From steved@ncatfyv.uark.eduFri Apr 19 00:11:29 1996
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 10:22:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: Steve Diver <steved@ncatfyv.uark.edu>
To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: Barriers to Local Food Buying

From: "New York State Vegetable Growers Association News",
       March 1996 issue. 

A survey by University of Wisconisn specialist Greg Lawless,
"Farmer/Food Buyer Dialog Project" found from 46 responses 
among restaurant chefs and produce buyers at natural foods
and traditional groceries in Wisconsin and Minnesota the  
following reasons why they don't buy more locally
produced food. 

1.  Erractic availability, seasonality  

2.  No central supplier of local products 

[Hmmm, this which brings to mind the potential of fresh
produce packing sheds and cooperative marketing, these 
have been tried in Tennessee by the TVA and in Oklahoma
with varying success...s.diver]

3.  Lack of professionalism among local growers

4.  The high prices of local food

5.  Consumer indifference to food source

6.  Food insufficiently processed

7.  Restrictive contracts with current suppliers were a 
    problem for only a small number of buyers

For more info, contact Lawless at 608-265-2903


In New York, Dr. Jennifer Wilkins at Cornell is currently
looking at ways to encourage their foodservice buyers to
work more directly with local growers.  For more
information, call the NYSVGA office at 607-539-7648