Transcript Berea College Local Food Initiative

Berea College
Local Food Initiative
A Campus Environmental Policy
Committee Green Steps Forum
Local Food Initiative (LFI)
Mission Statement
The mission of the Berea College
Local Food Initiative is to
promote the participation of
Berea College in the development
of a sustainable food system.
Local Food Initiative (LFI)
Mission Statement
Our goals are:
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to understand and foster the ecological, economic, social, and
spiritual components of a sustainable food network;
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to promote understanding by Berea College students, faculty, and
staff of the sources of their food, thereby increasing appreciation of
fresh, local foods;
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to increase the purchase of locally grown foods for all of Berea
College’s dining facilities;
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to encourage campus use of College Farm and Garden products; and
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to provide new marketing opportunities for local growers.
The word "local" represents:
 the proximity of the growers,
processors, and eaters,
 an informed concern for
the long-term health of
the ecosystems and
people involved, and
 a celebration of
local
and regional nature
and culture.
“Local” means a commitment to local resources first,
then state, regional, and national resources.
LF I Preliminary Goals
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Explore the feasibility/desirability of purchasing a greater
portion of Berea College’s foods for campus use (Boone
Tavern, Food Service, Crossroads Café) from
local/regional farmers and food processors.
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Engage in research and learning to prepare a report on
findings and recommendations with respect to local food
initiatives at Berea College and the surrounding
community.
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Stage some on-campus "local food" occasions for raising
awareness and provoking discussion of the benefits and
requirements of a vibrant and responsible local food
system in the Berea area.
Preliminary Research
Objectives
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Learn about the experience of other colleges and universities with local
food projects
Develop baseline information about campus food sources
Understand any liability or contractual issues associated with Berea
College's purchase and use of foods from local/regional growers and
processors
Explore the opportunities and challenges associated with Berea College
farms, gardens, and greenhouses providing foods for College use
Explore the opportunities and challenges for Boone Tavern, Crossroads
Café, and Food Service managers and workers in moving toward greater
reliance on local growers for seasonably available foods
Learn about the circumstances, needs, and potential of off-campus
local/regional growers and processors
Learn about the experience of other local food initiatives in Kentucky
Estimate the costs and benefits of various local food initiatives
Colleges and Universities
with Local Food Projects
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Bates College
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St. Olaf College
(benchmark for BC)
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Bowdoin College
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Carleton College
(benchmark for BC)
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Sterling College
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University of New Hampshire
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Dartmouth College
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University of Northern Iowa
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Hendrix College
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Warren Wilson College
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Johnson College
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St. Bonaventure College
Yale University (Berkeley
College)
Dining Services:
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Pursues bulk purchasing opportunities, favors environmentally
sensitive companies and presents bulk foods to diners whenever
possible
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Has an informal co-op of local farmers that supplies a portion of its
needs and provides a consolidated billing system for delivery
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Established a formal local Maine buyers’ group, known as the Farm
Fresh Initiative in 2001
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Rents cleaning cloths, aprons and uniforms through a company which
deals with garment manufacturers with fair employment practices
From: http://www.bates.edu/x57492.xml
Overcoming Obstacles
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Aesthetics: “the college’s local produce has been comparable or
superior to conventional produce”
Uniformity: “Diners…may…expect the uniformity in size and
shape…but there have been no such complaints at Bates”
Cost: Bates runs its own food service and has therefore been able to
absorb “Higher initial costs for local, organically grown foods …
Composting, recycling, and other waste reduction efforts help offset
nominal cost increases.”
Taste: “the produce is … fresher, healtherier, more flavorful, and can
ripen before beling delivered ...”
From Ecodemia: Campus Environmental Stewardship at the Turn of the 21 st Century,
“Dining Services” pp. 90-92
Work Colleges Consortium Member
• Warren Wilson College Farm:
Sustainable 275-acre mixed-crop,
livestock farm with student labor
• Cowpie Café: “student-initiated,
student-run food establishment”
begun in January 2002 and
managed by Sodexho
• “Field to Fork” Lecture Series:
faculty, staff and community
people talk about food issues
• “Sustainable In-Dorm Cuisine”:
“shows students how to make
healthy food in a dorm setting”
• Composting: “All food, all nondiseased plant waste and most
paper scraps are composted on
campus for use in the WWC
Garden.”
Challenges/Learning Opportunities
• Data entry and information accumulation
• What to do in the winter once the garden shuts down
• Greenhouses allow for extended crop seasons and
cultivation of native wildflowers and grasses used
for landscaping on campus and in the greater
community
• Food preservation including root cellaring, canning, and freezing in order to extend
the availability of garden produce
• Beyond WWC garden produce, most other produce is from a small local distributor
but totally conventional and often from very far away
• A local cooperative of over 20 farmers sells to the area, but their produce is often
cost prohibitive, and Sodexho is very cost conscious
From: http://www.yale.edu/sustainablefood/
• Per-plate costs at Berkeley were 1.5 times
higher than other Yale colleges
• The dining services’ recipe for granola … is
cheaper than buying bulk granola. Now
Berkeley makes it for all Yale colleges.
Students
and dining
hall staff
would
never go
back
• Challenges included learning
how to prepare in-season
foods for large numbers and
the time and labor that goes
along with cutting, peeling,
etc of vegetables that usually
came prepared in large bags.
Key Campus People to Consult
& Resources to Consider
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Agriculture & Natural Resources
– Sean Clark
– Mike Panciera
Berea College Farms, Gardens, &
Greenhouse
Campus Environmental Policies
Committee
Debbie Brock, EPG
The Green Team
Stephanie Browner, Dean of the Faculty
Lori Briscoe Pennington, Appalachian
Center
Danielle Capillo, HEAL
Child and Family Studies Department
Betty Hibler, CELTS
Peter Hille, Brushy Fork Institute
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Sustainability & Environmental Studies
– Richard Olson
– Jim Dontje
Diane Kerby, Business and Administration
Randall Roberts, Convocations
Alina Strand, International Center
Employees of Food Service, Crossroads Café,
and Boone Tavern involved in food
preparation, serving, & waste
processing
La Vida Nueva
Student Government Association
Judge Wilson, Berea College General
Counsel
Gail Wolford, Labor & Student Life
OTHERS?
Off-campus Resources for
Local Food Initiatives
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Berea Farmers’ Market
Bon Appétit Management
Company
Community Farm Alliance
County Extension Agents
Food Alliance
Kentucky Department of
Agriculture
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State Park Program
Kentucky Sustainable Agriculture
Community
MCAT/MERJ Market
Partners for Family Farms
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Farm to Schools Program
Kentucky Department of
Parks
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Mobile Processing Unit
Restaurant Rewards
Richmond Farmers’ Market
Sustainable Mountain
Agriculture Center
OTHERS?
Steering Committee Members
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Steve Boyce, Retired Faculty Member
986-9210, CPO 1713, or [email protected]
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Tammy Clemons, Executive Assistant to the President
Ext. 3524, CPO 2182, or [email protected]
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Josh Eckman, Gen. Manager of Food Service/Boone Tavern
Ext. 3610 CPO 2143, or [email protected]
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Leslie Ferguson, SENS House Director
Ext. 4559, CPO 429, or [email protected]
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Andrew Oles, Agriculture Major
Ext. 6371, CPO 1182, or [email protected]
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Cheyenne Oldham, Major Gifts Officer
Ext. 3016, CPO 2216, or [email protected]