Peter Truitt, Truitt Brothers

One of the newest members of the Burgerville supply chain family is Truitt Brothers, a Salem, Oregon-based leader in the shelf-stable foods industry and sustainable food production pioneer.  As part of the company’s commitment to preserving wildlife and natural resources, as well taking care of their employees and using sound manufacturing practices, Truitt Bros. became the first Food Alliance certified processor in the country in 2006.

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.

Now you can compost soda cups at Burgerville

We’re giddy with excitement here at Burgerville today with the official launch of our new, commercially compostable soda cups – especially since we’re the first restaurant chain of our type in the nation to launch them company-wide!

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!

Open pasture land of Country Nat. Beef

One of the great pleasures of my work is spending quality time with the local ranchers and farmers who produce food for the Burgerville table. Twice a year, the family rancher-owners who make up the Country Natural Beef cooperative, and who produce all of Burgerville’s 100% natural beef, come together and Burgerville gets to participate. The ranchers start and close their business meetings in one big circle, and each ranching man, woman and child has an equal voice. They make all of their business decisions by consensus and from a shared vision of raising their animals in harmony with the land.

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 Temple Grandin, 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.

Commuting Pacific NW Style

I have to admit that the practice of sharing what goes on in my head as broadly as this makes me a little self conscious, but I am willing to jump in. Over the last couple of months transportation has been on my mind and the challenge of transforming a region/culture to more sustainable means of getting people and products from point A to point B in creative, efficient and environmentally friendly ways. This has been an interest of mine for years and through previous careers. It came to the forefront recently starting with our preliminary work to embrace the bicycle culture of Portland/Vancouver with our restaurant drive through lanes. This was followed by my participation in an eco-challenge put on by the Northwest Earth Institute where I gave up my car (mostly) for two weeks in favor of public transportation. I recently attended an event held in Portland where the bicycle Ambassador from Copenhagen presented an excellent and compelling over view of their transformation over the last 30+ years to a very robust bicycle culture. A few weeks ago I became a Zip Car member and have started utilizing their transportation tools. In short I have been gathering information. What I have learned really excites me.

Through these experiences and others I have been reminded how much I counted on, and enjoyed the public transportation system that I used every day I lived in the Bay area. It was easy to access and consistent, every 5 to 15 minutes. My experience of giving up my car for two weeks in favor of our local public transportation was more challenging. Routes to and from Camas/down town Vancouver were straightforward, but the schedule was sparse and did not allow for the variability of my commitments. Similarly the connections between downtown Vancouver and Portland were complex and required several transfers in order to get me to my appointments. I know that this is nothing new to those of you who use this system every day, but my experience has me curious about a couple of things. What is businesses’ role in forwarding a truly accessible system for public transportation and how do we get our hands around the depth of benefit to local business of this system? How does our experiences and work with our distribution partners in moving ingredients as efficiently and directly as possible contribute into this question? How can creativity and innovation break through the apparent limitations of time and money in our more traditional bureaucratic processes?

I am compelled to say that I am completely enamored with everything I heard about the bicycle culture of Copenhagen. I am not a deep bicycle devotee, but it is a lifestyle I want. I find that accessibility and safety are the main reasons that I hold back. They have effectively addressed these issues in Copenhagen. I think that we can address them as well. Again it leaves me curious about how business can more powerfully compel this kind of transformation?

Finally, I am optimistic and excited about the prospect of electric vehicles that we should start to see here in our area in the next two years. I have to admit that most of my transportation needs fit easily inside of the projected performance limits of the next generation electric vehicles that are coming. I will use this technology! I am asking myself how a distributed business model like ours can support the infrastructure requirements of this technology?

Great things are coming and there are some amazing opportunities on the horizon.

December 31^st just might be my favorite day of the year. Waking up today is like waking up to find the world outside blanketed with freshly fallen snow, unmarred by my own missteps and tire spinning from the past 364 days. I love the white canvas of the new year, and the ritual of making resolutions that call me forth into the year ahead.

This morning, I was reminded of some wisdom an Oregon hazelnut grower shared with me on a visit this fall:

“Cared for sustainably, a hazelnut tree can be productive for as long as a hundred years, so hazelnut growers tend to make decisions from a hundred year perspective.”

Imagine the future that is possible when we all made decisions in our work and lives from a hundred year perspective, like the 650 hazelnut farming families in Oregon.

Hazelnut trees bloom in the middle of winter and the wind carries their pollen from yellow catkins to tiny red flowers. The nuts don’t begin forming until June but, like New Year’s resolutions, the promises that produce the harvest ahead are made today.

So here is my first New Year’s resolution for 2010: think like an Oregon hazelnut grower.

What’s your New Year’s resolution for a sustainable future? Share it here.

Wishing peace and happiness to us all in 2010, and for the next hundred years,

 Alison

Stahlbush Island Farms

When I was 5 years old, I drew a picture in school on big paper entitled “Washington State”. It was a picture of an apple orchard, filled with fruit-laden trees, families of farmers on ladders, and baskets brimming with apples. Today, with the juice of a ripe, Washington-grown Jonagold on my fingers as I type, I’m reminded of that idyllic childhood image, and hopeful for the 3,000 local growers who produce about 60% of our nation’s apples, as this year’s crop shapes up to be one of the best in years!

