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Steve Schimoler
Rolling Fire Enterprises/Crop Bistro & Bar/Localcrop.com

The Nominator: Elaine T. Cicora, Rolling Fire Enterprises/Crop Bistro & Bar/Localcrop.com

How has the nominee implemented sustainable business practices in his or her business or organization and what are the triple bottom line benefits (people, planet, prosperity) of the nominee`s work?
Professional chef, restaurant owner, and serial entrepreneur, Steve Schimoler founded the online farmers market, Localcrop.com, in July 2008, as a service for fellow chefs. With Sysco as distribution partner, Localcrop`s twin aims are to improve chefs` access to locally grown foods AND to make it easier and more time- and fuel-efficient for farmers to sell their goods to the food-service industry. At its most basic, the system works like this: Chefs order online at their convenience; the farmers bring the ordered items to one central shipping location; and then the goods are delivered to scores of local restaurants and institutions, using already established routes and schedules. In the process, the system keeps food dollars within the local economy, helps preserve farm lands, reduces the carbon footprint, and ensures that fresh, wholesome, locally grown foods are available to guests of area restaurants and institutions.

How has the nominee inspired you to implement sustainable business practices?
Steve is a true champion for local foods within the food-service industry. As a chef, his use of local foods serves as a daily example to both his culinary team (including many of the city`s future top chefs) and to his customers. He is also considered a local foods expert within the industry. As just two examples out of many, he was invited to present a program on local foods at the annual meeting of the International Foodservice Editorial Council, and was recently featured in The National Culinary Review, in a story on reducing restaurants` carbon footprint.

How can someone else translate the success of the nominee? Is the work of the nominee an example or model that others can follow?
Steve`s influence through Localcrop.com has brought many new chefs and institutions into the local foods fold. Localcrop customers include venues that range from small pizza spots to the Quicken Loans Arena, Western Reserve Academy, and the College of Wooster. He serves as an inspiration to many of his peers.

How does the nominee actively participate in the sustainability community? How do they collaborate and share their knowledge with others?
Steve`s success with Localcrop in Cleveland is already being followed by others. For instance, his success has inspired the Columbus Sysco facility to begin offering the service to their food-service customers as well. Certainly, his devotion to local foods, and his innovative online market, serve as an example to chefs and food-service personnel throughout the country.