Melvin Skochdopole
Co-founder
At (t)rifecta® Studio, we specialize in crafting high-performance websites that not only look great but also deliver measurable results.
At Parkday we believe the true quality of a meal starts long before the first bite. Our new initiative to list the local farms that power our restaurants’ ingredients signals a deeper commitment—to transparency, to nutrition, and to the people behind the food.
The Example of Lancaster Farm Fresh Co‑operative
One of our key partners is Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-operative (LFFC) of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania—a co-op of more than 100 small-scale family farms. Their mission: grow high-quality food by building healthy soils, protecting ecosystems, and supporting farmer livelihoods.
What matters for us (and for the end-consumer) is how that mission translates into real, tangible value on the plate:
Because these farms operate at a smaller scale, with local distribution and a co-operative structure, the produce travels fewer miles, is harvested closer to eating time, and the nutrients stay more intact.
The cooperative ensures traceability: each case of produce shows the grower’s name, town, certification status (GAP or Certified Organic), and tracking number.
With healthy soil, climate-aware practices, local economies in mind, and fewer intermediaries, the outcome is fresher, more flavorful, and ultimately more nutrient-dense food. So when we say “local farm,” we mean it—not just an abstract tagline but a measurable part of our supply chain.
Why Connecting Employees to the Supply-Chain Matters
In most workplace catering and food-delivery models, the journey of a tomato, carrot or kale leaf is invisible. At Parkday we flip that script: we show employees who grew their food, where it came from, and how it was raised. This kind of transparency is something the food world needs. Employees increasingly care about their health, their environment and their food’s provenance. By giving them line-of-sight into the farm level, we deepen that connection. It also builds trust: when you know the farm, you believe the food.
Demonstrating Quality Through Depth of Detail
This initiative is a concrete demonstration of our commitment to quality and diligence.
Rather than simply saying “fresh” or “local”, we go granular: we evaluate and list farms, we audit purveyors, we map ingredient pathways. That depth of detail signals to our clients and their teams that we don’t source meals loosely—we build them from the farm up.
High-quality ingredients matter not just for health and taste, but also for operational performance: food that holds up well in transport, that arrives crisp and vibrant rather than tired. For catering in the workplace, that robustness is critical.
A Radical Approach: Starting at the Farm, Not the Kitchen
Most workplace food services begin with restaurants and menus. We invert that. At Parkday, our process starts at the farm and purveyor level. We ask: “Where do the restaurants source their ingredients? Who grows them? How are they handled before they reach the kitchen?”
By understanding the upstream supply chain—farm, soil, harvest, delivery—we can more quickly and accurately assess the downstream meal quality and the employee experience. This is radically different than many competitors who focus only on the last mile—the prepared meal. We believe the last mile is only as good as the first.
And when you begin with better inputs, everything downstream—from taste to nutrition to employee satisfaction—improves.
Bringing It All Together
In our view, the linkage between sourcing and service is no longer optional. For companies that care about employee wellness, food quality, and operational excellence, it’s foundational. At Parkday, by baking in farm-level transparency, we give our clients more than meals: we give assurance. We give story. We give integrity.
Employees who eat a meal traced to Lancaster Farm Fresh or a similar source know more than “this is fresh.” They know why it’s fresh. And when you know why, you can feel it, and you can trust it.
