As a member of the Farm to Restaurant cohort, you can help Georgia Organics and your business by promoting the Farmer Champion campaign to chefs you work with. Below is a sample letter you can use for outreach.

Dear _________,

 I’m writing to let you know about a new Georgia Organics program that I’d love to have you join so that we can celebrate the work you do supporting farmers like me in our state.

The Georgia Organics Farmer Champion campaign gives a platform to chefs/restaurants doing their best to source produce, proteins, artisanal products, etc. within the state. Our aim is to publicly recognize and reward those restaurants that are sourcing at least 5% locally.

Here’s how to participate…

1.       Each quarter, upload two determined consecutive weeks’ worth of invoices, your total food cost for that period, along with a sample menu and list of other activities your restaurant or chef has participated in that contribute to the good food community.

2.       We then compare your food cost spent in Georgia to your total food cost and calculate the percentage you source locally.

 If you’re sourcing at least 5% locally, you’ll receive a “Farmer Champion Partner” decal for your restaurant so patrons know that you’re actively contributing to our local economy. You’ll also be included in our “Good Food Guide,” which highlights our Farmer Champions. Current members of the program include: Boccalupo, Miller Union, Gunshow, Wrecking Bar, Dovetail in Macon and more.

To learn more about the program, please check it out here. For 2019, we’re asking for invoices from Nov. 4-17 by March 31. There are additional Tiers based on percent of sourcing; we ensure all commitments to our farmers are recognized.

The platform to upload your information is: https://f2rfarmerchampion.smapply.org/

This can also be accessed through the Farm to Restaurant website.

If it seems like a good fit, someone in the Farm to Restaurant team can come by and help you organize the information needed in order to receive your partner decal. Their system is private and your invoices will only be seen by Lauren Cox, head of this program. Please feel free to give her a call at her cell listed below or shoot her an email at farmerchampion@georgiaorganics.org to discuss more.  

Good luck!

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