But to the hundreds of people involved in The Henry Ford’s Foodways Initiative, the food we serve here is part of a larger philosophy. Some might call it idealistic. Others would say it’s good business. We think it’s a bit of both.

Our goal is simple: to buy as much of our food as we can from local businesses. That way, we support the work and efforts of local farmers, processors and distributors, all of whom are essential links in the food chain that ends on our visitors’ plates.

“We have formed relationships with family farms,” says Susan Schmidt, director of food services and catering at The Henry Ford. “It took some time, but eventually we created our own network of family farms that are able to supply some of our needs. Word got out about what we were doing and before long, people started calling us. The response was overwhelming.”

In part, of course, we buy the products we do because they are exceptional. But once again, there’s a philosophical decision behind it. We believe in supporting people and businesses in the communities where we live. These are the very same people, after all, who support our work here at The Henry Ford.

“One of the biggest reasons that I’m involved is that I feel we need to be an institution that does more than sit here and wait for people to come to us,” says Schmidt. “We need to give back to the community. And we need to give back to the community in a greater way.

“Sometimes it can be challenging. For one thing, it’s a lot more work. You can’t just pick up the phone, call a big food supplier and have the truck arrive the next day with what you need. This takes more planning and communication.”

 There is another, even broader reason why we shop the way we do. It has as much to do with our curatorial mission as it does with providing good food. Here at The Henry Ford, food is more than just a product that we provide our visitors. We believe food is as much a part of the American experience as any of the artifacts in our exhibits. It’s part of our history and our heritage. It is, in part, what makes us who we are.

“This is a historical site – even the ballroom and restaurants,” says Nick Seccia, the Henry Ford executive chef. “So the more accurate we can be, the better.”

That’s one reason we’ve gotten so heavily involved with the Slow Food movement.

Slow Food is an international movement that started in Italy more than 20 years ago. It began as a response to — and a rejection of — fast food. Slow Food is built around the idea that food should be savored and that dining should be an occasion for us to make closer bonds with one another. Moreover, it is intimately tied to the concept of buying and consuming local foods.

"Many of our vegetables used to be pre-processed," says Schmidt. "But today, in all of our restaurants, the majority of the vegetables we serve are fresh, local and in season. It's been a real culture shift and I think it has been a real success story, all the way around."