We’ve jumped on the farm-to-fork bandwagon to serve fresh local ingredients in our dining room. At NCC, we do it to be sustainable and support the local agriculture, but is there really a demand for it? We’re starting to see an increase in planners requesting local ingredients, whether their personal preference or to meet the client’s demand. In events, private receptions, weddings, fundraisers and at our own tastings at NCC – you can see local ingredients are breaking their way through hotels and restaurants and into the preferences of individuals and groups. Here are some dishes where planners had to meet the demand for LOCAL foods:
Virginia Apple Tart with local ingredients by Executive Chef Craig Mason [March Tasting]
Local asparagus wrapped in Virginia honey-baked ham [Private Banquet at NCC]
NYC Maritime Hotels sells Martin’s Pretzels made locally rather than M&M’s [Photo Credit: USA Today Travel]
A wedding that featured entrees all made from local and organic ingredients [Photo Credit: Wedding Bee]
A fundraising picnic that used local fruit and forks made from potato starch.
The water cup and utensil were 100% biodegradable. [Photo Credit: Simply Blue Weddings]
Wedding with local roasted beets, aged goat cheese, kumquats, mache and sesame. [Photo Credit: Simply Blue Weddings]
Seared Shrimp Crusted Chesapeake Rockfish by Executive Chef Craig Mason [March Tasting]
What have you done to bring local into your events and meet the demands of your clients? How difficult was it to incorporate the local produce, meats or ingredients? Was the entire dish 100% local?
Clearing out the shrubbery on Friday for newly planted herbs
To be sustainable and offer a farm-to-table aspect, hotels and restaurants are beginning to grow their own herbs and the occasional tomato on their rooftop (and side lots). However, for venues that have a heavy amount of foot-traffic throughout the year, you practically need a farm to devote acres of land to producing 1,000+ lbs of local items on a weekly basis – (which is where Linda’s Mercantile & Farm Market comes into play).
For quite some time, planting an herb garden has been a topic of discussion at The National Conference Center. And, the dream finally became a reality last Friday as Joseph Lane (our Director of Food & Beverage Outlets) and Adam Hughes (our Banquets & Bar Manager) took a change of clothes and shovel to the site of a new herb garden located on property. For seven hours, the two dug up old shrubs, replanted them to give them a new home and made room for herbs to be planted.
Over the next few weeks, a previous area of shrubbery will become a community garden for employees who want to take part in planting our herbs. With recycled materials such as wooden beams and railroad ties, we’ll build a foundation for a variety of herbs such as basil, mint, thyme, rosemary and more. Does local make a difference to you in your meals or dining experience?
The crew also found duck eggs but no mama duck, they were left unstartled.
We can’t praise Linda’s Mercantile & Farm Market enough. In December, The National Conference Center held a Farmers Forum in which over 50 farmers from VA, WV, and MD attended. Panelists included Matt Lohr – Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Kurt Krause General Manager of The National Conference Center, Christopher Carpenter of Washington & Lee, Derek Kilmer of Kilmer’s Farm Market, and Emily Manley of The Local Food Hub.
After the forum, the one farm who contacted NCC about providing us with fresh local goods – Linda’s Mercantile. Check out the timeline of our relationship with David and Linda Lay, the couple behind Linda’s Mercantile & Farm Market from December 2010 – Present. This farm “gets it.” They reached out to Kurt Krause and Executive Chef Craig Mason, eager to assist us with our farm-to-fork initiative; an initiative that is important to us in order to support regional agricultural and offer our guests fresh sustainable produce with a high nutritional value to enhance their meeting experience and cognitive ability (Read more). Not only did they begin providing us with canola oil which is recycled into bio-diesel fuel for tractors, plows and more but they created a partnership to make this program successful (with Shenandoah Agricultural Products and Fruit Hill Orchards).
What started as canola oil and a shipment of spinach grew into providing our guests with local hot house tomatoes, arugula, mushrooms, and strawberries. In less than two months, Linda’s Mercantile has planted several more acres of produce. On Monday of next week, we’ll greet a shipment of 2,000 lbs of local produce. What are we expecting?
Linda and David Lay of Linda’s Mercantile also “get” social media – they see the value in it and have created a community of avid locavores on their Facebook Fan Page. Watch the Backstage Pass of the farm from their YouTube channel:
We’re excited to announce the launch of the green meetings section on our website. In this section, we’ll share ways we’re going green and available eco-friendly meeting amenities. The different green directories include hospitality services and guest rooms, conference facilities and services, dining and catering, general building policies, and gardens and grounds. You’ll learn about our low-flow sinks to fair-trade coffee products and the use of mulch for landscaping. To join our database and receive e-mail offers from The National Conference Center, sign-up for our e-mail offers here.
Have you seen Kurt Krause’s platform on being green at NCC? Watch the YouTube video.
