How local food makes its way to CWRU dining halls

From drinking a glass of water at home to buying produce at a nearby grocery store, many may not consider where the products they consume come from. In “Local Food Challenges,” a community-engaged, writing-intensive course offered through Case Western Reserve University’s Writing Program, students examine the places, systems and history behind everyday food choices. The course is taught by Narcisz Fejes, a faculty member in CWRU’s Department of English and faculty advisor of the university’s Food Recovery Network.

That exploration takes them beyond the classroom to Lake Erie, community gardens, urban farms and farmers markets, where they examine how food is grown, distributed and accessed. They also question why some foods travel thousands of miles when similar goods can be grown closer to home.

“I hope they become more attentive to the place where they live,” said Fejes, who is also associate director for undergraduate programming and initiatives at the Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities. “There’s a real pleasure for me in watching students develop gratitude for Lake Erie, the source of the water we drink here, and begin to notice what is growing around them.”

That opportunity will extend across campus Sept. 22, when Bon Appétit Management Company, CWRU Dining Services’ official food service provider, hosts Eat Local Challenge (ELC) Day.

A collaborative effort

Brought to campus in 2006, ELC Day originally required Bon Appétit chefs to create meals using ingredients from local partners of the company’s Farm to Fork program, an initiative to buy from small, owner-operated farms and ranches within a 150-mile radius of their cafes. 

Today, the criteria includes local sub-ingredients—such as the rennet that binds cheese, the wheat used in bread and other individual components that make up larger meal elements—with salt as the only exception.

Across Fribley and Leutner Commons, Spartie Mart and other campus dining locations, members of the CWRU community can find special menu lunch items featuring dairy from Hartzler Family Dairy, produce from Rainbow Farms and animal proteins from Miller Livestock and New Creation Farm.

There also will be welcome tables with event materials and produce from Farm to Fork program partners. One of these partners is CWRU’s University Farm, which will have representatives at Fribley Commons, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to provide additional information on sustainability, food-sourcing and other initiatives. 

From local farms to campus plates

Behind ingredients used for ELC Day—and throughout the year—are relationships built between Bon Appétit, local farmers and ranchers. From potatoes used for French fries to eggs, livestock and poultry featured in campus meals, the dining services team works with producers throughout the year to understand their needs and plan around seasonal availability. 

“In all our cafés we cook from scratch, so seasonality plays a large role when it comes to the types of produce we are featuring on our menus,” said Lauren Varvir, senior marketing specialist for Bon Appétit at CWRU.

That seasonal approach also means working with what farmers provide, including produce that may not meet traditional standards for appearance.

“We are collaborative partners with our farmers,” she continued. “Despite any flaws or blemishes, we still must be creative on how we can use and cook with it.”

Considering the bigger food system

Proximity is not the only consideration when Bon Appétit makes purchasing decisions. The company follows sustainability-driven guidelines that address local sourcing, animal welfare and environmentally responsible seafood. Its standards include following the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines, serving only green- and yellow-rated wild seafood species and maintaining restrictions on antibiotics in aquaculture supply chains.

The guidelines also prohibit the routine use of medically important antibiotics in meat production where possible, require 100% cage-free eggs and prioritize humanely raised livestock and poultry.

“Having knowledge of your local foodshed is not only important for the CWRU community but for the public because the impact of supporting one farm can impact the local community where that farm or partner is located,” Varvir said.

Additionally, Bon Appétit and CWRU consider the environmental impact of what happens after food leaves the kitchen. 

Through a partnership with Rust Belt Riders, food scraps collected from cafés and plate waste from dining halls are transported to University Farm, where they are transformed into compost. That compost is then used to help grow some of the produce later supplied to CWRU dining operations.

The partnership between Bon Appétit and University Farm also creates opportunities for students to experience the local food system firsthand. Through events such as a basil planting activity, students have the chance to plant seeds using compost produced at the farm, learn how to start a greens garden and eventually enjoy pesto pasta made with basil grown on the farm.

These experiences bring the connections behind a campus meal into focus, allowing students to see how growing, preparing, eating and composting food can be part of the same cycle.

To learn more about Bon Appétit’s dining services and its sustainability efforts, visit the Bon Appétit Management Company website. And, discover upcoming events open to members of the CWRU community.