Liepold Farms Blackberry Field, Boring, OR

It’s hard not to walk around in continual amazement at how much is being done on the sustainability front here at Burgerville.  Many of the exciting projects I am seeing and hearing about are works-in-progress, so stay tuned, but here is one example I can share now:

Last week I sat in on a meeting with the processor of our blackberries.  The local processor we work with is now owned by a larger company, and this meeting was about establishing our relationship with the parent company.

Here’s how part of the conversation went:

Burgerville:  In order to get the best blackberry flavor, our farmers will pick several harvests of Marionberries for us, at the peak of ripeness.  This means we can’t predict exactly when those harvests will be, because berries are ripe when they’re ripe. Our request to you is that treat the farmer as your “customer,” and give them your absolute best customer service. Be responsive to their schedule, and to any needs they have.

Processor:  Treat the farmer as the customer?  That’s 180 degrees from the normal industry behavior, where usually the farmer is the one who gets the short end of every stick.

Burgerville:  Yes, at the heart of our menu and food is our relationship with the farmer. We work closely with them to understand how to truly support farming families and their communities, and to serve the absolute best food and local ingredients  to our guests.

Processor:  So the true value of the food your selling, really, is human respect!

Burgerville:  Yes, that’s it.

Processor:  We have worked in this industry for a lot of years and with a lot of businesses, and nobody, from coast to coast, is as into this as you are.

Burgerville:  We can’t do it alone. We need our entire supply chain of partners joining us and working together. This is our invitation to you.

Processor:  We’ll be honored to be part of it.  And if we could get in on one of those farm visits, we would just love it.

The ranchers gather twice a year to discuss business. This month, while in Portland for such a meeting, ranchers visited with Burgerville guests and staff in each of our 39 restaurants, deepening relationships and sharing the story of their beef and their ranches.  The ranchers also hosted a special event in downtown Portland, open to the public, called a “Country Food Fair.”

At the Fair, after doing some square dancing, I bought myself a burger and shake from the Burgerville Nomad (all revenue from the evening was donated to theOregon Food Bank and went looking for a place to sit. I saw a friend sitting on a hay bale, so I went to say hello. As it turned out, my friend was talking to Country Natural Beef co-founder Doc Hatfield.

When I joined the conversation, they were discussing Doc’s efforts to restore sage grouse habitat on his ranch. My friend Joe Walicki – who was the very first full-time paid “environmentalist” in Oregon, when he was hired by the Wilderness society in the 70’s – has known the Hatfields for years, and has visited their ranch. They discussed Joe’s interest in setting up a formal environmental stewardship / ranch visit program, and Doc said that he’s eager to establish something like that as soon as possible.  Doc, unfortunately, has a cancer diagnosis. He isn’t sure how much longer he will be around, and he wants to make sure that lessons are passed on. He was anything but grim on the subject, though.  “I wouldn’t know my motorcycle could go 104 MPH without this diagnosis,” he reported with a grin, describing a recent trip involving long, flat, straight roads in the California desert.

When our conversation strayed from imitating the mating calls of sage grouse, and past the Tim McGraw song “Live Like You Were Dying,” we discussed Michael Pollan and slaughterhouses. Doc Hatfield spoke knowledgably and respectfully of the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which criticizes what he calls the “industrial food chain,” including the health and environmental impacts of most beef raised in America today. Doc agrees that most cows don’t have healthy or happy lives; that’s why he’s doing things differently.  And on the subject of the recent interest in “local slaughterhouses,” Doc argues that in some cases, economies of scale really make sense.  The large slaughterhouse that Country Natural Beef uses, AB Foods, LLC in Toppenish,Washington,  is able to operate more energy efficiently, and make use of the whole animal, in ways that smaller, local slaughterhouses could not match.  He said that he always strives to make the best sustainable choices, but also to make sure that those choices are grounded in reality, not just instinct.  That’s a goal I am proud to have in our supply chain.

This week, Country Natural Beef is hosting a special meeting here in Portland that will feature a public Country Food Fair in Director Park. Doc Hatfield will be in attendance, sharing stories and making direct connections with urban eaters. In honor of the Hatfields and all the ranching families of Country Natural Beef coming to “the big city,” here’s the transcript of my January 6th breakfast with Doc Hatfield:

Alison: Doc, what is your favorite time of year on your ranch?

