The farm-to-table movement is continuing to gain in popularity as people become more environmentally aware. It is also something both restaurants and supermarket chains can incorporate into their business models to not only drive-up business but also reduce their environmental impact. The farm-to-table model uses locally grown produce to supply consumers encouraging communities to provide for much of their own needs and reducing their reliance on outside resources (Plants Spark Joy, 2021). This will also reduce the need for transportation and the pollution caused by moving produce over vast distances (Plants Spark Joy, 2021). Adopting farm-to-table practices fosters relationships between local farmers and consumers and injects more money back into the local economy (Plants Spark Joy, 2021). To meet consumer demands a grocery store would have to work with many local farms that grow a large variety of produce, yet some items will never be available locally. The movement promotes a more sustainable operating model that has communities becoming increasingly more self-reliant.

This does not mean that such a switch would be easy or possible for every store or for every product. When switching to farm-to-table things to consider is the seasonal availability of certain items and the less consistent availability. For instance, squash is available in the fall, beans from late spring to fall, corn in mid to late summer, apples in the fall, etc. Availability would be dictated by the natural growing cycle and during winter, hearty squashes and vegetables that keep easily like potatoes would become a staple. Growing up I learned these things since we grew about 80% of our own vegetables, about 30% of our own fruits (many are difficult to grow in a New England climate), and raised nearly half our own meat. We ate what was available then, and if not, we canned, pickled, and froze it to preserve it for later. One of my favorite snacks is dilly beans (pickled beans), which many have never heard of since it is not found on most store shelves, but we make them every year. Another challenge is that local produce may be more expensive because small farms have difficulty competing with large-scale suppliers (Plants Spark Joy, 2021). The benefits are great, such as better quality, fresher produce, reduced transportation costs, reduced pollution, increased food waste awareness, closer communities, ethically responsible, and more sustainability (Plants Spark Joy, 2021). There are challenges posed by adopting an entirely farm-to-table approach, but the benefits are also vast.

To make this approach feasible there needs to be open two-way communication between the store and the farms supplying the produce. The store needs to be able to accurately communicate their consumers' needs to the farms who need to communicate in advance what sort and amount of products will be available and when. There also needs to be a channel for the farmers to unload any other surplus so that it does not go to waste and a means of preserving the surplus. There also needs to be a way to connect the farmers in the area with the local markets in the first place. Once the communication and plan is in place, there must be a way to ensure that products can regularly be supplied and if not, an alternative source will be found.

I as a COO would support farm-to-table sourcing but would also provide produce from suppliers as an alternative.The reason being is that not all produce is available year around or in every region and consumers demand this type of availability. I would promote and clearly label farm-to-table and locally sourced produce and place it in a prominent place. I may also provide educational materials or a display on the benefits of buying locally sourced products to promote the increased awareness and purchase of these items. As a business decision though I would also provide options to the consumer from suppliers when locally grown products are not available.

Response to the above

• What considerations should decision makers keep in mind or prioritize when components of the triple bottom line don't agreefor example, when an environmentally beneficial decision may negatively affect profit, or the reverse?
• Which approach that your peers suggested in their initial posts do you feel would be the most effective, and why?