MU Campus Dining Serves buying from local farmers
MU appeals to students' appetites for freshness and sustainability.
Published Sept. 4, 2009
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Campus Dining Services is supporting local farmers by buying fresh produce to use in the dining halls. This movement for buying locally not only cuts costs for CDS but provides fresher food for students, as well.
Two weeks ago, Campus Dining Services began stocking dining halls with locally grown produce and beef to provide students with fresher food and to help local farmers, CDS Executive Chef Eric Cartwright said.
Cartwright said even as executive chef, he still hasn't met all the local farmers who are now providing dining halls with fresh produce and beef.
"It's really kind of creating this web of growers," Cartwright said.
About 12 farmers have stocked CDS since move-in week. Cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplants and honey are a few of the latest goods these farmers, all within about 100 miles of campus, supplied to CDS.
Cartwright estimated 5 to 8 percent of all of CDS' food came from local farmers during move-in week and the beginning of the first week of classes.
"From our production side of things, it brings a better quality product," CDS Marketing Manager Andrew Lough said. "If we get a delivery on Tuesday or Thursday, it was picked that morning."
Besides serving fresher food to students, faculty and staff, Lough said this system can be cost effective.
"As much as possible, we try to make it cost neutral," he said. "If the quality of the product is there, then it's worth a little bit extra because it's important to our students."
When dealing with large commercial production, Lough said CDS pays to ship, store and distribute the product, but MU can cut some of those costs by using local food.
Cartwright said he works with Columbia Farmers Market President Rex Roberts to receive locally grown produce and beef from farmers in the Columbia area.
"Eric is the guy on this," Roberts said. "This is his initiative."
Roberts said he contacts local growers who tell him what they have available.
"It's been a logistical dream," Cartwright said. "The product's always been out there."
Cartwright said now that the product is in CDS kitchens, staffers get excited to get the local food.
"Our staff is proud to serve it up to the students," Cartwright said.
In addition to the produce, CDS receives beef raised in Salisbury. Cartwright said the meat has been served at the Pavilion at Dobbs. Mark Mahnken raises the young cattle in his Missouri Legacy Beef program. He gets the cattle from other farmers, whom he said he trusts for having cattle with good genes.
"That was a traditional feeding program," he said. "We started a transition to go all sustainable."
When Roberts set up meetings for vendors from the Columbia Farmers Market, Mahnken said he jumped at the opportunity. Since he's the only beef provider in the group, he works directly with Cartwright. Mahnken said he will provide about 400 to 500 pounds of beef per week.
Junior Elliot Ewert said he went to Dobbs last week to get a hamburger made with Missouri Legacy beef. He heard from student staff friends that CDS was soliciting local farmers for produce.
"The beef is a lot better, more full in its taste and consistency," he said.
Ewert said he enjoyed the burger, but was surprised at CDS' progress.
"I never really figured it'd be in the budget," he said. "I didn't think they'd get this far this fast."
