University's dining services
invest in local foods
This year, Washington & Lee University raised its College Sustainability Report Card grade from a "C-" to a "B-." That's not bad, compared to other schools.
The Report Card, created by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, evaluates campus and endowment sustainability activities at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
Only 3 percent of universities studied made a higher grade. In fact, W&L is listed as a leader in investment priority, administration and food and recycling. The report notes that the university buys some local food, as well as cage-free eggs and organic produce.
Alex da Silva, director of auxiliary services at W&L, says that he does not give much credence to a grade awarded by a third party. But he is proud of the efforts the university is making to reduce "food miles," or the distance food must travel before reaching its destination.
To ensure the success of a local food program, Chris Carpenter, special projects coordinator for the school's dining hall, the Market Place, has been given a new assignment – to research local farms and to create strong community connections.
At a "Local Fall Harvest" dinner held in the Market Place Oct. 3, more than 90 percent of the foods, including meat, vegetables and dairy products, were locally bought.
This is not the first year that the Market Place has held the $6,000 dinner. But it is the first time that W & L has made a sustained effort to provide local foods during everyday meals. The price of lunch will not increase from the current $7, even though the local foods are usually more expensive.
Diners on Oct. 3 heard a lecture by Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm in Augusta County. Salatin supplied beef, pork and chicken for the meal. He and his wife Teresa are leaders in a national movement for sustainable or community-supported agriculture.
At Polyface Farm, livestock get exercise and as much organic grain and salad-like "green material" as possible. Their products, including "salad bar beef," "pastured broilers" and "forage-based hens," are not shipped long distances, but are delivered every six weeks to restaurants in nearby cities.
This year, Rockbridge Grown, a grassroots organization of local farmers, growers, consumers, retailers and nutritionists, has helped Carpenter make connections with local vendors like Polyface Farm. Rockbridge Grown is dedicated to promoting sustainable production and consumption of local agricultural products.
Carpenter says the health benefits of buying locally are tremendous. When tomatoes are sent long distances, they are often green and unripe when picked. They have three times less lysine, an essential amino acid, than ripe tomatoes picked locally.
Sustainability experts also argue that buying local products contributes to the financial well-being of local farms. A study done in 2002 entitled "Economic Impact of Maine Food System and Farm Vitality Policy Implications" found that if 1 percent of consumer expenditures were used on local foods, farmers' income in the state would increase by as much as 9 percent. Da Silva says that one of the university's goals is to strengthen local commerce.
There are also indirect environmental benefits of decreasing "food miles." By delivering locally, food distributors significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions released by large tractor trailers. According to Carpenter, food travels on average 1,600 miles before reaching its destination in the United States. Buying locally reduces that average distance to 60 miles.
For Carpenter, setting up a local food program has not been easy. One of the big questions that he faces now is how to switch from a sporadic as-needed ordering system to a scheduled system in which orders are placed months in advance. Carpenter is working with Mountain View Farms near Fairfield to have the meat of two animals sent to W & L each month. He hopes the system will be in place by February.
Another problem is that most produce in Virginia is seasonal. Tomatoes, for example, are grown only for three to four weeks every year. Da Silva wonders what buyers can do when that season is over. It is especially difficult during the winter to find a variety of vegetables nearby. That's made life a bit more difficult for Carpenter, but he is still making progress.
W&L is not alone in its efforts. This year's College Sustainability Report Card reported that the number of schools that buy at least some food from local farms and producers grew from 63 percent to 84 percent. In addition, local dairies supply dining halls at 39 percent of schools.
Colleges are not the only ones to participate in the movement. With the help of "Farm to School" programs, grades K-12 at schools all over the country are now looking to buy locally. There are approximately 1,117 programs in more than 34 states. The goal of these programs is to help improve nutrition, reduce child obesity and support local farms.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead Supervisor:
Prof. Brian Richardson
Prof. Phylissa Mitchell
Reporting supervisors:
Prof. Doug Cumming
Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd