Panel on Institutional Food Buying, AUA

Yesterday, Wednesday February 1, 2012, the Chicago Advocates for Urban Agriculture hosted their winter meeting at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  There were two important ideas brought up concerning the challenges Institutions face when purchasing local, whole produce.

• Changing Institutional buying to purchase local and organic requires kitchens to re-skill their staff for new menus (cutting veggies instead of using pre-cut veggies).
• Changing Institutional buying requires working across department silos to cost cuts in energy, water and time management (etc) in order to move money to purchasing for the true cost of local food and the labor costs for skilled cooks.

Facilitator:

Kathy Nyquist, New Venture Advisors

Panelists:

Greg Christian, Beyond Green: Sustainable Food Partners

Kyle Schafter, UNITE HERE

Joan Hopkins, Coordinator of Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest, Cook County Boot Camp

Ben Perkins, Purchasing Buyer for Goodness Greeness