Farmers and Growers Plant for Local Chefs’ Menus

By Melissa Kossick
Contributing Writer

The number of suppliers at area farmer’s markets is growing, a handful of new CSA’s offer service to the area, and local chefs are following consumers’ rising demands for more local products. Local foods are more nutrient rich, harvested during their peak season, and more flavorful than their store-bought counterparts, integral for successful chefs.

Benjamin Kragnes and Tyne Stormo of Kragnes Family Farms began their CSA just this year and have already established supplier relationships with five area restaurants, as well as maintaining 39 shares this growing season. They want to focus more on growing foods that local chefs request for next growing season. Stormo says they build farmer-to-chef relationships by going to visit local restaurants, adding “We usually go into area restaurants and speak to the chefs, asking them what they would like, and what they could use.” This year, Stormo says they are planning on visiting and asking the chefs, “So we can plan accordingly for planting to help them maintain locally grown produce on their menus.”

One of the restaurants that Kragnes Family Farms has supplied is Monte’s, located in downtown Fargo. Chef Stacy Hogue says that Monte’s menu typically includes 5-10% locally grown ingredients throughout the growing season. “We try to get as much as we can locally,” says Hogue. Monte’s has supplier relationships with other local growers, as well as larger national suppliers. Another supplier Hogue has used is Prairie Petals, who grows edible flowers and fresh herbs without pesticides. Hogue says, “I try to give the farmers and growers a list of supplies that we need on our menu right now” and wishes local farmers could keep up with demand in peak season.

In peak growing season, local foods are the star of the menu at Green Market in downtown Fargo. From July to October, Green Market offers about 90% local ingredients on their menu and chef Andrea Baumgardner even grows some of the produce they offer herself. “It is extra work, and about establishing relationships with your suppliers,” says co-owner Peter Kelly. “Our customers even bring us local produce,” he adds. This season alone, a customer brought 100 pounds of local grapes to Green Market, while another provided early-season tomatoes she had grown from seedlings. In the winter months, Green Market serves local meats, chicken, lamb and bison, and shifts their produce suppliers to those who are certified organic. Kelly mentions, “We buy as much local food as our customers can consume.”

While some smaller area restaurants have less difficulty using local and sustainable suppliers, local growers struggle to meet the demands in quantity of other high volume restaurants, like Spitfire Grill in West Fargo. While Spitfire Grill orders most of their product from a large national supplier, Head Chef and Kitchen Manager Scott Motschenbacher would like to use more local product. “Occasionally our customers ask where our meat comes from, and the more focused I’ve become on the importance of local foods, the more I would like to be able to tell them the exact source. It’s about making time to become better - which is challenging in a high volume restaurant,” says Motschenbacher. Spitfire is currently offering a seasonal special, featuring wild mushrooms grown in Minnesota.

Eric Watson, Executive Chef at W. F. Maxwells, agrees that using local suppliers year round can be challenging. “It’s kind of tough sometimes with local suppliers to plan year-round menus, but we use local ingredients as much as we can.” According to Watson, W.F. Maxwells enjoys accommodating client’s requests for local foods, occasionally heading out to local farmer’s markets to obtain their produce. “Whenever we’re inspired by a local seasonal ingredient, we like to feature it on our menu” says Watson.

While many seasoned chefs prefer the flavors of local foods on their menus, consumer demand drives the market. When you, the consumer (pun intended), ask for local produce and ingredients, this starts the chain of demand; for the grower to produce it, the economy to support it, suppliers to stock it, and restaurants to serve it.

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