Doc: It would be October because it wraps up the year and the weather is usually really nice, with crisp, clear, bright, sunny days and big calves and the aspens turning. The feel and sound of an aspen grove in the fall, you just can’t… there’s nothing like it.

Alison: What does an aspen grove sound like?

Doc: Oh, they rustle and they shimmer, and yet they’re quiet. It’s really neat.

Alison: Doc, what are you grateful for?

Doc: Oh, I’m especially grateful that I have a strong wife who kicked my backside. Otherwise I’d be a traditional good ol’ boy and very comfortable with it.  If I hadn’t had Connie I’d be pretty stogy.  And I’m especially grateful that we live in a country where we can do whatever we want. You know, nothing is stopping us. Look at Country Natural Beef. It’s a major-sized organization that’s a different capitalistic structure but it’s capitalism in a way that’s got possibility for sustainability and it doesn’t have to have the life cycle like so many businesses – I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for my kids and grandkids. We were setting goals on our ranch and Travis’ goal – and I wasn’t thinking of this kind of goal – but his goal was that I’m still here next year. That’s pretty nice.

Alison: That is pretty nice. What’s been the biggest surprise since the first opening circle?

Doc: Well the first one was that there isn’t anybody who has a really good deal in this food industry from one end to the other.  It’s very hard at all levels to make it work. And the second one would be the people part, that everyone has some area where they are really outstanding and superior, and along with that they have a place where they aren’t even hardly there.  I’ve started to recognize that in myself finally after I was about 65. Dan Warnock said “Well, there would have been a lot of us would have been glad to point it out to you if you had asked, Doc.”  But I had never thought so much about how if you have a real strength then you probably have a real weakness that counterbalances it.  And I guess the other thing that’s a surprise to me is most people prefer to attack a problem linearly on the details, rather than try to define the big picture they want to achieve and then fill the details in afterward.  To me it’s just obvious that you’d define the big picture and then worry about the details afterward. Most people don’t want to do it that way. They want to thoroughly understand the details to get to the big picture.

Alison: Why is the circle important?

Doc: The circle is important mainly because, well, like Bob Chadwick says, “Until your voice enters the room you really aren’t at the meeting.” Most people don’t have an opportunity to be heard by a couple hundred people, uninterrupted, whatever they want to say. The other thing about the circle is that it equalizes the power. If you’re at a Country Natural Beef meeting, you might have a hard time figuring who is in charge. That’s all a part of this circle business.

Alison: What are you looking forward to?

Doc: I’m looking forward to getting our ranch in its perpetual trust where it can’t ever be broken up and will stay in one chuck in perpetuity.  And I’m looking forward to my grandchildren getting another year or two older so I can really do things with them on the ranch, where they would really be a major part of it.  Finally, I’m looking forward to being around long enough to see Country Natural Beef really thrive without Connie’s and my involvement, other than in the background.

Alison: Is there anything else you want the Burgerville community to know?

Doc: Just how much we’ve come to understand the diversity of our consumers. In rural walks of life there can be an assumption that if you’re a gay, urban, liberal, secular democrat livin’ in the big city then your values are kind of different. We’ve found that those things don’t matter at all. There are all kinds of Oregon folks who are interested in healthy land, healthy animals and healthy food. We really appreciate the fact that everyone is so appreciative of someone trying to do it right by the land, even when they’re not located there themselves. There are a lot of good people living in the city who you would think we wouldn’t have much in common with. You’re probably one of them.

Alison: I probably am.

The Country Food Fair will take place on June 1o, 5-9 p.m., in Director Park in the heart of downtown Portland. Admission is free, with family-friendly fun, music, cowboy songs, poetry, roping demos and more.  Great, local, affordable  BBQ fare will be available for purchase, and all profits go to support the Oregon Food Bank.

David and Peter Truitt were still in their 20’s when they purchased the original cannery that houses one of the company’s divisions today. Now David manages the field and operations aspects of the business, building direct relationships with local growers and overseeing the processing of over 40,000 tons of pears, beans, plums and cherries each year – including the local cherries in Burgerville’s new Northwest Cherry Chocolate Milkshakes and Smoothies! Meanwhile, Peter focuses on building similarly close relationships with customers, and championing the true value of sustainable food production in the Northwest and across the country.

