New Milford Hospital's commitment to locally grown goes way beyond purchasing from community farmers, New Milford Hospital is giving back in so many incredible ways. So we asked Dining Services Director Kerry Gold about each of the really unique projects that are going on in and around their kitchen each day! 

When and how did New Milford Hospital begin using local ingredients?

In 2006, in response to astonishing upward trends in obesity and related diseases, a hospital executive approached hospital leadership about promoting: a) healthy food as a direct path to disease prevention, and b) local sustainability. In 2007, the hospital CEO signed Healthcare Without Harm's Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge and in 2008, after an intensive RFP process selected Unidine as the hospital's food service provider due to the company's high standards where quality and sustainability are concerned and their flexibility.  Today, New Milford Hospital's Dining Services procures from eight farms on a rotating basis during the growing season, averaging 4 to 5 farm deliveries per week.

There has been increased emphasis on institutional purchasing of local food, what have you discovered to be the best way to source local ingredients for a dining service of your size?

Some of the best ways I have found to buying locally is getting to know the farmer and letting them know you, and what you represent. It is also important to create as many partners as possible allowing you, the purchaser, a greater product variety. Also being consistent in your practices, by this I mean buying from the same farm on the same day each week, which allows them to set up their distribution routes.