Volume 1 - Issue 1                                                                                             March 2009
Spring Logo
88 South Main Street | Wallingford, CT 06492 | 203.294.9683 | [email protected]
Red Farm House

"Human health cannot be maintained apart from eating healthy, nutritious food... which in itself cannot be achieved apart from maintaining healthy soil, clean water and healthy plants & animals."

Fred Kirschenmann
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
John Turenne - right

"Sustainable food is food grown or raised by local small to mid-sized farmers and producers who commit to the vitality of the earth, their livestock and their workers. It is prepared in ways that maintain and respect purity, freshness and flavor. Therefore sustainable food promotes economic, environmental, nutritional and social well being." 

John Turenne
Sustainable Food Systems LLC
SFS Logo - horizontal small


Fish


Join Our Mailing List!

Rustic Mailbox


From our Kitchen

Edible Nutmeg:  Cooking Fresh - Seasonal Recipes and Notes

Seasonal Recipes

Food Prep

Forward to a Friend or Colleague

Forward this issue


Recommended Websites


Recommended Articles

The Sustainable Food Journey

Welcome to the first issue of The Sustainable Food Journey. Having had the good fortune to meet so many colleagues and clients out there who are both informed, and at the same time hungry for new information, we've come to the conclusion that we should provide you with a venue for both. Our goal of this newsletter is to provide you with ideas and direction so that we become more enlightened, better equipped and champions in the journey for a better tomorrow.


Sustainability is a Journey

We believe that sustainability is a journey in which everyone from individuals to organizations can participate, regardless of where they are or what funding they have to work with. Sustainability, environmentalism, and the local food movement are not fads that will disappear with time. Our global society is at the precipice where
action is necessary to reduce our environmental impact by
practicing sustainable principles.

At Sustainable Food Systems, we've come to believe that sustainability does not happen overnight; it is not a switch to flip.  Purchasing local foods is the most influential area to positively affect the environment, and can be incorporated into any organization regardless of budget, geographic locale, physical and fiscal structure, staff levels and competencies, and administrative support.

There is no right or wrong "sustainability." There are only better sustainable practices and actions.

Environmentalism is not a financial threat to the bottom line.
There need be no conflict or compromise between commercial profits, environmental health and well-being of community.


Sustainability Tip

Do just ONE thing more!  Everyone is doing something to become more cognoscente of the impact of their choices. So no matter whatever you're currently doing, do one thing more.

Both at home and at work take an audit of your inventory stock and make note of everything that contains ingredients that are considered unhealthy - trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, BHT, BHA (preservatives), artificial growth hormones, etc. - and make a plan to work with your supplier to offer alternatives.

Learn more about creating a healthier menu and other valuable resources on our web site.


What our Clients Are Saying

"Working with Sustainable Food Systems not only meant more delicious and conscientious choices for our dining service program, it also proved that a focus on simple and sustainable food could save us money."
Sharon Lauer - Head
The Unquowa School

Unquowa Seal
 The Unquowa School, founded in 1917, is the oldest continuous nonprofit co-ed independent school in Fairfield County.
 
The Unquowa School Food Service Vision: "To provide a nutritionally balanced, good tasting, environmentally and fiscally responsible menu that utilizes local, sustainably produced and quality ingredients."
 
Read the full case study and other valuable resources on our web site.


In The News

Read about what John Turenne and the team at Sustainable Food Systems are up to, including:
Important news articles that might interest you:
Our Menu of Services

Sustainable Food Systems offers consulting services that return simplicity and quality to your food service program with better control over your ingredients, menus, recipes and costs. 

Your food service can become healthier for the community you serve, the environment you live in, and your financial bottom line.

We offer a three-fold service:
  • Identification and Planning. We identify opportunities for implementing simple, sustainable changes based on your food system, needs and clientele to create a realistic action plan.

  • Implementation. We implement the agreed upon action plan through education, recipe and menu development, staff support, and linkages with local food producers.

  • Assessment and Support. We periodically assess the impact of changes through consumer feedback, community impact, and financial performance. We then recommend ways to enhance your action plan to ensure continued sustainable growth.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you on your journey.


John's Upcoming Presentations

March 20-22 2009
San Diego, CA    "4th Annual International
                              Good to Best Food
Service Conference"

April 15, 2009    "Sustainable Dining" - Academic Impressions Webinar            

June 23, 2009    "Sustainable Dining"  - NAIS (National Association
Webinar             of Independent Schools)

June 30, 2009    "Sustainability and Going Green in Health Care
Newark, NJ         Food Service" - The University Of Medicine &
Dentistry Of NJ

Sept 29, 2009     "Shades of Green...and How to Deepen Your
SF, CA               Commitment to Sustainability" - Society for
Food Service Management National Meeting

 

Thank you for your continued support. We value your feedback on our offerings!

We are hopeful that you enjoyed our first e-newsletter and would like to share with your friends and colleagues


Six Seasons


We all know that the calendar tells us that there are four seasons in the year. However, our environment often dictates that differently when it comes to growing food. In the northern climes of the US, we actually find that there are six seasons when it comes to growing and eating food. Therefore, we will follow this reality and produce six issues of the Sustainable Food Journey annually.


John Turenne
President
Sustainable Food Systems, LLC

_____________________________________________________
Sustainable Food Systems offers a unique consulting and technical assistance service that partners with institutions and organizations interested in incorporating planet healthy practices into their food programs. Utilizing sustainability practices in food production and preparation strengthens our local communities and economies and the larger world around us. Let us help you deliver food better.
_____________________________________________________