Local food is first priority for dining

Author: Kate Strangfeld

Middlebury College prides itself on its progressive green policies, and Dining Services play a crucial role in furthering the College's goals by purchasing local food. Around 25 percent of the food in the dining halls is from farms and factories in Vermont and is considered local, and Dining Services hopes to expand its local offerings to 50 percent in the future.

Dining Services' first priority is to buy food that is local - only after that do they pursue organic and fair trade options. The decision to focus on buying local over organic is financially wise, according to Director of Dining Services Matthew Biette, because generally, local food is cheaper than national products.

Biette believes that buying local is equally or even more beneficial than buying organic. Biette said that "local farms have better pest management," as they only use pesticides when needed, whereas organic farms spray crops more indiscriminately. He pointed out that even if the chemicals used by organic farms are natural, that does not always mean they are good for the environment. For example, a synthetic chemical that acts more "naturally" and does not ruin drainage systems or stay in the ground for an abnormal amount of time is better for the environment than a natural chemical that does not.

In regard to free and fair trade, Biette said that "fair trade is not as much of a concern of the students," indicating that Dining Services pays close attention the students' demands, which are generally more geared toward organic and local food and sustainability.

The College gets its food from a number of sources but its primary vendor - responsible for about 75 percent of the food supply - is Burlington Food Services. Burlington Food Services has helped Middlebury accomplish its green goals by buying from as many local farms in Vermont as possible. Middlebury also gets direct shipments from farmers - eggs from Maple Meadow Farm in Salisbury, Vt., for example. Other foods that are bought locally are grains, milk, beer, vegetables and maple syrup. The College has a long history of buying from local farms. Biette said that "milk has been purchased locally for around 60 years." Dining halls also get food from the Middlebury College Organic Garden, although the organic garden is simply not big enough to supply a large amount of food.

While Dining Services strives to be environmentally friendly, its primary responsibilty is to satisfy the students. Balancing student demands for food to be local, organic, tasty, vegetarian and abundant, while working within a tight budget, is no easy task. The decision to buy local food over organic food is thus largely based on prices - and the price difference between local and organic food is significant, while their effects on sustainability are fairly similar.

By purchasing local food, the College contributes to sustainability - an issue about which both faculty and students are passionate. Director of Sustainability Integration Jack Byrne believes that sustainable food production is an important part of strengthening the social fabric of our community. Ideally, he said, "new environmentally friendly practices can restore many of the adverse environmental effects caused by poor agricultural practices" of the past.

Buying local has a number of benefits for sustainability, some of which organic food cannot offer. According to Byrne, it "circulates money in the local economy and reduces energy usage, our footprint, supply chain and cost while increasing efficiency." In addition, he noted that food purchased locally is generally fresher and healthier.

In addition to the College's action to promote sustainability, Vermont has also helped make a sustainable community more possible. Byrne said "the number of small farms has increased and farms are now diversifying their products," instead of just focusing on dairy products like milk and cheese that are typically associated with Vermont.

However, promoting sustainability and buying local and organic goods poses many challenges. For both producers and buyers, practicing sustainability and maintaing original goals and standards on a larger scale is increasingly difficult. There is no clear solution to this "sustainable dilemma," as Byrne called it. According to Byrne, the best thing to do is to be explicit about goals in sustainability, and honest about progress toward achieving those goals.

Most problems stem from the fact that sustainable practices are expensive, said Byrne. However, both Biette and Byrne are optimistic and believe these practices are important and feasible. While the recent economic crisis may present more obstacles ahead for the College's green mission, Biette showed no hesitation in continuing to prioritize purchasing sustainable food. "We hope that there will be no lapse and are trying not to stop current practices," Biette said.