The Breakers Palm Beach, built in 1896 by Henry Flagler, is one of a handful of historic, independently owned, and family-operated hotels in the United States. By developing the Green Market, an initiative that contributes to the health and wellness of its 2,300 team members.

The first Green Market, brainchild of Rick Hawkins, director of materials management at the Breakers, opened in March of 2007. It was created primarily for the benefit of employees to purchase produce to take home. Operating from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday, through May of this year (the end of Florida’s growing season), the market provided locally grown fruits, vegetables, bottled juices, and flowers—at cost—to team members. A success in its first year, the hotel plans to reopen it around Halloween.

Hawkins, also known as the ‘Green Guru,’ has been at the Breakers for 34 years and “has been committed to green initiatives for a long time,” says Geoffrey Sagrans, assistant director of materials management. “Once he began working with local farmers to procure food, he decided to take it to the next level, and the market concept was born.”

Most of the produce is grown within a 10- to 15-mile radius of the hotel, usually from the Loxahatchee, Florida, area. Many of the farmers, often with only about five-acre plots, find it difficult to work with grocery chains or large distributors because “their food is grown for eating, not traveling. This is a perfect outlet. And the price we pay these farmers is very competitive,” Sagrans says.

The quality of the produce, compared with some distributor product, can be as different as night and day. A few favorites are sweet pixie corn (claimed to be delicious, even uncooked), which sells for 50 cents an ear; green beans, which sell for $1.50 in a microwaveable bag; and celery, which sells for 75 cents a head. Fresh herbs sell for 50 to 75 cents a bunch.

A large variety of produce is available, including heirloom tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, and several kinds of lettuce. Fruits might include hydroponic strawberries, blueberries, lychees, mangoes, and carambolas (star fruit). Flowers range from assorted nosegays to sunflowers. And juices come from Indian River fruits. The origin of everything is known, and it was often picked the day before market day—to be purchased and carried home in recyclable bags. No plastic bags are provided.

“Hydroponic strawberries are exceptionally tasty,” says Sagrans. “And there are several different hydroponic methods: trellis, Styrofoam island, channel. That’s another exciting aspect of this initiative. It’s educational. Employees love to talk about it, and the conversations can be amazing.”

It isn’t difficult to organize and set up, according to Sagrans, who usually places the orders on Monday for food that comes in on Thursday. A few volunteers help Hawkins and Sagrans set up for the Friday event. About 150 employees, on average, shop at the market. “The hotel is open seven days a week, and not everyone is here every Friday, so it’s not the same people coming each week,” says Sagrans. “We take in from $600 to $900 during the two hours, and it all goes back into purchasing for the next market day.”

Plans are in place for the Green Market to operate every Friday from October through May. “People are already asking about it, offering suggestions for the reopening,” says Sagrans. Supporting local farmers and helping keep team members healthy—while contributing to their continuing education and lower grocery bills—is a win-win.

Margaret Rose Caro is editor of HOTEL F&B.