Extending one’s mission beyond merely food procurement and preparation to all aspects of the distributor’s lives was common among the people to whom we spoke.

R2 said: “I try to leave a small footprint, I just think it’s the right thing to do….for me to open a business it has to have a social value element added to it, it’s part of my philosophy….It has guided all my decisions with building the restaurant and sourcing the food…”

The culture of each establishment varied. Sometimes a chef or manager would be more passionate and adamant about political agenda than their staff or customers. Specifically, certain retailers would attempt to encompass their values by such varied methods as driving hybrids to cut down on greenhouse gasses (R5), using reclaimed wood in their restaurant (R1), or visiting farms to ensure they were able to hear the stories behind their food and ensure transparent operations (R15, R18, R3, R9).

R15 said:"I feel like I have to investigate and I have to ask questions. A lot of times I'll ask 'Who are these guys?' and 'Do they have conventional land?' and 'How much is organic and how much is conventional?' They are in it for not the greater good, they are in it for the greater dollar.” Yet, all retailers understand the need to remain realistic idealists in order to stay in business and thus, it was generally accepted that not all staff or customers would necessarily be as involved in this mission. R4 explains, "People always say they want to go to farms, but the reality is... they don't...they've got their lives." ..." We have some activists in our staff, but not a lot."