Unity College

1. Unity College Promoting Local Foods on Campus

2. What is local? • “To me, being local is within an hour or two.” Ian Saylor • “…food grown or produced in the community and or surrounding communities.” Hannah Brzycki • “Local to me means within 100 miles…Shorter the distance the better” Will Hafford • “…within a 50 mile radius…the state of Maine or sometimes New England.” Barry Woods

3. Thinking locally… • “…it would show that we support the town and the local communities…It will show that we are going to step up and make a change.” Hannah Brzycki • “Great idea…supporting local farms and producers...the bulk of the foods sourced should be purchased from local producers…Unless we all do our part to support our local farms we will lose them.” Barry Woods

4. Why is it good for the college? • Supports community • Involves students with community • Brings more income for local economy • Environmental impact • Carbon footprint • Farming practices • Supports the mission • Opportunities for ecological education • Environmental stewards & responsible citizens • Food security • Healthier eating

5. Dining Services Sustainability Plan • Purchase and grow more local foods for use in dining facilities • 5% increase each year in the amount of dining services budget being spent on local foods • 15% as of 2008 • 10% decrease in food miles each year How can we reach these goals?

6. Successful Models We chose institutions of similar size and location, and spoke with the staff member responsible for local foods.

7. BOWDOIN COLLEGE & GREEN MOUNTAIN COLLEGE • Coordinator hired specifically to work on the garden and farm year round • Large student involvement that included majors, classes, clubs, and work study • Distributing companies employed supported local farmers • Increased meal plan prices • Obtained grants/funding and assistance • Utilized root cellar

8. Specific Recommendations • Hire a coordinator • Student workers • Work study and summer • Root cellar • Grants • Student involvement • Expand the garden

9. Student Involvement We surveyed current student opinion, spoke with faculty and staff, and explored ideas for curricular and co-curricular involvement.

10. Current students are supportive • Unity Experience faculty are supportive • New curriculum opportunities

11. Specific Recommendations How Far From the Tree Does Your Apple Fall? • Curricular • Environmental Stewardship Fair in UE • Environmental Sustainability & Biology 1 • New FAS major: work with local farmers about grants • Co-Curricular • Educational signage in SAC and café • Dorm bulletin boards • Clubs • Speakers/Films Local Non-local • Fresher • Handled less • Greater variety • Assists local economy • Less road miles • Know where your food comes from • Unnecessary pollution • Doesn’t support the local economy • Older food • Less variety • Handled more • Unknown source Support Local Farmers!

12. Campus Resources We spoke with students, faculty and staff associated with the farm, garden and hoop house, and researched current and future resources.

13. Tinker Demonstration Farm • Plans for more animals • Hoop house • Summer produce • Community Garden • One work-study position

14. Specific Recommendations • Tinker Demonstration Farm • Adding more animals for variety of purposes • Hoop house and Community Garden • Support for management • Student involvement • Expanding resources • Work study & summer positions • Storage capacity • Root cellar • Dehydrator

15. Cost and Availability We coordinated with dining service administrators, researched and contacted local farmers and distributors.

16. Foods already available at school • Current contracts with distributors • Budget • Grant opportunities • Foods to focus on • Product availability and price

17. Specific Recommendations • Renegotiate North Center contract • Budget increase • Apply for grants • Farm-to-College • Focus on greens, meats, eggs • Luce’s Meats • Identify local foods on catering menus • Work with brokers and distributors

18. Regulations We researched the regulations in the Maine Food Code.

19. Organic Produce • In order for organic food to stay certified it must not come into contact with any thing that is non-organic • Eggs • Grade B, inspection once every quarter year by USDA, outside sources must be a USDA certified location • Sanitation policies • Beef • Certified USDA killed • Wild Game • Commercially raised and processed in an inspected facility • requires a USDA certification

20. Summary of Short Term Recommendations (1-2 Years) • Four additional student work positions – on campus gardens • SAC and café – consideration in the Unity College master plan • At least 3% budget increase on top of inflation for at least the first 2 years • Re-evaluate financial need at the end of the fiscal year • North Center contract – alterations • Grant funding from outside sources to support Unity’s local food program • Addition of local food information to Unity Experience Curriculum • Biology I and Environmental Sustainability classes • Hire farm and garden coordinator • Educational signs in residential halls, Café, and SAC • New partnerships with local food growers & distributors • Join Farm to College program • Focus on growing high value items on campus • Encourage local food requests for catering • Develop a protocol that facilitates the use of local eggs

21. Intermediate Recommendations (3-4 years) • Creation of a root cellar to prolong the availability of local produce • Purchase or build a dehydrator for campus use • Expand gardens • Develop grant opportunities with local farmers through the FAS major Long Term Recommendations (5+ years) • Larger selection of animals at Tinker demonstration farm that are able to be used to sustain the Student Center and cafeteria • Acquire all certifications required to raise chicken to produce eggs for the Student Center and cafeteria • Combine Student Center and cafeteria

22. “I feel it would be an excellent idea to incorporate local foods…local foods are in better condition (taste and presentation) than foods that travel thousands of miles.  It supports local farmers and businesses and would strengthen our ties to the community at large.” Will Hafford

23. Acknowledgements Sandy Donahue (Director of Dining Services) Charlie Krause (Student Center Manager, Catering Chef) Mitchell Thomashow (President, Unity College) Aimee Phillippi (Professor, Unity College) Unity College Students Doug Fox (Professor, Unity College) Jon Sawyer (Unity College’s FFA Advisor ) Rob Constantine (Vice President for College Advancement) Martha Doblen (Education Coordinator) Pam Stone (Unity College Dining Services) Lorey Duprey (Assistant Dining Services Manager) Cindy Thomashow (Center for Environmental Education) Ray Stuart (Unity College student, SGA treasurer, garden coordinator) Mark Tardif (Associate Director of Communications) Michele Gaillard at Bowdoin College David Onrdia at Green Mountain College “Maine Food Code” from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) Melissa White Pillsbury (Organic Marketing Coordinator at MOFGA) Native Maine Produce LLC

24. Brought to you by… • Keith Blanchette, Caleb Button, Lisa Casagrande, Jess Cole, Whitney Corbran, Sarah Corrigan, Jess Curtis, Dorothy Garceau, Andy Heim, Becky Hutton, Heather Johnston, Jen McClain, Henry Moncrief, Greg Morrison, Alison Renaud, Travis Thompson, Jake Urrutia , and Josh Wade. Environmental Citizens