Local Foods go to College

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Local Foods go to College

• Sandy Olson-Loy Donna Bauck
• Anne Borgendale Colleen Borgendale

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Local Foods go to College

• The University of Minnesota, Morris is a founding
  partner in the Pride of the Prairie Local Foods
  Initiative.
• Through work with Pride of the Prairie, people at
  UMM
• eat great food grown by people we know.
• spend our food dollars locally - investing in
  family farms and our prairie home.
• strengthen a sustainable local food system, with
  regional and national impact.
• reduce the miles our food travels for fresh
  nutritious food and energy savings.
• study, work, and learn in partnerships that build
  community.

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Spring 2001 A New Vision for the Prairie

• Prairie Renaissance Project community visioning
  process identifies local foods as a community
  asset - and a priority.
• UMM rebids our campus dining service management
  contract - w/ local foods.
• UM West Central Regional Sustainable Development
  Partnership makes a local foods initiative one
  its 1st priorities.

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UMM RFP Language

• The Contractor shall give first preference to
  products purchased from community based family
  farmers (to include organic produce) when the
  product meets menu requirements and price
  expectations.
• Spring 2001

Easy Bean Farm Photo by Laura Knierim
Easy Bean Farm Photo by Laura Armstrong
Prairie Horizons Farm Photo by Tim Swaback
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Pride of the Prairie

• The mission of Pride of the Prairie is to promote
  the production and use of locally grown food and
  develop a regional food system in western
  Minnesota that provides good, nutritious food,
  nurtures a healthy environment, and provides
  economic opportunity for area entrepreneurs.

http//www.prideoftheprairie.org
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Pride of the Prairie Partners

• University of Minnesota - the Morris campus,West
  Central Minnesota Regional Sustainable
  Development Partnership, West Central Research
  and Outreach Center, and UM Extension
• Sodexho Campus Services
• Land Stewardship Project
• Sustainable Farming Association
• Morris Prairie Renaissance
• Pomme de Terre Food Coop
• Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance
• area farmers
• and the Upper Minnesota River Valley community

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Early PoP Research

• Farmers
• Incorporate a number a personal values such as
  concern the environment, children-friendly
  operations, family, and wanting more of a
  connection with the people who eat/use what they
  raise, etc
• Were interested in selling more products locally
  and were interested in selling to UMM

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Early PoP Research

• Eaters/Consumers
• Had varying definitions of what local foods
  meant to them
• They would pay up to 2 more per restaurant meal
  if it was made of locally produced foods
• Would buy more locally produced foods if they
  were more accessible

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Early PoP Research

• Restaurant/Hospital/School Chefs Managers
• Would like to buy directly from farmers but not
  sure they were an approved source
• See Locally Grown Fact Sheets www.prideoftheprairi
  e.org

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Sodexho Campus Services

• Why do it? Expressions on students faces. You
  can get 500 people to eat an apple. Turn off the
  pop machines and no one cares. Going back to our
  roots as a community.
• Purchased 10,000 locally plus xxxx on certified
  sustainable, regional foods in 05-06.
• A way to make a difference with our work - in our
  communities - the little dairy story.
• Amazing to know the people who raise our food.
• Its more work but its whats fun about doing
  this job.

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FS Thoughts - Getting Started

• Identify how many s of products you need/ school
  year. See whats available locally.
• Eating seasonally will increase students
  perception of value - good, fresh food.
• Start with the easy pieces. Apples, beef, pork,
  cabbage, squash, berries, cheeses, grains, cured
  meats, dairy.
• Farmers Markets make it easy.
• Build on-going relationships, build
  understanding, challenge misperceptions, make it
  work, and have fun.

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Whats happening at UMM?

• Festive local foods meals each semester

Farmers markets community food expos
Sustainable regional foods in daily dining
Academic service learning Regional/ Sustainable
Agriculture Initiative
Student opportunities
Individual, personal action
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1. The Local Foods Meal

• Flax Seed Muffins
• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Country Fresh Butter
• Tabbouleh Salad
• Farmers Casserole with Bacon
• Praline French Toast
• Whipped Cream and MN. Maple Syrup
• Home-made Vegetarian Baked Beans
• Honey Glazed Carrots
• Farmer Carved Ham
• Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
• Milk

Spring Menu 2006
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Actual Student Comments on the Meal

• Excellent Hooray for supporting local foods
• Wow - - deeleeshus
• Thanx farmers
• We appreciate good food so much thank you
• I heart local foods
• Can you do this everyday?
• It was REAL food
• Local foods rock my stomach
• Whens the next one?

