THE GREEN ISSUE

Blond ambition: White Dog Cafe owner Judy Wicks has tirelessly pursued the goal of making the planet better for a quarter century. (photo by Jeff Fusco)

Putting on the Dog

Celebrating 25 years with Philly’s greenest restaurateur.

by John Dunphy

From a humble little restaurant where customers had to go to her apartment to use the restroom to an international travelers’ destination, Judy Wicks’ White Dog Cafe has evolved into a societal contributor that does far more than simply satisfy a financial bottom line.

On the occasion of her restaurant’s silver anniversary, Judy Wicks sat down with PW to reflect upon being an ecologically responsible restaurant owner and activist.

What have you learned during your 25 years about eating well while being a responsible member of your community?

“The most important aspect of eating well is having access to fresh, local, naturally raised ingredients. But it takes the development of sustainable local systems to do that. There’s no such thing as one sustainable business—you need to be a part of a sustainable system.

“It’s not enough to have a business with good values—we must work cooperatively with other businesses to build whole local economies based on the values of social and environmental sustainability, as well as financial sustainability.

“Over the last seven years in particular, I’ve focused my resources on helping to build a local food system for our region, as well as building a whole local economy comprised of locally owned businesses that strive toward a triple bottom line—not just profit, but people and planet too.”

What have been some of White Dog’s green highlights?

“Aliza Green was our chef back in the ’80s and she brought the style of cooking to the White Dog that we became known for—buying top ingredients from local farmers and cooking in a way that highlights those natural flavors.

“The White Dog is also very committed to fair-trade relationships for ingredients that can’t be grown locally like coffee and chocolate. It was certainly a highlight when we helped a Zapatista coffee cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico, export their first container of organic, fair-trade coffee to the U.S. I took 10 trips to Chiapas and loaned $20,000 a year for two years to prefinance the harvest to get the cooperative going.

“Since 2001 I’ve focused my attention on increasing the social impact of the White Dog by starting various nonprofit organizations. That year I started both the Fair Food Project and the Sustainable Business Network. The goal of Fair Food, led by director Ann Karlen, was to provide free consulting to other restaurants on how to buy from local farmers, beginning with the farms that supply the White Dog.

“That work began with my concern about the inhumane and environmentally and socially damaging effects of the factory farming of pigs. Back in the ’90s when I found out about the factory farm system, where mother sows are kept confined in crates their entire lives, standing on cement and unable to move forward or backward or turn around, I was horrified. When I realized that the pork I was serving, like 95 percent of the pork in this country, came from this system, I took all the pork off the menu—ham, bacon and pork chops—until we could find humane sources where pigs are raised on pasture with freedom to move around and build nests for their babies.

“After that I found out about the importance of eating only grass-fed beef and found local sources for beef. Eventually, all of the animal products on our menu came from local humane family farms, and our produce from local organic farms in season.

“But I realized that this wasn’t good enough. We needed to build a whole local system, so I started Fair Food to build that system by getting more businesses to buy from local farms. Basically, we shared our proprietary information with our competitors in order to strengthen the local economy. I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

“Local” and “sustainable” are words heard often these days. What’s your opinion on “locavorism”?

“I believe very strongly that building sustainable local economies is about our survival in the age of climate change and peak oil, which will increasingly disrupt and weaken long distance supply lines. I’ve seen a huge increase in interest building local economies. People instinctively know that gaining local self-reliance by producing basic needs at home—especially food and energy—is important to our long term health and security.

“When I opened White Dog, I’d never heard of words like “sustainability” or “fair trade” or “socially responsible business.” In recent years I’ve seen how important it is to serve nature—that the long-term well-being of all business is dependent on protecting our natural resources, and all life on earth is dependent on a healthy environment, so we need to do everything possible to develop business practices that work in harmony with nature.”

Green has become almost a brand, like wearing a clothing manufacturer’s name on a T-shirt. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

“I think it’s a good thing people have heightened awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. I don’t think being green is simply about doing the right thing. I think it’s about our very survival. It’s not a fad. It’s about how we have to live from now on if we want life on earth to continue as we know it.

“There are much larger changes that must come—changing our rate of consumption, eliminating waste, moving from cars to public transportation, bicycling and walking, buying fewer clothes, insulating our buildings and reducing energy use.

“I believe strongly that we’re beginning to transition away from a global economy controlled by multinationals and based on import dependency and toward a new economy that is locally based, green and self-reliant in basic needs. Food, clothing, energy and building materials will be produced by locally owned companies close to the point of consumption.

“I see this as a joyful movement. Our society is hungry for meaningful relationships that come from strong communities, and there is real joy in working collaboratively toward a shared vision.”

John Dunphy is a freelance writer in Princeton, N.J.