Page 11 - The Peorian, Vol 3 Issue 2

Hartz said he has noticed over
the last few years that more
people of his generation, as they
get older, make regular trips
to the area farmers’ markets so
they can buy fresh, chemical-free
produce. “I see that happening
and I think the farm-to-table
concept and organic farming will
become increasingly important
to future generations. They also
want to know who they are
buying from so I think we will
see more small local farms get
more business, as well,” he said.
Leslie Hiatt of Spring Bay,
who with her husband Doug
Day owns and works a small
farm that doesn’t use chemicals,
said they are starting to see their
business grow as time goes by.
They started selling produce
only a few years ago and now
count four or five restaurants as
customers and they vend from at
least one farmers’ market during
the summer.
“I think ‘local’ has become the
new organic. People are more
concerned about buying produce
and other foods, including meat,
from local farms. Sure a lot look
for organic farms and they are
getting more concerned about
what they are eating, but it is
important to them to support
local farmers and help the local
economy,” she said.
Hiatt said she and Day heard
from a lot of people a few
years ago when a bad crop of
cantaloupes that had been mass
produced from a farming hub
in the south caused hundreds
to become ill. “People hear that
and it worries them. They want
to get their food from somebody
they know,” said Hiatt, who
with Day and Hartz and a couple
other area farmers formed Good
Earth Food Alliance. Through
GEFA customers can get organic
vegetables and grain fed beef and
other chemical free foods.
“We’re nearly year-round
because two of the farmers have
hoophouses that let them grow
produce in the winter,” she said.
One of those is Hartz, who said
his hoophouse, which resembles
a greenhouse, has enabled him
to grow his operation and he
believes he’ll be able to continue
growing. “I’m limited only by
the size of my hoophouse. I may
build more as the need arises,”
he said.
The restaurateurs who are or
want to be farm-to-table hope
that becomes reality because the
more local they can buy produce
in the winter the more they can
keep their costs —and thus their
prices —in check.
“It isn’t easy finding vegetables
locally during the winter, so
when we buy from suppliers
we still insist on the freshest
possible,” said Dustin Allen,
owner and executive chef at
Edge. “We manage as best we
can. But having them clean of
chemicals is most important.”
Josh Lanning, head
chef at Harvest Café, said
the relationships that the
restaurateurs build with the
farmers is important, not only
in the quality of the food but in
the friendships that grow from
a common desire to put quality
food on the table. Farmers, he
said, are very conscious of what
is going into their bodies as well.
“It is not odd at all to see a farmer
pull up here, unload his produce,
then come inside for a meal,” he
said.
Josh Adams, who opened a
lot of eyes to the farm-to-table
concept when he opened June
more than five years ago, said
the best way to control the costs
will be to get more local farmers
involved, but first it must be
worth their efforts. “When I
first opened Peoria was really
behind in embracing the concept.
I thought we’d be able to convert
more people more quickly than
we have. But it is growing and
there is a lot of great work being
done by farmers in the area,”
said Adams, who counts among
his accolades a couple of Best
New Chef awards by reputable
sources.
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