This post is to serve as a forum to discuss what we think ought to be Cityfoods policy as how we define local. Does local mean grown in Tippecanoe County only, Indiana only, within a 200 mile radius? What’s your thoughts? Anyone can make a comment in the comments section, you don’t need to be signed up as a blog author.
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7 comments:
One way to have a local flavor to what Cityfoods stocks is to favor growers who can deliver produce directly to Cityfoods and not use a wholesaler. If they truck it in themselves it’s not likely to be from very far away. The growers who have booths at the Farmer’s Market downtown could drop off at Cityfoods what they haven’t sold that day, so it would be available to us later in the week.
Would it make sense to just say 'Tippecanoe County Area' (intending to include surrounding counties) with preference given to Tippecanoe sources?
There will still be plenty of items to be sourced outside this area, but commodities available locally would chosen first.
I would imagine many items of CityFoods Coop will be 'imported' from surrounding counties. It might be useful to survey vendors at the two local farmers' markets to give a general idea of sources of what will be available. As I recall, there are cheeses and meats from Carroll County and organic produce from White County. Rockville in Parke County has its own wholesale produce auction. That's 70 miles away. Yet I see these as local products (certainly they're regional) but others might not.
I like the definition of local as anything within Tipp. Cty and then a 200 mile radius will also be used. Beyond that, I think we need to decide who are customer is. Is it the people who participated in the meeting last Sunday or is it broader? Is it going to be for those people living in or near the downtown or do we want to really get serious and try to educate a larger piece of the community? Answering those questions will help narrow the product mix because the broader consumer might not demand food from Tipp. Cty. I also would like to point out that non-profit doesn't have to mean "no money". I think it would be great to make this so successful that we could start a low-income food program with the proceeds. We could really double the benefits to the community by making the market as successful as possible.
Personally I think that the focus should be local but that a specific distance doesn't need to be defined. I liked the idea brought forward at the last meeting of posting how far things are from Tippecanoe county at the store for people to judge for themselves.
To me the focus of Cityfoods is not only local but also--more natural, organic, recycled, less packaging etc. I think for the business to be sustainable downtown there are going to be many needs that have to be met that may make us look out of a 'defined local' area.
I agree with Mintyextreme, there should be a combination of both supporting our local growers and their associated benefit of shorter transport distance and offering organic/natural foods and products. We will find local producers for some, and should look within this area first, but not limit ourselves completely.
A 200mi radius for "local" is probably a good measure, I would add direct contact with producer as a criteria.
"Someone's" mention of nurturing LaFood's connections direct to producers is a worthy idea - even when over-stepping the 200-mile radius.
Many Co-ops depend heavily on selling merchandise and sundries from cooperative wholesalers located in Iowa and Minnesota.
Sourcing producers directly will be more time consuming but perhaps worthwhile.
CityFoods should also preferentially purchase supplies from other coops, whenever possible.
Just some notions to consider...
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