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North Dakota farm co-op sustains eco-friendly message with second eatery in Washington, D.C.

North Dakota farm co-op sustains eco-friendly message with second eatery in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

The cooperative plans to open a second, eco-friendly restaurant in the nation’s capital later this month. Called Founding Farmers, the restaurant is a 250-seat, 8,500-square-foot space housed in the International Monetary Fund Building and is located just three blocks from the White House. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Motruk Loy noted that members of the Jamestown, N.D.-based North Dakota Farmers Union own the restaurant and the Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group, a restaurant hospitality consulting firm based here, would operate it. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

“This project has been in the works for about 18 months, and now we’re in the home stretch,” she said. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

The two-story space boasts a glass façade from top to bottom, and was designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. It also has been certified green by the Boston-based Green Restaurant Association, she noted. The interior was constructed with recycled cement and barn wood and also features high-efficiency lighting and water systems. The countertops are composed of paper stone, a substance made from 50 percent post-consumer waste, such as paper that’s been recycled. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

The menu, created by executive chef Graham Duncan, will focus on sustainable agriculture as well as seasonal and local ingredients whenever possible. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

“Founding Farmers is derived from a great history of American farm culture and what it means to serve true food,” said Dan Simons, principal of VSAG. “It’s not about being trendy. We’re serving foods that help support the environment. We’re bringing the green movement right to the table.” —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

The farmers’ cooperative originally opened Agraria, Founding Farmers’ sister restaurant, in Georgetown in 2006. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

“Agraria was sort of the first iteration,” Motruk Loy said. “Founding Farmers is the next generation of the farm-to-table sort of restaurant. With this restaurant, it’s really more about how we are going to convey the importance of what family farmers are doing and the goodness of the sustainable culture, of family farm-generated food.” —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

Motruk Loy said the upscale-casual restaurant would offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and that the menu would be based around the scratch cooking of homemade dishes. Items will include fresh baked biscuits, breads and pastries, omelets, and pancakes for breakfast; rustic sandwiches, salads and soups for lunch; and prime cuts, pot roast and roasted chicken for dinner. On the beverage side of things, organic wines and spirits will be offered. The average per-person check at Founding Farmers will range from $7 to $14 for breakfast, $10 to $26 for lunch and $20 to $40 for dinner. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

The spokeswoman added that the farmers’ union and VSAG are projecting the restaurant’s annual sales this year will be between $6.5 million and $7 million. —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

“The whole idea behind sustainable agriculture is do no harm to either the environment or animals or the workers who are growing or harvesting the products,” Motruk Loy said. “The employees are also being encouraged to work to reduce their carbon footprint at every turn and engage patrons in learning about that whenever they can.” —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

Union spokeswoman Pam Musland said the group would not comment on the restaurant, except to say, “We’re really excited about it.” —A farmers’ cooperative based in North Dakota is making a concerted effort to bring sustainable agriculture to Pennsylvania—Avenue, that is.

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