Permanent reposted this
Our amazing customer and partner, Chef Jonathan Gutierrez Santiago of UC Merced, makes countless creative decisions every month to cook seasonally and locally. Here's my favorite example: A small change from *Broccoli* to *Organic Broccolini* 🥦 made a huge impact. Our farmers harvest Broccolini year-round locally, compared to seasonal gaps in Broccoli — more reliable. Multiple harvests per plant keep plant roots in the ground longer to nourish soil life. Fewer acres needed supports smaller farmers. This small menu enhancement created over $6,000 of additional income for Adelio Coronel of Coronel Organics! And eaters love it — it's naturally sweeter and more delicious. More delicious means more nutritious. (At least it does for Vegetables. Not Pop-Tarts). This is just one small example, but thanks to countless other acts of culinary leadership and sourcing with Permanent , Chef Jon has won IFPA's 2024 Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award! https://lnkd.in/gp__GQ4a According to UC Merced's impact report, Chef Jon "spearheaded projects such as the BIPOC Produce Buying Program ... 12 of the participating growers identified as Black, indigenous or people of color; 7 operations were owned by women ... Since August 2023, 97% of produce purchases supported families and growers within 150 miles of campus." https://lnkd.in/gfnehVPd Chef Santiago says, “We believe in providing the best dining service possible, all while nourishing our students. This means providing them with the best quality fruits, vegetables and proteins.” Thank you for your amazing work, Chef Jon! We're honored to grow with you. 🥦 🌱