Students will have the option of more fresh food in the dining halls as well as in the C-stores.  By 2012, 10% of the food served will be locally grown and produced.

University Dining recently joined the 10% campaign created by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) which is working with North Carolina Cooperative Extension and Compass Group, the world’s largest foodservice company.

Kelley Brackett, marketing and communication with University Dining said University Dining joined the 10% Campaign July 21.

“The 10% Campaign encourages consumers–individuals and businesses–to spend 10 percent of their existing food dollars on foods produced in North Carolina,” Brackett said.  “University Dining joined the campaign shortly after.  By 2012, University Dining, a division of Campus Enterprises, has pledged that 10 percent of its food purchases for dining halls and catered events will be locally grown or produced.”

Jennifer Gilmore, marketing and communications manager for University Dining said that this campaign would benefit the local businessmen.

“Using local produce helps small farmers and other small businesses, owned by both men and women.  It keeps local dollars in the local economy, and helps small producers compete with mass production farms from other parts of the country and world,” Gilmore said.

Andrew Bernard, a senior in aerospace engineering said he supported the initiative.

“Getting produce from the local farmers will make food cheaper for the students and it will give the local businesses more chance to compete with the mass production companies,” Bernard said.

Gilmore said that it was difficult to use more than 10% of local produce.

“North Carolina produces many agricultural products year round, such as pork, turkey, chicken, beef, but North Carolina’s growing season for produce is largely a summer season, which does not match up to the academic year where we use the most products.  In addition, the 10% goal is a pure 10%, meaning that they do not count bread baked locally if the wheat and all ingredients did not come from North Carolina,” Gilmore said.

According to Brackett, the local farmers are not able to produce large quantities. 

“University dining serves over 30,000 meals daily. It orders such a large quantity of products; many small farms are unable to provide fresh products consistently,” Brackett said.

Gilmore said that local milk is used in the dining halls.

“We use milk and ice cream from the campus dairy in our dining halls and other outlets, products that are made from milk fresh from the NC State herd at the campus dairy in Shaub Hall,” Gilmore said.

Brackett said that University dining has always supported the local businesses.

“University Dining has been supporting North Carolina farms and producers for decades. The All Carolinas’ Meal, which just took place on September 8, is an annual event that highlights foods from farms and companies across North Carolina, including Brookwood Farms and House of Raeford,” Gilmore said.  

According to Breckett, the dining halls offer a variety of local foods as well the C-Stores carry  the Saladelia line.

“University Dining serves bread from local Neomonde Bakery.  Our dining halls offer local/organic produce at the salad bar on Wednesdays.  US Food Service, our main food distributor, buys locally in season, including tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, onions, strawberries, and collards. In addition, they provide employment for 600 people in the Raleigh area.  Finally, our C-Stores carry the Saladelia line, which comes fresh from Durham. Saladalia is all about fresh homemade food from scratch, and they support local farmers and buy organic when possible,” Brackett said

Gilmore said as a result of the 10% campaign, the student will get fresher food.

“Fresher food is always better, so the fresh produce from North Carolina is the best available, helps our local economy, and is a more sustainable product in many cases,” Gilmore said.

Alex Davis, a freshman in English, said the campaign was a good initiative. 

“I think it is a good thing. It benefits the local businessmen and the students get better quality food. It is good to get more local produce as it is more reliable than produce got from other sources,” Davis said.

Joe Ogden, a senior in chemical engineering said that the campaign would help the environment.

“Getting local produce will reduce transportation costs and also decrease environmental pollution, “Ogden said.