Local products land on Springfield dining tables

by Eric Olson

SBJ Reporter

eolson@sbj.net

Keeping money in the local community never tasted so good.

A handful of Springfield restaurants, led by Agrario, Clary's and Gallery Bistro, have tapped local farms to spice up their dishes. Items such as produce, beef, herbs and eggs are increasingly being purchased from area growers, restaurant owners say.

Agrario owner Eric Zackrison has goals to buy 75 percent of his restaurant's ingredients from local farmers. After a year and a half in business, Zackrison is one-third of the way there, buying as much as 25 percent locally, mostly produce, beef and eggs.

"Ever since we opened, we've been working more and more to develop local relationships with local farmers," Zackrison said.

About half a dozen regional farmers supply Agrario. Zackrison gets produce and eggs from Autumn Lane Farm, ground beef from American Pasturage, mushrooms from CF Meadows, black walnuts from Hammons Products and greens and herbs from Timberlakes Farm.

And although it may cost the restaurant a little more, benefits such as higher quality food and word-of-mouth advertising cover the expense, Zackrison said.

"Oftentimes it will cost a little bit more, but the quality of product is so much better that it's not too much of an issue," Zackrison said. "And when you're dealing with local purveyors, you're also going to be getting business back from them. They tell their friends about us."

American Pasturage, Rick Hopkins' 100-acre, Lawrence County farm, sells Agrario between 50 pounds and 100 pounds of beef in a given week. It is Hopkins' first wholesale relationship with a restaurant; he sells beef wholesale for about $3.20 per pound.

Hopkins said he is considering growing his wholesale market, after building a steady direct market retail business over the past six years. The issue is whether his 45 to 60 cattle in Marionville could amply supply larger restaurant volumes.

"They're looking for large quantities of select cuts, which we're just not in a position to produce at this point," Hopkins said.

He's meeting with area cattle producers May 8 to discuss a partnership. "If we can get the support from the producer sector, then we'll start pursuing more restaurants," Hopkins said.

"We'll be looking to purchase these animals from the producers, and we'll take care of the processing and marketing."

But not enough Springfield restaurants are jumping on the home-grown bandwagon, said Marilyn Ison of Autumn Lane Farm in north Springfield. Ison said area restaurateurs talk of working with local farmers, but balk when asked to pay premium prices.

"They're used to California cheap. They simply don't want to pay for the premium produce," Ison said.

While restaurants can get a 3-pound bag of greens from national or regional food suppliers for about $10, Ison charges that much for 1 pound of greens, though it is triple washed, dry spun and ready to eat, she said. Her eggs sell for $2.10 a dozen wholesale, compared to other brands at around $1.50 in grocery stores.

Ison charges more because it's a fresher product, and of better quality, she said. Two Springfield restaurants, Clary's and Agrario, are buying her products.

"You're getting it fresher," Zackrison said. "It tends to be a little more honest and a little brighter flavored."

Ison has begun to move away from Springfield restaurants and target the Kansas City market. "It's a shame. They all want to work with local people," Ison said, but not at local prices.

Zackrison hopes the home-grown movement catches on in Springfield.

"It's definitely a trend in some of the major cities and on the coast by chefs and by diners to go towards more local product," he said. "You have more control of the product. It's more honest; it's fresher.

"I think you'll definitely see an increase of it. I think diners are increasingly noticing how much better the food tastes when you're using product like this."