March 2020 was a month of global pivoting. For Nina Yozell-Epstein, it was the month her Squash Blossom Local Food produce distribution to individual subscribers soared from 25 canvas bags a week to 250 in three weeks. At the same time, the 30 restaurants she provided produce for vanished overnight with state-imposed closures. “I think it was a matter of people becoming conscious about their food security,” Yozell-Epstein said. “The shelves were empty and we didn’t know when it’s going to come back.”
In 1999, Bon Appétit was the first food service company to formalize a commitment to local food systems: mandating that our culinary teams purchase 20% of their ingredients from owner-operated small local farms. For many Bon Appétit chefs, the relationships formed with these local farmers and makers have morphed into friendships that have spanned decades. To celebrate these fruitful partnerships, we’re creating a new quarterly series that features longtime Farm to Fork and Locally Crafted vendors, starting with Squash Blossom Local Food in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
"Squash Blossom Local Food, at once a farm and a food aggregation business, has left an enduring mark. Started by Nina Yozell-Epstein, Squash Blossom aggregates from 25 small farms throughout the Santa Fe area, providing chefs with freshly harvested local food and farmers with a steady, reliable stream of income. A Farm to Fork partner since 2015, Squash Blossom offers Bon Appétit and chefs throughout Santa Fe typical farmers’ market produce like rainbow chard, lettuce, and tomatoes along with local specialties like nixtamalized pink posolé."
"With the rise of the local food movement, many of us are eager to eat at our communities’ farm to table restaurants, but we usually don’t think about the “to” in that description. We take for granted the complicated logistical process of relocating the food coming out of the field to a grocery store shelf or restaurant menu so it can eventually arrive at its final destination: your plate. The distinct and equally important aspects of healthy agriculture and eating — the growing and harvesting, transporting and packaging, and finally prepping and plating — remain a mystery for most of us.."
The pandemic reached New Mexico in March of this year, when seeds had been planted by these local hands, but not much was ready for harvest yet. Those of us working on the ground in local food distribution met with a sudden drastic increase in interest in the service we have been providing for years, but now was (finally) deemed “essential"..."
Nina Yozell-Epstein's Squash Blossom Local Food, a social
enterprise-driven company which aims "to provide a dependable income stream for local farmers, bring healthier food to our community, and strengthen our
local economy." Squash Blossom provides a service similar to a CSA, delivering to subscribers a weekly bag of fresh produce. Unlike traditional CSAs, which deliver whatever a particular farm has ready, Squash Blossom sources from over 25 local farms for a greater variety of product. A weekly "Blossom Bag" subscription is only $28 and contains all kinds of goodies—a recent delivery included blackberries, okra, string beans, eggplant and tomatoes. Additionally, Squash Blossom provides produce to around two dozen local restaurants including Dolina, The Compound, Izanami, Inn of the Anasazi, La Choza, Dr. Field Goods and Il Piatto.
"It's important to start thinking about the way we cook with the seasons and
invite that into our lives to support farmers on a regular basis—make buying from local farmers part of our culture, not just a treat," says Yozell-Epstein. "We have to vote with our dollars if we want to keep farms alive."
Squash Blossom began as a wholesale distributor of local products from farms to restaurants—approximately 30 local farms and nearly two dozen restaurants. Yozell-Epstein has a long-term relationship with the Santa Fe Farmers Market—she previously served on its board and is now a vendor with her partner Mathew Ladegaard for Ground Stone Farm. Squash Blossom has since expanded to individual retail sales called Blossom Bags for residents who want to buy local food for weekly pickup. Customers can choose their selections online and then pick them up weekly from distribution points (Squash Blossom also offers workplace subscriptions). Choices include seasonal produce as well as value-added products created by local farmers such as jams, pickles and kimchi. Shoppers also can buy locally roasted coffee and eggs.
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