Restaurant Lauded for Supporting Local Food Movement

Heritage Conservancy's business members gathered at Doylestown's historic Aldie Mansion recently to honor Earl's Restaurant of Peddler's Village for its significant contribution to supporting and promoting our region's sustainably-grown foods raised naturally on small local farms, ranches and fisheries and for actively highlighting Bucks County's rich agricultural heritage.

The award presentation was part of Heritage Conservancy's 13th Annual Businesses for Conservation reception.

Last year's recipient, Henry Rosenberger of Tussock Sedge Farm, presented the Conservancy's 2011 Business Leader Conservation Award to David Zuckerman, the general manager of Earl's Restaurant, citing his dedication to promoting the use of local foods on the restaurant's menu.

Rosenberger, when presenting the award to Zuckerman, said, "As a farmer raising grass-fed cattle for many years, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Earl's Restaurant for its commitment to helping our local farmers remain a viable component of Bucks County's economy."

As he accepted the award, Zuckerman spoke of transitioning the restaurant from traditional corporate food suppliers to shopping for local produce at area farmer's markets and purchasing meats and dairy products from local farms.

"Supporting our local farmers and promoting them by name on our menu is important to me, both on a professional level, as well as a personal one," he said. "I grew up in a rural community eating foods from neighboring farms, and I believe that maintaining a local food system is essential to both our personal health and the health of our communities," he added.  

Heritage Conservancy's Businesses for Conservation reception is held annually to honor and thank the more than 150 local and regional businesses that support the Conservancy's mission of preserving the natural and historic heritage of this region.

The event's major sponsors were Abington Bank and Fulton Bank. The event patron was Curtin & Heefner LLP.  Contributing sponsors included Bucks County Bank; Cooper Mechanical Inc.; Flo Smerconish Realtor; First Savings - Banking-Insurance-Investments; Monument Bank; TFG Wealth Management; and Van Cleef Engineering Associates.

Heritage Conservancy is an accredited, nonprofit conservation organization that specializes in open space preservation, planning for sustainable communities, natural resource protection, property stewardship, historic preservation, adaptive reuse of existing structures, wildlife habitat restoration and biodiversity.