In the beginning, farm-to-table at NCC was only a dream of Kurt Krause’s. Kurt Krause, our General Manager is an avid fan of locavore dining, farm-to-fork, food-for-thought, and creating a partnership between farms and local vendors such as universities, schools, restaurants, and other campus-settings like The National Conference Center.
Timeline:
DECEMBER 2010-
In December, NCC hosted the Virginia Farmers’ Forum for Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland farmers. Panelists such as Matt Lohr – Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Kurt Krause of The National Conference Center, Christopher Carpenter of Washington & Lee, Derek Kilmer of Kilmer’s Farm Market, and Emily Manley of The Local Food Hub discussed the possibility of a partnership. (Summary of the Farmers Forum)
Kurt explained his dream of providing local fresh food to guests, but the needs of the conference center will require help from the farmers, such as 1 ton of potatoes on a budget.
He explained his second dream: On the weekend, one 800 space parking lot at the conference center sits empty. Can this parking lot be the granddaddy of farmers markets? It would prevent farmers in WV, Loudoun County, and other nearby counties from traveling to D.C. every weekend. Farmers like this idea as time is one of the most valuable things to them!
MARCH 2011 -
Linda’s Mercantile & Farm Market approached Kurt about supplying fryer oil to the conference center and possibly produce.
Linda’s Mercantile agrees to grow local produce to supply the large demands of a conference center, which in turn supports their farm. LM has also planted extra fields of broccoli and other produce to provide us with local goods on a regular basis.
Executive Chef Craig Mason accepts the first shipment of local produce from Linda’s Mercantile & Farm Market. The items included mushrooms, cucumbers, strawberries, hot house tomatoes, honey, arugula, and spinach. To watch Executive Chef Craig Mason with David Lay, farmer of Linda’s Mercantile see the YouTube video below:
It’s the movement of consuming foods that were grown locally. It’s currently trending at restaurants, hotels, and conference centers – and on an individual basis consumers are shopping at farmers’ markets and purchasing locally grown foods at the grocery store (despite slight cost differences). In early December 2010, Executive Chef Craig Mason predicted the meal trends of 2011, one of them being sustainable local foods. Our Spring tasting for clients received a great turn-out with a menu that featured local Spring ingredients from nearby farmers. Here’s a quick glimpse of Chef’s cooking demonstration at the tasting:
Whether you’re interested in food that will increase your cognitive memory or you’ll be introduced to the concept at IACC 2011 for Andrea Sullivan’s “Meet & Eat,” food research seems to fascinate people and have them questioning: Am I feeding my brain the right food? In this YouTube video, Executive Chef Craig Mason speaks about food for thought trends at NCC. Food for thought are items known to provide nutrients for your brain to fight off afternoon fatigue and increase cognitive memory, helpful for full functionality at work and in meetings or at conferences. Check out more below in our YouTube series, Lessons In The Kitchen with Chef Craig Mason.
We couldn’t find a more appropriate time to blog about this than during the 2011 GMIC conference in Portland, Oregon. A common misconception with going green is that it requires more green ($) which is not always the case.
10 Affordable Ways to Green Your Meetings
Choose water glasses or plastic keepsake bottles. Bottled water uses 2,000 more energy than pouring a glass of water from a pitcher or faucet. America comes in 1st place in number of yearly bottled waters (Water Facts).
Seek sponsorship on give-away items. If it’s a green item, you’ll find that organizations are more likely to want to place their names on eco-friendly products and won’t mind pitching in the extra money.
Ask for privately catered meals. Most likely a hotel producing large meal quantities can’t produce everything locally for an affordable CMP price, but if you request your meals (or some) to be privately catered with farm-to-table items, you’ll enjoy every bite knowing the meal has low food miles (how far it’s traveled to be with you).
Double-check the green credentials. Hosting a meeting at a green hotel? Unless they’re LEED certified or have the Green Seal, verify exactly what about their property is green. Properties have been known to claim sustainability with no actual green initiatives in place.
Refrain from putting the year on materials and lanyards. If you think you may use the same folders, lanyards, and more next year, help your items become reusable by not imprinting the year.
Use QR codes. Instead of printing agenda and more which will be tossed, use QR codes. If the information changes, you’ll be able to update the link with out printing new copies. QR codes can be used in various ways, including a paperless registration – read how NCC is using QR codes in our Green Tour.
Apps. Technology like Conference CO2 Calculator is helpful in measuring the carbon footprint associated with travel to and from the event venue. Moonshadow Mobile, Assemble, & meetingapps.com are all great resources.
Track your green travel. Using NuRide, you can be rewarded for how you travel. If you choose to walk, metro, carpool, or bike to your destination you’ll receive points for traveling “green” and also receive incentives in the meantime. You’ll also save money, too!
