How do we get local corporations or larger businesses in the New Haven community to buy local?

Convener/Leader: Marie Pulito (mariebrenda@sbcglobal.net)

Paticipants: Marie, Jim, Marion, Maria T.

Our larger employers in the New Haven area are the universities and colleges, hopsitals, UI. If they are outsourcing some of their work and buying supplies/food from non-local sources, then they are not fostering our local economy.

We discussed Yale-New Haven hospital as an example. They used to cook their own food for the patients and the cafeteria. They used to have their own laundry service. Now they outsource for packaged foods, laundry. They purchase from outside the local area.

Discussion included ideas from other sources: Yale Sustainable Garden, New Haven schools using local produce or growing own, Sharon CT. Hospital cooking with local produce. Southern CT State U claims to use and buy local but are they really? or how much are they?

Action/links:
1) Grassroots employee actions within the institutions to push for change. "Local" is so attractive today that it could be used as publicity for the institution.
2) Food Action Group as a source of energy/ideas for getting universities and hospitals to use local food.
3)Marydale Dubar from Sharon CT Hospital is an administrator who has brought locally produced fresh foods into the hospital. Contact her as an example and for assistance in approaching Yale-New Haven or St Raphael's to do the same.