Washington Regional Cafe Features Local Color, Flavor
The fresh, high-quality produce you expect to find at the local farmers market has now come to the hospital cafeteria serving line. As part of its commitment to create colorful, healthy meals for café visitors, Washington Regional Medical Center has been serving up fresh vegetables this summer that were produced on a local family farm.
“We are always striving to bring our patients and café customers the freshest and best quality produce,” says Joseph “Jay” Mesa, an inventory specialist who orders food items for the Washington Regional café. “One way we can accomplish this is by buying local, which gives us more control over the produce and allows us to select much fresher produce with a longer shelf life."
In addition to being healthier for café visitors, buying local is healthier for the environment, too, Mesa explains. “By supporting local farmers, we encourage sustainable farming practices and also eliminate the need to transport food over long distances.”
Representatives from Washington Regional’s Nutrition Services Department first visited a local family farm last spring with members of the Fayetteville Public Schools’ Seed to Student program. Through this program the school district has successfully implemented a farm-to-school procurement process, buying many items from local and regional farms for the district’s cafeterias. “We are always excited to share what we have learned about buying from local farms,” says Ally Mrachek, nutrition supervisor for Fayetteville Public Schools. “I think it’s great that Washington Regional is making this effort to demonstrate its commitment to improving the health of our community.”
After observing the farm’s meticulous field methods, Washington Regional representatives agreed to add its produce to the café menu. The farm’s yellow squash, zucchini and heirloom tomatoes — served up all summer in dishes ranging from salads to sandwiches to ratatouille — have been popular with café visitors, Mesa says, adding that plans are in the works to continue the farm-to-café program.