By Douglas Motter, President
Homestead Village has been on a healthy food journey for many years. Starting with the removal of margarine and seed oils from our cooking processes many years ago to moving toward 100% scratch cooking, our food is healthier and more nutritious than most large dining programs. The logical next step in our journey is incorporating more locally sourced food! Most institutions – from restaurants to hospitals to retirement communities – source their food from large food purveyors which purchase food from all over the world. The result is we do not really know how our food is handled, how long ago it was harvested, and what processing it received.
Homestead Village has partnered with our neighbor, Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op, a co-op of over 100 small family farms primarily in Lancaster, York, and Chester counties. From fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and dairy to locally grown grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and properly grown pork, Lancaster Co-op delivers food that is grown the way it is meant to be!
Our Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op relationship will start in Luna; but progress to Stauffer Spring House, Solis, and Mack’s over the coming months. The key word is fresh! Most of the food will arrive at Homestead Village within 36 hours of being harvested. The meats are processed at a USDA certified butcher here in Lancaster County.
A switch to fresh, local food will require flexibility on our part, as local food is only available in season. When we order food through large corporate purveyors, we are guaranteed to have most fruits and vegetables year- ‘round since they could be harvested anywhere in the world! Sourcing our food from 100 small local farms will result in a truly seasonal menu that might change weekly or even daily depending on what is currently being harvested.
The switch to local fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meats will truly revolutionize the quality of our dining services.
View our Summer LUNA Menu, and look for the tractor symbol indicating Farm Fresh!
