The guests at our recent Sunset Dinner in the Garden event had a first-hand look at one of the key components of our #RanchResponsibly initiative: utilizing locally grown ingredients as often as possible.
When we say “locally grown,” we really mean it—we grow and produce many of these ingredients right here on our 500 acres, including herbs, vegetables, honey, and more. In fact, some of our guests even joined us in the morning to help harvest produce that was used in our dishes the very same night!
Many of the ingredients that weren’t grown on site were still from local and state producers, too. For instance, we source some of our produce from Swank Farms, which has been family-owned since the 1920s and grows all-organic food on 50 acres in Hollister.
Our sourcing varies by season and what’s available, of course, but nearly 70% of our produce comes from California—much of it through GreenLeaf, which partners with California farmers. We looked through our produce orders over the last several months to create a breakdown of where that food was from:
- California: 68%
- Butte County 47%
- Monterey County 27%
- Contra Costa County 13%
- Tulare County 13%
- Mexico: 27%
- Washington state: 4.5%
Why does this all matter?
The food we eat doesn’t only impact our bodies; it affects the environment in far greater ways than you might realize, especially when it comes to transporting that food around the country. According to Foodwise, we spend far more energy shipping food then we get from eating those foods. And with that use of fossil-fuel energy comes carbon emissions, contributing to climate change. That’s why eating locally is one of the best (and easiest) things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
There are benefits beyond that, however—delicious benefits! Locally grown, fresh food actually tastes like real food. It’s harvested when it’s at the peak of flavor, instead of picked while unripe and gassed to “ripen” after being shipped hundreds (or thousands) of miles. If you choose growers and producers who are thoughtful about their processes, you’ll likely get food that hasn’t been treated with a bunch of chemicals and preservatives. And it probably won’t be genetically modified, either.
Finally, in addition to tasting better and being better for the environment, locally grown food helps nourish your community as well. When you buy local, you don’t just know where you food is from—you know where your dollars are going. Farmers and business right in your back yard benefit, and eventually they put that money back into the community, too. It’s the perfect cycle, creating a positive impact for everyone involved.
Want to learn more about how we’re working to make The Ranch a leader in sustainability—and what you can do to limit your own impact on the environment? Stay tuned, because we’ll have more blog posts about our #RanchResponsibly efforts. And when you visit us here in Carmel Valley, be sure to ask about how you can take part in harvesting our own local bounty!