capacity.

Except yesterday, the build inspector came and said we did not have zoning to
operate a cafe and is trying to shut us down. (largely bec he got a complaint
either from a competitor or from a redneck neighbour) There is a funny
stipulation here that farms can operate farm gate sales or agritourism
enterprises, so we are in a grey area. But this is only part one in our
battle.


Best, John
alderleafarm.com


On 2011-04-09, at 4:25 AM, Mike Rock wrote:

> Within a few minutes of my posting I got a suggestion to contact these
> folks. http://www.greenandgreenfarms.com/about-us.htm
>
> It looks like there is just such a service as my quote requester needs,
> at least for part of the season. And they are less than thirty miles
> from me.
>
> Mike
>
> Mike Rock wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> I just received this shopping list from a Polish restaurant in Chicago.
>> How does one supply this with organic or 'responsibly' grown produce.
>> Obviously I cannot meet her needs for much of this from here in the
>> north (SW Wisconsin). A case of leeks per week? Yikes.... And this is
>> only ONE restaurant that needs supplies. This is a real eye opener to
>> me. The reality of large scale warehousing, California supply chains,
>> shipping and logistics all come into rather terrifying focus.
>>
>> Here is her list:
>>
>> "Leeks case each week from May through October, then one case every other
>> week
>> Carrot 40 pounds a week, may through October then every other week
>> Zuchinni 20 pounds a week, may through October
>> Potatoes 40 pounds a week
>> Onions 20 pounds a week
>> Spinach, case per week, more during May through October
>> Mixed greens a case a week
>>
>> Also I go through a lot of rhubarb, blueberries, cranberries, and apples
>> all
>> year round, I take the cranberries and blueberries and freeze them.
>>
>> Hope that helps"
>>
>> This is way beyond farmers market type stuff, and is the day to day
>> reality of vegetable supply.
>>
>> I hope this becomes an interesting topic for discussion.
>>
>> Most respectfully,
>> Mike Rock
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Market-farming mailing list
>> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>>
>> Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
>> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
>> Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
>> address and password):
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Market-farming mailing list
> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
> Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
> Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
> address and password):
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page