CSR + Green. The two are very much intertwined with one another. CSR is not about publicity, but about giving back to the planet. Is your corporate social responsibility to host green meetings and/or ensure your travel is green? Make sure your CSR has a green component.
Recycling. The simplest concept of all. If you absolutely must host your meeting at a venue that isn’t green, request for recycling bins from your conference manager on-site. Your group will do their part and possibly inspire the hotel or conference center to go green.
Tis’ the season to be merry and celebrate the holidays with others. Share the spirit and this traditional eggnog cocktail recipe with your closest friends and family. What are the benefits of homemade eggnog? It’s fresher and you have the opportunity to toss in your own creative ingredients. Thinking of being green? Opt for local eggs and rum to make the most eco-friendly cocktail this holiday season. Here’s a family eggnog recipe from Executive Chef Craig Mason.
HOME-MADE EGGNOG
Serving children too? This recipe can be made with or without rum.
INGREDIENTS:
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 cup rum
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS:
In a heavy saucepan, combine eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt and beat with wire whisk. Gradually stir in milk, beating until mixture is smooth. Cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat stirring constantly, to a temperature of 165 degrees. Do not boil. Remove custard from heat and stir in vanilla. Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice water until custard cools stirring frequently; then refrigerate custard until thoroughly chilled.
In a large chilled bowl, combine heavy cream and powdered sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Stir in rum then fold whipped cream mixture into the cooled custard. Pour eggnog into serving bowl, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately. 8 servings
“People want to be connected to where their food comes from…” It makes sense and is evident at restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets that are current with consumer trends.
The idea of being connected to local Virginia food was among discussion at Friday’s Farmers Forum. Panelists included Matt Lohr – Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Kurt Krause of The National Conference Center, Christopher Carpenter of Washington & Lee, Derek Kilmer of Kilmer’s Farm Market, and Emily Manley of The Local Food Hub.
Important Topics of Discussion – you’ll be surprised to learn some of things we did…
Matt Lohr, Virginia Department of Agriculture: “People want to be connected to where their food comes from…”
Deptartment of Agriculture partners with chefs and restaurants (in DC and VA) to provide local Virginia products.
Their Farm-to-School initiative encourages schools to purchase food locally. 30% of food at Ferrum College is locally grown.
They also give opportunities for producers and farmers to apply for grants.
Kurt Krause, The National Conference Center, Virginia: “All dirt roads lead to success…”
Believes in providing local fresh food to guests but the needs of the conference center will require help from the farmers, such as 1 ton of potatoes on a budget.
Menu tastings at the conference center feature local food items and the guests love this. It proves there’s a growing interest in knowing where your food has originated from. Kurt hopes provide local food for all meals.
On the weekend, one 800 space parking lot at the conference center sits empty. Can this parking lot be the granddaddy of farmers markets? It would prevent farmers in WV, Loudoun County, and other nearby counties from traveling to D.C. every weekend. Farmers like this idea as time is one of the most valuable things!
Christopher Carpenter, Washington and Lee University (W&L), DC: “People love good food; they deserve good food.”
The wine industry in Virginia has created an economic renaissance and now local foods will.
As special projects coordinator and a current chairman of VA Food Systems Council, Chris Carpenter has transformed W&L’s dining services into providing 35-45% local goods including milk, ice cream, produce and more.
How is it possible to purchase mass quantities on a budget for a campus or hotel? W&L creates their own sauces and dressings rather than purchasing; this creates money in a budget for food that is local.
When you eat local your eating patterns change. Their homemade ice cream from Homestead Farms is more filling; it doesn’t have air like most processed ice creams. “Students love it, but eat less of it because of this.”
Vine-ripe tomatoes at the store have 70% less nutritional value than VA grown tomatoes.
College students are the most concerned about the health of America- students from other campuses continuously call Chris to help integrate healthy local items into their school’s dining services.
When we bring out-of-state companies to do work, 43 cents of every dollar goes out of state, when it’s in-state production 78 cents of every dollar stays in the community.
Derek Kilmer, Kilmer’s Farm Market, WV – “Farmers want to be farming…”
Farming is a full-time job. Between accounting, marketing, traveling to farmers markets, planting, harvesting, and finding vendors – at the end of the day, farmers need time to farm.
His parents operate the family farm and Derek utilizes his business skills to find vendors. Derek is in charge of supplying WV & DC schools, as well as the VA Hospital with produce.
Emily Manley, Local Food Hub, VA – “Specialization of food origin creates values to the product…”
Local Food Hub in Charlottesville, VA pairs farmers with practical vendors.
The non-profit organization works to keep the identity of farms – by making sure people know where the produce is from. Local Food Hub doesn’t mix one farm’s carrots with the carrots of another farm. People want to know where their food is from and they want to taste it too!
As a hotel, school, restaurant, conference center, or other type of facility – what are you doing to bring local farm foods into your menu? How do you manage your budget?
