This is the first article–in a series of three–about some of the greener aspects of The Henry Ford’s food service department. 

by Anna Savone, photos by Angela Rampin

Working in the Food Service Department at The Henry Ford isn’t limited to creating delicious meals that please the taste buds of our guests and visitors. There is much more going on!

If you were to take a peek backstage (or “back of house” as we call it), you’d see that we are not only concerned about cooking some great food, but about trying to make sure our local environment is preserved and sustained so we can to serve up our signature dishes for years to come.

At The Henry Ford, we take it one step further than just farm to fork – in fact, it’s more like farm to recycling center. We concentrate on three environmental aspects:

1. Purchasing our food from local sources
2. Purchasing environmentally friendly disposables
3. Recycling

In the coming months, I will share with you some of our best practices.

Purchasing our food from local sources 

When it comes to the food we serve at our restaurant venues and special or private events, it’s important for us to support local farmers and food producers. Purchasing locally is not only good for the local economy; it’s good for our environment.

Part of The Henry Ford’s mission is to purchase from local farmers and food producers whenever possible. Purchasing food from local sources uses less energy since the food travels a shorter distance. It also supports biodiversity since small farms are more likely to grow diverse crops. Small farms also tend to take better care of their land, using fewer pesticides and antibiotics.

Of course, it’s not only about farms. We also make conscious decisions to buy from local food companies including Dearborn Sausage, Becharas Brothers Coffee, Naturally Nutty Peanut Butter, and Guernsey Farms, to name a few.

There are actually more than 70 Michigan food producers from which we regularly buy products, and we hope to expand that list. We even badge items with our Local Roots symbol so our guests know that we are featuring local products on the menus of our food outlets.

What kind of efforts have you made to buy locally when shopping with your family?