If a chef spends his or her time trying to get another nickel off the price of peas, you know what the chef's values are. If he spends time talking to the grower about the conditions in the field after the rain and the effect on the produce, he has an entirely different set of values. Learn from him or her, don't reduce the relationship to order-taking. For that matter, check out their web page. It may reflect an entirely different picture of the company than the one you know.
Business is very different from the box they deliver.
They don't all have to be on the label. The largest broadline distributors inhibit the development of a sustainable food supply. The focus on volume, volume, volume. We are not all in the same place, emotionally, environmentally, professionally, spiritually, or intellectually. Be patient and encourage your growers and suppliers when you can.