The Consultant - Q1 2009 - (Page 59) It Ain’t Easy Being Green “F or the longest time I didn’t really care where my food came from or where the garbage went. I thought my job was to make food taste good.” But when he started thinking about the global food system, its pollution, waste and unhealthy products, “I just freaked out. I had been shifting the burden, blaming everyone else, saying it is not me or my problem.” He took a hard look at his role and decided that, being part of the system, he could work from the inside to make it better. “I started by diagnosing all of my inputs, by season. Before you can heal you need to diagnose the problem.” This meant looking at every aspect of his catering operation, from the food coming into the kitchen, how far it traveled to get there, the staff preparing it and the waste coming out at the end. He created a food procurement policy with organic produce, all natural and free-range poultry, meat and seafood, minimal food production and processing and local seasonal ingredients as the cornerstones. Taking accountability even further, Christian began personally visiting the farms supplying food to his kitchen. “I encourage everyone to visit an organic farm. Don’t be a believer, go see for yourself and ask questions. Why do you do this? How do you do this?” His efforts paid off. He now has reliable suppliers with whom he works directly, helping to keep prices down and food quality high. Christian strives to buy only organic, natural and locally grown produce, using the “Certified Organic” seal of the USDA. His farmers rely primarily on local, renewable resources and maximize the recirculation of plant nutrients and organic matter. He also seeks out those maintaining a high level of biological diversity and who are growing, producing and packaging in a manner beneficial to the environment. Finding clean meat sources that are affordable has been one of the greatest challenges. He looks for animals that have been raised without the use of hormones and antibiotics and that have been fed a strictly grass or grain diet, ideally in a free-range environment. “Grass fed tenderloin is three times the price of factory farmed. To tell my sales people that beef tenderloin is now $105 instead of $35 is tough. So I haven’t put my foot down…. Yet!” he says with a hint of promise. He has been successful in finding partners who meet his stringent guidelines for most of his protein needs. Tallgrass Beef Company of Kansas provides all natural, no antibiotic, no hormone, grass-fed, 100% free range, pastureraised beef. Miller Poultry in Indiana supplies corn and soy-fed chicken with no artificial ingredients. Desert Sweet Shrimp in Arizona provides sustainable shrimp, free of hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, chemicals and mercury. “Our shrimp costs 50% more but the old product was raping the bottom of the ocean,” says Christian. “For every pound of shrimp, four to ten pounds of unwanted fish are pulled out and left to die. I explain this to customers and I haven’t yet had a complaint.” Capriole Goat Cheese of Indiana supplies farmstead Chicago-based caterer, Greg Christian, personally visits the local farms supplying his kitchen. Buying local has extended to reducing waste. He currently operates a zero waste kitchen. First Quarter 2009 59
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