For its 95th annual convention, one Wisconsin organization decided to transform the standard hotel meal into a direct investment in its own membership.
By partnering with Chula Vista Resort and several regional food hubs, Wisconsin Farmers Union successfully sourced 70 local ingredients, ranging from storage crops like garlic and potatoes to proteins and dairy, from 40 farmer members. With the products, staff fed 280 attendees seven meals each.
The initiative wasn’t just about the menu. It was about honoring the farmers in the room, says Layne Cozzolino, WFU’s director of special projects.
“Chula Vista, to be honest, has been so kind and thoughtful and generous with being open to working with us to source locally, because they know that our convention is full of farmers that have products that would like to be featured,” Cozzolino says.
She notes the resort’s kitchen staff worked tirelessly to integrate these ingredients into their existing recipes.
While sourcing locally often requires a higher financial and logistical investment, the organization viewed the cost as a reflection of its core mission.
“What better way to spend our budget than to be putting it into the farmer’s hands?” Cozzolino says.
