chopbiscuit 101 - The business of eating local

Editors note: This is a series of posts on food, cooking and sustainable eating habits. We will explore the culture around food in this country and the little steps we can make to secure a laudable future in the world of provisions.

As a food gobbling society, we've surely had some suspect systems when it comes to sustainable practices and procedures as we procure our nourishment. I've stated on this blog about the problems with centralized focus on food production and it's vindictive ways of forcing regions of our country and lower wage earners to buy food void of nutrition. As many of you have, I've read countless books, Op-eds and articles relating to how we can get back to a more provincial and civil way of relating to our local food eco-system. For awhile, eating local has been more of a personal attribute even though I work in the food business. Local had "no business" of being in business.

Until now.

When movements start, you never know where and when they are going to end. These types of reform often start from the fringe and eventually gravitate into the masses of centrics who may or may not pick up on the premise. The term "eating local" has for years, had this hippie, elitist vibe that drove many people away from it's banjo playing, save the world and anti-business model. The moderates never really understood the message because it was clouded by the persona the movement took. As I eat all over the country and talk to restaurant owners, operators and people in the business - Local has gained a stage, not because of it's actual model, but by the buzz the term "Local" has taken.

It's the buzz word all over the big retail food world. You see it on menus, you read about the farms on their websites and often see the term bastardized by some of the big players that want an initial lift in sales. Trends always come from the little guys that have the flexibility to take chances and have the creative, nimble opportunities not to let that chance blow up their business model. When I opened my first restaurant, we bought tomatoes and certain greens from a local farm near Syracuse, NY because they were just better. We didn't buy because they were local, because frankly, back in 1999 that term wasn't being shoveled down your throat at every corner. Local, fortunately was just the byproduct of buying from that farm.

New restaurant Entrepreneurs are flocking to local food, starting businesses devoted to producing and delivering food within their communities. This is a good thing for business and for social and moral avenues as well.  Just as consumers focus new attention on what we eat and where it comes from, farmers, restaurateurs, retailers, distributors, and processors are rethinking the business models behind it. It's about creating enterprise and a sound model for that enterprise to capture a movement that has finally solidified as a major player in our food culture. They want to create enterprises that will succeed in the long run and for local food to be more than just a fad for your hippie friend or a luxury for those so called "elitist" consumers.

So, don't dismiss these types of movements. The ones that resonate and have the staying power prove themselves out in the market place. Sometimes a room of MBA's cannot analyze the nuances of behaviors these models take and the potential impact of it's potential scale. It's a funny thing how these things just sneak up on you and make you do the "Right thing".