For hospitals in particular, favoring food suppliers close to home is about more than just budget allocations. Fresh, healthy, nutrient-dense local food is an important part of holistic health care, according to an article on the Take Part website.

“The other exciting thing about local food for the local healthcare system is it allows them to better serve the community they operate in,” according to Ellen Watters of the Minneapolis-based Anchor Partnership. 

When members of the Twin Cities’ East African and Hispanic populations are in the hospital, being served injera and tortillas can be deeply comforting, Watters said.

Steve Kroeker, operations manager at Regions Hospital/HealthPartners in St. Paul, is looking to see how he can get additional local vendors in his kitchen, according to the article. 

But there are some problems when large institutions work with smaller local producers. It can be a stretch for small vendors to guarantee food delivery in large enough quantities, in time to meet deadlines, and with proper liability coverage. 

Hospital chefs, dietitians, and consumers understand the appeal of fresh local produce, but the more frequent deliveries required by smaller outfits don’t fit the large-scale corporate food buying and distribution model.

Read the article.