The Ultimate Farm-to-Table Experience Sprouts Up at Foxdale Village

Awareness of sustainable practices might seem like a new-aged trend adopted by millennials, but truth is, the real OG’s of sustainability are seniors. When residents were surveyed at Foxdale Village – a senior living community nestled in the heart of central Pennsylvania – the two most-common requests were: sustainable food and food that is local. For many residents, traveling to the grocery store simply wasn’t feasible during the pandemic. Morrison Living stepped in as Foxdale’s new dining partner in April 2020 and created an in-house grocery service. And the fresh produce wasn’t from just any source…

Foxdale Village began partnering with Way Fruit Farm! They’re most known for their homemade apple butter, applesauce, and apple cider but also specialize in peaches, plums, sweet corn and so much more. They even uncovered that the Way family – the same family who planned, built, and founded Foxdale Village – are relatives of the owners of Way Fruit Farm. #NoWay!

Morrison Living’s Director of Food and Nutrition, Melody Daer, explains, “I started having to go to the farm three times a week. Every time I left, I had a larger supply!” Residents were, and still are, enamored with the quality, freshness, and the value this service brings to the community. Plus, it is contributing to Morrison Living’s parent company Compass Group North America’s commitment to source a minimum of 20% of all produce from local sources in support of American Family Farms.

Each week as Melody returns to Foxdale with her car packed with bundles of produce, she knows it won’t be long before eager residents begin lining up to purchase the much-anticipated items – tomatoes, peaches, broccoli, apricots, strawberries, and pumpkins, to name a few. We are thankful for our partnership with Foxdale Village, our new-found collaboration with Way Fruit Farm, and for the shared commitment from all, on the value of people and planet.

To see the full 2020 Compass Group Corporate Social Responsibility report, visit here.