The contents of a University student’s refrigerator probably look much like they did in past years: groceries and leftovers from home or eating out. But even if students aren’t aware of it, more and more of this food is coming from local farms.
“There is very much a movement taking place right now,” said Architecture Prof. Timothy Beatley, the Teresa Heinz professor rising popularity. For instance, local food often undergoes less processing and has a higher nutritional value, Beatley said. Furthermore, buying and using local products keeps area farmers in business and allows citizens to feel rooted in their communities, he added.
Many restaurants in the Charlottesville area recently have become increasingly dependent on local farmers for ingredients. But Mark Gresge, one of the proprietors of L’Etoile Restaurant, noted his establishment was well-immersed in local foods before it became a popular trend.
“We wanted to define ourselves as a restaurant many years ago,” Gresge said. “We work with some small [farms] around town, and I’ve had relationships with them for around 15 years.”
When the winter seasons come, farmers will even ask Gresge, a frequent customer of farmer’s markets, if he will use special products they grow specifically for him, in addition to the usual foods produced in the spring and summer.
“You get kind of known for using local products,” Gresge said, adding that customers have even brought figs from their own gardens and yards for the restaurant to use.
Gresge said he feels as if Charlottesville residents are particularly receptive to local products, echoing Beatley, who called Charlottesville a “progressive community.”
“I think the populace here is already there, already very interested in knowing where these things come from,” Beatley said. “But for other people, that will be less important and what will reach them will be the difference in flavor and taste.”
Gresge agreed that taste is a key factor, noting that L’Etoile prides itself on using the freshest ingredients it can find and makes a note to explain its relationships with local farms to customers.
The benefits of using local food extend beyond taste and publicity; restaurants using local food also can contribute to reduced carbon emissions in the environment, as ingredients travel shorter distances. According to Beatley, food travels an average of 1,500 miles from where it is grown to where it is consumed.
Restaurants interested in the environmental benefits of using local food often choose to take additional measures to run an environmentally friendly business. L’Etoile, for example, uses linen napkins, recycled toilet paper and paper towels, and green cleaning products and sanitizers.
Bang!, another Charlottesville restaurant that works with local farmers, also emphasizes respect for the environment. Manager Joy LeBlanc, who shops at Whole Foods Market and farmer’s markets for her own personal meals at home, called the restaurant “Earth-aware.”
“We recycle as much as we possibly can,” she said, noting that everything from plastics to wine bottles are put into one of four recycling bins. “We just want to play our part.”
Similar to L’Etoile, Bang! gets its greens and produce from local markets. As an Asian-cuisine restaurant, a great deal of rice, bok choy and soy sauce is used, all of which comes from the Asian market in town. The non-Asian foods offered by the restaurant also come from local roots — for example, sorbets are made from fresh fruit from local farmer’s markets.
LeBlanc emphasized that buying local foods is a simple decision to make. “Anything that’s local is going to be better,” she said. “We have great farms in the area and a great farmer’s market that we all love.”
LeBlanc uses local markets to obtain fresh flowers for the restaurant, too.
“It’s a great way to support local farmers in the area as well,” she added.
Having a personal relationship with local farmers is a great incentive for many to participate in the local food movement, Beatley said.
“The Internet age and this age of amazing communication and amazing sort of understanding of the larger world — that’s all good, but we’re not necessarily learning as much about the local levels,” he said. “I think people are hankering for that.”
The movement is even permeating the University itself. The Student Council Environmental Sustainability Committee and the University Programs Committee will be jointly hosting a one-day U.Va. Own Farmer’s Market in Newcomb Plaza today, giving University students the opportunity to try local food without having to travel downtown. Furthermore, the Fine Arts Café, which can be found in Campbell Hall in the School of Architecture, is a pilot for serving as much local food on Grounds as possible.
“I think this reflects student concern on Grounds about servicing things locally as much as we can,” Beatley said. “Local food is being addressed and incorporated in the University.”
Evidence of this is available in the Architecture School, where a community food systems class has been integrated into the curriculum.
“We need to ... design for food in the same way that we design for roads,” Beatley explained.
Beatley also predicted that the local food movement will continue to grow and even expand to localizing products such as building materials and energy. He said he hopes many have a similar experience to one he had recently when he compared a New Zealand apple to one he picked in his yard with his daughter.
“Lo and behold, it was very tasty!” he said, referring to the piece of fruit from his yard.
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