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2. The Community Food Expo Farmers
Market

• Why was it Created?
• Consumer Education
• Farmer Sales
• Connection the Farmer Consumer
• Student Involvement with the region

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Our Farmers

• Borgendale Farms - Montevideo
• Chippewa Valley Bison - Benson
• Coyote Grange - Appleton
• Double D Natural Meat Farm- Milan
• Dry Weather Creek Farm - Milan
• Earthrise Farm- Madison
• Easy Bean Farm CSA - Milan
• Glacial Acres - Sunburg
• Honey Herbs- Benson
• J L Bison - Willmar
• Life Design Organics - Hancock
• Moonstone Farm - Montevideo

• Murphys Organic Farm - Morris
• Pastures A Plenty- Kerkhoven
• Prairie Horizons Farm - Starbuck
• Pride of Main Street Dairy - Sauk Centre
• Red Tail Valley Beef - Granite Falls
• Rons Veggie Cacti - Sacred Heart
• Steves Strawberries - Morris
• PastureLand Dairy Coop- Southeastern MN
• Stone Creek Orchard - Hancock
• Swenson Orchard - Montevideo

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3. Dining every day

• Certified sustainable foods, at Turtle Mountain
  Café
• Dining Services, thanks to
• Food Alliance Midwest www.foodalliance.org/midwest
  /
• Sysco Foods www.syscomn.com/fmarket.htm
• Bix Produce www.bixproduce.com
• Carrots, potatoes, designer squash, green
  peppers, tomatoes, green beans, apples, apple
  cider, andoille sausage, cheese, baby striped
  beets.
• In season veggie/fruit prices are comparable to
  non-local foods. Artisan cheeses are comparable.

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Service learning Regional/ Sustainable
Agriculture Initiative

• Multidisciplinary, multi-class projects meeting
  compelling community needs
• Four initiatives address key community needs and
  build on campus priorities/ strengths
• -Arts and Cultural Opportunities
• -Elder Partnerships
• -Youth Mentorships
• -Regional, Sustainable Agriculture

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• ARTS 2500 Photography
• ENG 2121 Creative Writing
• Student teams travel to local farms,
• interview farmers and take photos.
• Their completed work
• meets course requirements.
• is available to farmers for their use in raising
  awareness of local foods.
• Photographs and stories were displayed at the
  campus local foods dinner and are on
  permanent display in the local food coop.

Garden Goddess Produce Photo by Brian Cathers
JL Bison Ranch Photo by Maria Steffan
Wymar and Bacigalupo Farm Photo by Tim Swaback
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5. Student opportunities

• Internships
• Fellowships
• Directed Studies
• Organization projects
• Volunteer opportunities

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6. Local Foods Guides

• Supporting students, faculty, and staff
  purchasing locally for their meals at home.
• At Pomme de Terre Food Coop
• Carrying the areas largest selection of local
  foods
• Serving as a drop site for Community Supported
  Agriculture farms.
• Directly from farmers.

Dry Weather Creek Farm Photo by Gretchen Guinn
Earthrise Farm Photo by Dustin Castro
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Benefits to the campus

• Really good food!
• More links to our community.
• Strong partnerships and friendships.
• Deeper student learning - in and out of class.
• A growing sense of place and home.
• Strategies informed by multiple world views.
• Making a difference in our world.

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Resources

• University of Minnesota, Morris
  www.morris.umn.edu/greencampus
• Pride of the Prairie local foods initiative
  www.prideoftheprairie.org
• West Central Regional Sustainable Development
  Partnership www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu/westc
  entral/projects.htm
• Land Stewardship Project www.landstewardshipproje
  ct.org
• Sustainable Farming Association of MN
  www.sfa-mn.org
• Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
• Local Food Where to Find It, How to Buy It
  www.misa.umn.edu
• Local Harvest www.localharvest.org
• Food Routes www.foodroutes.org
• Farm to College
• www.foodroutes.org/farmtocollege.jsp