“It seems unlikely to do a farmers’ market right in the middle of the Strip, but Las Vegas is very close to some of the greatest agricultural areas in central California. With so many farmers bringing us product from there and locally, we thought it would be great to give them a venue to sell to locals who want to support that kind of agriculture. It’s a real treat for people who live and work in Vegas, including in the hospitality industry – in an environment with all the glitz, the pumped-in air, neon, etc. – to be able to go to a real farmers’ market, meet the farmers. Now up to a thousand people show up every Thursday for the market, called Bet The Farm, which we hold in our warehouse. Our chefs are passionate about it – they know the farmers, and the success is really based on their relationships.”
–Joe Bastianich, owner/partner, B&B Hospitality Group

“We opened a farmers’ market in our parking lot on Thursdays so we could get everything delivered to us. It was a challenge setting it up and difficult to get all the producers together, especially in a state like Connecticut with so few farmers and so little support for agriculture – but the farmers came, our customers and people from surrounding communities came, and it created a whole new life for our businesses. We did it because we knew it was the right thing, but then it took hold and has been growing ever since. It worked better than we ever expected. The farmers love it, the community loves it, and we couldn’t imagine living without it.”
–Michel Nischan, owner/founder, Dressing Room restaurant; president/ceo Wholesome Wave Foundation

“The opposite works, too. I always go to the farmers’ markets and I wear chef’s clothes. I’ve got relationships with the good farmers and tell them that I’ll use whatever they have left over. So, instead of driving back to the farm with leftovers, they drop it off, and I split it up among my restaurants.”
–Cindy Pawlcyn, chef/owner, Mustard’s Grill, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, Go Fish