Okay, so that’s the formal intro. On a personal note, I love working with Peter Truitt. We conducted the interview below through email, yet somehow Peter made it feel like we were having a conversation together while sipping lemonade on his front porch. So, in the spirit of building meaningful relationships from the farm to the processor to the milkshake straw, here is my recent virtual porch conversation with Peter Truitt.

Alison: What is your favorite time of year in the Pacific Northwest?

Peter: First choice: summer because I grew up in Louisiana where the summers were unbearably hot and humid.  I still marvel at our utterly tranquil summers, even with the occasional heat spells.  More importantly summer in the country is fascinating with all the farm activities whirling away during the long light of day.  A drive down a country road watching all the farm trucks, combines and tractors toiling away reveal a side of life that is almost shocking in its newness.  Of course it’s not new, but this life is all but invisible during the remaining 3 seasons.

A very close second choice is the spring, a long lasting re-emergence of life from the dark/ gray days of winter – farmers tilling their soil/ readying their crews and equipment for the summer show time right around the corner.

Alison: How has the role of food preservation in American agriculture changed since your family started in the industry?

Peter: Wow; that’s a big question.  Food preservation has always aimed to provide safe food when it isn’t available fresh (and, it should be mentioned, modern day food processing seeks to make finished/ semi finished foods available in a culture driven to convenience).  After all, that’s what drove Napoleon to invent canning in order to feed his troops in the Crimea during the winter.  That hasn’t changed but the form of packaging and processing has changed a lot and that’s where the biggest changes exist.  Frozen/ refrigerated preservation evolved to stop degradation; shelf stable processing (canning etc.) sought to reduce process times in order to better preserve beginning nutrients, colors and textures.  Both systems have evolved to make more varieties of food products available.  Packaging has changed to better suit user and consumer preferences and to permit a wider range of processing possibilities.  Packaging materials, process methods and the general science of food have all influenced the direction of food processing.  Recent consumer concerns about social and environmental impacts of food processing have changed a processor’s role in the middle into a more responsible participant in the value chain from farm to table.  In other words it’s not good enough to make a good product.  A responsible processor takes responsibility for food safety first of all, but then also for the integrity of relationships both upstream and downstream, and finally for responsible employment and citizenry.

Alison: What are you learning about what it takes to bring sustainable food production to scale?

Peter: I’m learning how gratifying it can be.  In order to finally complete a task of this sort, some important pieces have to be assembled – consumer, operator, distributor, product development and process groups and last but far from least, suppliers (growers/ ranchers/ orchardist).  It takes longer than one would hope and it absolutely must conform to growing/ harvest cycles.   Once created a value chain of a new sort has an altogether new foundation.

Alison: Tell us a favorite Truitt Brothers story.

Peter: All I needed to know in processing life, I learned canning green beans, a simple but dignified product.  I learned (and still do) integrity with growers, principles of quality which are utterly non negotiable, principles of respecting people who do the tedious work of taking a rough agricultural product and making it presentable and appetizing, and finally principles of honesty when dealing with our customers.

Alison: What are you looking forward to?

Peter: Spring…

Truitt Bros. processes local cherries for Burgerville’s Northwest Chocolate Cherry Milkshakes and Smoothies, the Food Alliance certified pumpkin we serve in milkshakes and smoothies in the fall, and other seasonal ingredients for our menu including pears, apples, beans and cranberries. Visit the Truitt Brothers website to learn more about their company and their unique contribution to our sustainable food system.

The launch of Burgerville’s new, compostable ecotainer® soft drink cups and lids, in cooperation with our sustainability colleagues at International Paper and Coca-Cola, represents the last major component of our packaging waste stream to go compostable.  The program isn’t perfect yet, and we still have a few non-recyclable or compostable challenges ahead of us, like plastic and foil ketchup and dressing packs, but the soda cups were the last big component to divert out of the landfill!

The hands-on participation and feedback from everyone who eats and works in our restaurants is what really brings our composting, recycling and sustainable packaging system to life. It’s a work in progress, so we’re interested in hearing what you think. What’s working about the program? What’s not working? What ideas do you have to make it easier for more people in our region and in the world to reduce waste and make a difference together by composting and recycling all we can?

Post comments, questions and brilliant ideas here, and join us on our composting, recycling and sustainable packaging journey! We’ll also be posting more blogs this month with updates on our program and answers to frequently asked questions, so stay tuned!

