Local Food On Campus:
Farmers, Colleges Collaborate
(Continued from Page A 1)
This past year, the Pennsylva
nia Association For Sustainable
Agriculture (PASA) kicked off a
Farm-to-College program to link
farmers and college food service
programs across the state.
Heather House, program coor
dinator, hosted a meeting of
farmers and college food direc
tors this week at West Chester
University. A total of about 40
people attended the meeting.
Food purchasers were on hand
from a number of institutions, in
cluding Millersville University,
West Chester University, Muh
lenburg College, Ursinus College,
and Swarthmore.
House discussed some farm-to
college projects she has been
working on, including one at
Slippery Rock University, Butler
County, where she earned a mas
ter’s degree this past spring.
While a student in the Sustain
able Systems Program, House
coordinated a relationship be
tween local farmers and AR
AMARK, Slippery Rock Univer
sity’s food service supplier.
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ARAMARK agreed to buy at
least 10 percent of the food
served at the university from
local farmers.
Seven area farmers formed a
cooperative to provide the food
for the university. Logistics were
worked out between ARAMARK
and the farmers.
“A lot of excitement was
generated from that,” House
said.
There were obstacles to over
come and a lot of learning in the
process.
“The very first (local) order we
got had slugs in the lettuce,”
House said. “It was exactly what
had to go wrong for us to become
committed to the project.
According to House, the pro
gram was working well until re
cently, when ARAMARK lost the
university’s food service contract.
At this point, it will likely take
some time for the university to
adjust to a new food provider be
fore trying to buy local again,
House said.
Farmers at the meeting as
sured food directors that the
products they sell are high quali-
Kubota
College food purchasers meet with farmers to discuss local food buying options.
ty, safe, and can be delivered to
the satisfaction of the college.
Jim Stauffer, beef producer
and direct-marketer from Lan
caster, said that all of his beef can
be “source-verified” because
calves are raised on the farm and
the finished cattle are processed
at a local facility.
William Lesher, dairyman and
milk bottler from Way-Har
Farms, Berk County, said that
on-farm processors are subject to
the same regulations as large pro
cessors.
“We’re inspected with the
same laws that apply to the
biggest dairy in the country,”
Lesher said.
Lesher said his advantage
is in providing a fresher
product.
“It’s in the cow today and
it’s in your cooler tomor
row,” he said.
House noted ways that
colleges can benefit from
buying local. Students tend
to like the food. Also, good
public relations are generat
ed by the college supporting
the local economy.
Other schools that are de
veloping farm-to-college
markets are Pennsylvania
College of Technology in
Williamsport and Allegheny
College in the northwest part
of the state.
The Pennsylvania College
of Technology conducted
student taste tests comparing
milk from a typical universi
ty supplier with milk from
Milky Way Farms, a dairy
farm and bottling operation
in Bradford County. Stu
dents preferred the milk that
came straight from the farm,
and boosted their consump
tion by 30 percent, according
to House.
House urged farmers to
develop relationships with
food directors and staff, and
be professional, organized
and reliable.
One way to get started.
House said, is that farmers
can introduce themselves to
a food service director and
share product samples. They
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 13, 2003-A39
can plan a local food dinner on
the campus, feature a local prod
uct once a week during harvest,
or conduct comparison taste
tests.
“Make a commitment and be
patient,” House said.
House recommended “making
a fuss” about local products, get
ting students excited so that the
idea of local food “permeates the
culture of the university.”
Farmers interested in direct
marketing should also make sure
they are listed on the Website
www.localharvest.org, a resource
for purchasers looking for local
products.
Heather House coordinates farm-to-college food mar
keting. Photos by Dave Lefever
i ffii i / iif, 1-4*l,4*i
5357
Scott Bailey, food purchasing
manager at Millersville Universi
ty, coordinates occasional events
on campus featuring local food,
and is interested in buying more
from area farmers.
Educational institutions are re
liable customers, he told farmers
at the meeting.
“College food services tend to
pay their bills, where if you sell to
restaurants, you’re rolling the
dice,” Bailey said.
Kassab of Swarthmore noted
that college food purchasers do
not base their buying decisions on
price alone. Quality and timeli
ness of delivery are also consid
erations, she said.
FARM SHOW 2004
What a treat we have in store for the annual Lancaster
Farming issue of Farm Show!
Scheduled for the Jan. 10 issue; features from farmers who
are going to the winter agricultural showcase event at the
Farm Show Complex and their experiences in attending the
great event m Harrisburg. Also scheduled; the *
annual FFA Keystone Degree winners and a com- ]Jg*
plete schedule of events, including the many
demonstrations for farmers during Farmer Days.