You’ll find fresh Jonagold apples from the third generation Yakima Valley growers at Pride Packing Company on Burgerville’s seasonal menu this October. Look for them on our Apple and Peppered Bacon Turkey Club, and our Haute Dog with Apple Slaw, which features a 100% Country Natural Beef hot dog with no added antibiotics or hormones, from a local cooperative of ranches all certified sustainable by the Food Alliance – the same family ranchers who provide all of Burgerville’s beef. Our Apple Bacon Scone features Fugi apples from local growers, and is brought to our tables by Truitt Brothers, a Salem, Oregon-based processor with a passion for sustainability.

This year, Truitt Brothers is also processing the pumpkin puree for our traditional Pumpkin Milkshakes and Smoothies and, just like our beef, now our pumpkin supply chain is Food Alliance certified sustainable too, from the Willamette Valley pumpkin fields at Stahlbush Island Farms to our processing partners at Truitt Brothers. Best of all, the flavor of this year’s pumpkin is better than ever! Our seasonal Pumpkin Shakes and Smoothies are available at all Burgerville locations through the end of November.

There’s no taste like home!

What "Blackberry" means at Burgerville

I’m an old fashioned, handwritten letter writer at heart, and so I confess I’ve been slow to sign up and log on to the electronic world of social media. To me a “blackberry” is a sun-ripened, seasonal treat fresh from the field —  not a handheld device.

The book that changed my mind about social media (but not blackberries) is Blessed Unrest by environmentalist Paul Hawken, in which he considers how many groups and organizations there are in the world today working, in one way or another, to make the world a better place. What scale of social movement is possible as these groups and organizations connect in new ways? What pace of global change is possible with today’s and tomorrow’s technology?

In the spirit of collective achievement through real-time connection, you can now follow our sustainable journey on Twitter (@BVSustainable)  by clicking on the green link from our Sustainable Business home page.

What role do you see social media playing toward creating a sustainable future?

"Please ride forward"

As we expand access to cyclists through our drive-thrus, there’s been a lot of constructive dialog at Burgerville and within the communities we serve in the past few weeks.  At the heart of the dialog is a common theme: how can we evolve the ways we work and live to be increasingly safe and accessible by alternative forms of transportation?

Our friends at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance  (BTA) have pulled together some great resources on sharing the road (and the drive-thru) safely. Here’s the BTA’s “recipe” for your ride:

• 1 bike
• 1 helmet
• 1 or more front lights (white) & rear lights (red) for riding in the dark or rain
• 1 lock (U-lock or heavy duty chain if you will be locking up outside)
• 2 tires inflated to max PSI printed on sidewall
• backpack, basket, or pannier (saddlebag)
• optional: water, snack, spare tube, multi-tool, bus ticket
• For wet or cold days add: fenders, wool or synthetic hat and gloves, raincoat & rain pants, an extra pair of dry socks

1. Plan your route; consult a bike map or another biker.
2. Ride with traffic and follow traffic signs and signals.
3. Use eye contact and turn signals; avoid large vehicles’ blind spots.
4. Slow down and give pedestrians an audible signal on sidewalks and shared paths. Ring your bell.
5. Set a straight course in your travel lane; bike 3 feet away from parked cars and avoid weaving in and out between them.
6. Enjoy your ride and repeat often.

To make your ride extra-enjoyable today, Thursday, September 17, our Hawthorne Burgerville is giving away free small Blackberry Smoothies with a purchase of equal or greater value to guests who cycle-thru our Hawthorne location between 2-4pm .  Jack Graves, our Chief Cultural Officer, will also be on hand to answer questions and keep the constructive dialog flowing as we all work together to make the ways we live and work together more bike-friendly. You can also share ideas here.

For more great resources from the BTA, check out this link: BTA Commuter Resources

Burgerville bike-friendly signage

Burgerville recently announced our intention to formalize and expand our bike-friendly drive -thru access to all of our restaurants with drive-thus. We’ve been serving cyclists in our drive-thrus on an ad hoc basis. The intention of our Bike Friendly Service program is to create a consistent policy and experience for our guests in the drive thru. To support this program, a cross-functional team, including members from Hawthorne Burgerville and community members from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, have designed and are beginning the implementation of the first phase of the program.

How it works:

In this first phase of the program, we are directing all cyclists to pull forward to the first open window to place their order. This will allow cyclists to receive fast and friendly service regardless of whether or not the drive-thru system detects the bicycle.

What is included in the program? 

• Burgerville Bike Friendly Service Policy – All of our restaurant leadership has received our new policy and have reviewed and shared it with our restaurant teams. Please note that this is a new program for Burgerville, and the policy may change as we learn and improve.
• Share the Lane Signage – Signs are in place at our restaurants which are most frequented by bicyclists and all restaurants should have signs in place by Friday, September 18.
• Bike Friendly Service Stickers/Flags – Stickers and orange flags will also be installed at the same time signage is installed.

Bicycle Friendly Service Day at Hawthorne Burgerville:

Everyone is invited to come down to our Hawthorne restaurant between 2 and 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, where we will be celebrating our latest sustainable initiative –with free small Blackberry Smoothies with the purchase of a menu item of equal or greater value for those who cycle-thru at our Hawthorne restaurant between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m. Burgerville’s Chief Cultural Officer Jack Graves will also be on hand to host open discussion about our expanded bike policy.

When:

Thursday, September 17 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Where:

Burgerville

1122 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

So imagine my excitement to find Burgerville nominated this year as one of their Local Heroes, and to be recognized along with other great, local businesses and individuals for making significant contributions to our local foods movement!

Take the Edible Portland Reader’s Survey today and join us in honoring Local Heroes throughout our regional food system. Most importantly, you’ll have the chance to acknowledge the Edible Portland team for their outstanding contribution to the quality of our lives through this beautiful publication. How did we ever live and eat without it?

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!