Pause with me and imagine this — a circle of independent, strong willed, western ranchers, sitting together in a circle, listening to each other, young and old, and making consensus decisions for the common good of their coop, the environment, their animals and their customers. It’s the purest demonstration of democracy-in-action I’ve ever experienced!

Over the past year, Burgerville has been collaborating with Country Natural Beef, Food Alliance, New Seasons Market and others on a next generation of animal welfare standards, as Country Natural Beef continuously improves and leads the industry. The cooperative has also been collaborating with well known animal behaviorist Dr. Temple Grandin, who has officially endorsed their “Raise Well” animal welfare standards. A full-length film, titled TempleGrandin, which profiles her life story with Autism and showcases her contributions to revolutionizing the cattle industry, premieres on February 6 on HBO.

I got to meet Dr. Grandin in person last year and sit in on some her animal handling workshops. She has an amazing ability to help others think situations through from the animal’s point of view – even a city mouse like me. Here’s a quote from Dr. Grandin in her own words on what makes the people and practices of Country Natural Beef so special:

“The ranching families who form Country Natural Beef are really dedicated to producing beef in a humane, sustainable manner.  When I went to the CNB annual meeting, I was impressed with how each rancher had an opportunity to voice their opinion on the guidelines…  They are hardworking, honest people who are close to the land, and they have enthusiastically implemented a three tier auditing process.  This will help insure that the cattle are handled and raised according to high standards.”

In addition to their work with experts like Dr. Grandin, all Country Natural Beef ranches are third party audited and certified sustainable by Food Alliance, the most comprehensive certification program for farms, ranches and food handlers for sustainable agricultural and facility management practices.

Watch Temple Grandin on HBO tomorrow night and learn about her story!

If the world observed a minute of silence to honor each of the 150,000 confirmed lives lost, our silence would last over 104 days.

If we honored each life lost with an hour of silence, our mourning would span over 17 years.

As the full magnitude of what has happened sinks in, it can feel impossible that I, as just one person, can make any sort of meaningful impact in the face of such devastating loss.

This morning I read an article about 7 year old Charlie Simpson who raised over $100,000 for Haiti by organizing a bike-a-thon. What I’m learning from Charlie is that one person really can make a world changing difference, and that it is through embracing our power as individuals and using our gifts for the common good that we will truly honor each individual human spirit our global community  has lost.

At Burgerville, you can contribute to Medical Teams International’s Haiti relief efforts by adding a donation to your order at the register or through the drive-through.  Simply ask the cashier serving you to add a donation of any amount you are able to give to your transaction.

Please give.

I’m an optimist at heart so, when I chew on big questions like these, what I imagine gets pretty Utopian pretty fast. What if all people have access to fresh, locally and sustainably produced food? What if every worker has access to affordable healthcare and day care? What if alternative forms of transportation today are mainstream tomorrow? What if every job is a green collar job? What if…

What I’m learning at Burgerville  is that when we have the courage to dream big out loud, the more connected our big dreams turn out to be. We start seeing the connections and synergies between us, practical ideas emerge, and pretty soon we’re getting into action together toward a sustainable future.

Showcasing fresh, local ingredients, keeping as many dollars in our local food economy by building relationships and doing business with our neighbors, and serving the community have been at the core of Burgerville’s values since George Propstra opened the first restaurant in 1961.

Now, almost 50 years since serving the first fresh, never frozen hamburger to the first Burgerville guest, we’re exploring what being a good corporate citizen looks like today and, in the spirit of dreaming big out loud together, we need your help.

What is our shared vision for our regional food system as a model of sustainability in the world? How will the vision we imagine together today inform the actions we take in the next twenty-four hours as individuals, in our families, at work, in our communities and as a region?

There is a stanza in Elizabeth Alexander’s inauguration day poem, “Praise Song for the Day,” that I love:

Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
The figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.

We intend for this new, sustainable space on our website to serve us all as a kitchen table, where people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ideas come to dream big out loud, gain visibility to and inspiration from the connections between us — and before we know it we’re all taking action together! We’ll use burgerville.com/sustainable-business to share our sustainable business vision and plans, update you on our progress, incorporate your ideas, and coordinate collective action.

Everyone is welcome at this kitchen table, and all of us together can do a lot more good than any one of us, so please share this invitation with your network of visionaries today!