Eat Local Challenge

Through our Farm to Fork program, we aim to purchase 20% of our food from small, owner-operated farms and ranches within 150 miles of our kitchens. (Small meaning under $5 million in sales when they first join our program!) 

Since it’s inception, we have expanded this to include mid-sized producers of meat, poultry and eggs, dairy, and cheese. They must be owner-operated, within 500 miles of our kitchens, and their products must carry stringent third-party humane certifications. 

We’ve discovered the best way to achieve our goals of sourcing 20% of our food locally is to take a holistic approach to creating “foodsheds.” 

What is a foodshed? A diverse regional network of farmer and artisan suppliers that benefit from long-term purchasing dollars. More than just buying seasonal products here and there, many of our teams now work with producers to intentionally plan product purchases over a particular season or period of time.

This Tuesday at Café Target Plaza: Fall harvest beef stew – locally sourced beef stew with tender short ribs from Kornder Farms in Belle Plaine, Italian Rosa tomatoes from Viktory Farm in Isanti, market basket of  garden vegetables from Lyndale Farmers Market in Minneapolis, heavy cream from St. Paul Beverage Solutions and fresh herbs from Chef Alan’s garden. All sourced within 150 miles of Café Target – Can’t get much more local than that.  Local, fresh, flavorful and nutritious and  made just for you!