The Meadowview Farmers’ Guild and Harvest Table restaurant maintain an ongoing goal to source our products as locally as possible. The purpose of our enterprise is to create new markets for our region’s food producers, and to help consumers support our local food economy when they go out to dine. The restaurant and store are constantly seeking to improve our sourcing of goods from our region, and we are issuing an open invitation to area growers, food artisans, and other crafters to market your products with us. |
Our restaurant, The Harvest Table, features a seasonal menu designed around the best locally-grown foods available: meats raised on pasture, and vegetables grown by farmers who care about the health of their land. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Appalachian Sustainable Development, southwest Virginia has a strong supply of locally grown vegetables in the summer and fall. However, our chefs are finding that it’s a great challenge to find local produce in the winter months, and have sent out a call for products that can be used in the off season.
Our greatest need is for three categories of off-season produce: first, cool-weather vegetables that can be grown in hoop-houses or greenhouses throughout most of the winter, including salad greens, carrots, cabbage and other cole crops, herbs, celery, turnips, and others. The second category is fall vegetables that can be stored and used for up to six months, including winter squash, onions, potatoes, beets and other root crops. Any Virginia farmers who grow storage crops in quantity are encouraged to contact us, as we will buy them in bulk in early fall. Finally, the restaurant and store wish to purchase canned, dried and preserved foods that have been locally grown and processed. Producers of any value-added products for sale are asked to call us to discuss State and Federal regulations governing restaurant sales.
In addition to off-season produce, we are always seeking to improve our supplies of any produce reasonable for restaurant use. We would be particularly interested in establishing a long-term agreement for individuals to grow particular crops, so we can plan accordingly. We favor organic growing methods. If you have a particular speciality, we'd be delighted to discuss a reasonable arrangement for the upcoming and future growing seasons. Below are listed some of the produce in which we're particularly interested.
Our general store provides an even more diversified market for local goods. Any food items we use for the restaurant can be sold in the store. In addition we carry handicrafts such as baskets, handmade soaps, yarn and hand-knit clothing, furniture and other woodwork, and many other kinds of specialty products from across Virginia, generally sold on consignment. For anyone who has handicrafts for sale, we’d be delighted to consider your work for the store.
We urge you to consider us now in your crop planning for the coming season. We have designed our business to serve not only our customers and investors, but also to help facilitate a healthy farming community for our region and state, and hope to increase our partnerships with Virginia farmers. We’re open to consider any offers, and while our emphasis is on Southwestern Virginia, we would still rather import foods from Eastern Virginia than South America! Please keep us in mind as you plan your ‘08 plantings, and contact us to discuss the possibilities.
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Main Produce Needs: Summer Produce: Beans Tomatoes Peppers Potatoes Squashes Onions Garlic herbs (basil, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, oregano, etc) Okra Carrots Peanuts Melons Beets Fall and Early Winter Crops: Squashes Cooking Pumpkins Potatoes Beets Parsnips Turnips Cabbage Carrots Cool-season Crops: Peas Broccoli Cauliflower Brussel Sprouts Greenhouse or Hoop-house Winter Produce: Lettuces Spinach Endive Collards Chard Specialty greens |
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