Food Hub Keeps Local Food in the Community</h1> <article> <h1>Food Hub Keeps Local Food in the Community</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:20 +0000</p> <span>Food Hub Keeps Local Food in the Community</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:20-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>��سԹ�’s location offers the best of both worlds: a vibrant community in the heart of northeast Ohio’s agricultural production, and still within close proximity to a metropolitan city.</p> <p>��سԹ� is now poised to become a food hub, a venture of the ��سԹ� Project that opened for business in June. The ��سԹ� Food Hub sources agricultural products from small- to medium-sized farms in a seven-county region and provides a one-stop shop for wholesale buyers, keeping food and money in the region.</p> <p><a href="http://www.oberlinproject.org">The ��سԹ� Project</a> is a multiyear initiative launched by ��سԹ� College and the city of ��سԹ�. The project is being implemented with private partners to improve resilience and create a sustainable base for economic and community development. By integrating economic development, high-performance building, education, agriculture and forestry, arts and culture, public policy, renewable energy, environmental policy, and finance, the project seeks to reinforce the vitality and resilience of the larger whole.</p> <p>The <a href="https://scott-hulver.squarespace.com" target="_blank">food hub</a> is a vital piece of both local food and economic development, says Heather Adelman, assistant director of the ��سԹ� Project. “Northeast Ohio’s food value chain is well-developed with the exception of an efficient way to get high volumes of local food into local mouths.”</p> <p>Adelman explains that food hubs exist across the United States, but they take on different forms. ��سԹ�’s operation follows the general model of other food hubs with the goal of maximizing the benefit it can provide to local growers and buyers. For small and midsized growers, the ��سԹ� Food Hub offers access to wholesale customers, such as restaurants, that wasn’t available before or was difficult to access in the past. On the flip side, wholesale buyers want local goods but may not have time to seek out farmers and keep track of receipts.</p> <p>The food hub offers increased transparency and a shorter supply chain, says Cullen Naumoff, director of sustainable enterprise for the ��سԹ� Project. “Wholesale markets are buying in volume, but small farms need someone to bring their product to market in small volumes. We provide the access to local farms and take away the uncertainty of packing and pricing and being able to sell at the farmer’s market.”</p> <p>Naumoff says most of the farms in the food hub are 50 acres or less. “Farmers have a specific technical expertise and very limited time. We can provide business development, and that’s very valuable for them. The other biggest benefit is being able to provide transportation. That is a huge deal for growers. We’re truly a one-stop shop.”</p> <p>The food hub’s offerings include such products as eggs, grains and dry goods, a range of fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs, grass-fed meat, and value-added products such as honey, maple syrup, and jam, all of which are sourced from about a 60-mile radius throughout Lorain, Cuyahoga, Ashland, Erie, Huron, Medina, and Wayne counties.</p> <p>For the moment, the hub’s wholesale customers are primarily restaurants in the urban density of Cleveland, as well as the food pantry at ��سԹ� Community Services. Naumoff says the hub is in talks with ��سԹ� community restaurants and others looking for high-quality and specialty products. In the future, the intent is to add K-12 school systems, universities, hospitals, and other food pantries as customers.</p> <p>The next phase of the food hub is to build a shared-use commercial kitchen incubator that supports rural and urban food entrepreneurs looking to scale up their production. The kitchen has been strategically planned to support food prep and semi-processing necessary for school systems, as well as canning lines and flash-freezing capabilities that will preserve seasonal produce. The kitchen will also process “seconds—Grade B produce with minor blemishes—for sale to wholesale markets. Naumoff says the ��سԹ� Project has received funding for the kitchen and it is expected to be open this winter.</p> <p>Naumoff points out that the Northeast Ohio region is fortunate to have the fresh water supply and topography to produce so much food. However, as climate conditions become unpredictable, the food hub will be an important asset for the community at large. “The more self-sustaining you can be, the better we will be prepared for any potential challenges that arise in the future.”</p> <p>The food hub’s online ordering system opens each week at noon on Friday and closes at 9 p.m. on Sunday for deliveries the following Wednesday, Thursday, and or Friday. More information for buyers and growers can be found on the hub’s <a href="https://scott-hulver.squarespace.com/">website</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-07-26T12:00:00Z">Tue, 07/26/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2385">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2369">Environment & Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Local produce distributed by the ��سԹ� Food Hub.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Dale Preston</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Growing Organics Down Under</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:50 +0000</p> <span>Growing Organics Down Under</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:50-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>While students on campus bundle up for the winter in Ohio, Kendra Lockard decided to spend her winter term somewhere sunny and summery: New Zealand. The first-year chemistry major volunteered with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), an organization that links organic farms and small holdings willing to host volunteers in exchange for their work. Lockard says she wanted to experience living and working on a farm and the chance to travel to New Zealand was hard to pass up. Accompanied by two of her friends currently on a gap-year, Lockard journeyed to the other side of the globe to work on a blueberry farm.</p> <p>The Blueberry Farm and Bakehouse is no stranger to welcoming in WWOOF volunteers. Located north of Wellington in the Akatarawa Valley, the site usually hosts volunteers between one and four months at a time. Primarily a pick-your-own site for blueberries and blackberries, the farm also operates a small café offering treats that contain the fresh produce.</p> <p>Lockard says her duties at the farm varied from day to day. After cooking breakfast, she might run the café, show customers the blueberry fields and the river, sand down benches and tables, or pick blueberries and blackberries. On her first day, she learned how to weed whack, which she says was “empowering.” After the tasks were done and the café closed, Lockard says one of her favorite activities was to swim in the nearby Akatarawa river to cool off and relax after a hot day. Looking ahead, she says she is not sure she wants to live on a farm after this experience, but she has not ruled it out either.</p> <p>At ��سԹ�, Lockard has worked as a content editor for <em>The Synapse</em>, the student-run, campus science magazine. This semester she says she looks forward to dining in Old Barrows co-op, taking singing lessons, and joining a dance club.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-02-04T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/04/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kasey Cheydleur</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2382">Community Service</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kendra Lockard</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>The Culture Behind the Food</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:04 +0000</p> <span>The Culture Behind the Food</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:04-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Is Asian food popular in America? Just look around ��سԹ�: Even in such a small town, there are three restaurants dedicated to Asian cuisines. However, people are often not exposed to the cultures behind these delicious foods. This year, the students from Asian countries and the Asian diaspora, who were organizing the fifth-annual Asian Night Market, wanted to address this divide. They decided to expand the event beyond serving homemade dishes and traditional performances to also include a discussion about the relationship between food, culture, and people.</p> <p>Created in 2011, Asian Night Market models itself after the popular night markets in many Asian countries that feature food and entertainment. Made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Asian American Alliance, Chinese Student Association, ��سԹ� Korean Student Association, South Asian Student Association, Filipino American Student Association, Japanese Student Association, and Vietnamese Student Association, the night market is an opportunity for Asian students to celebrate and show appreciation to their cultures, friendships, and communities.</p> <p>This year, for the first time the market was preceded by a series of educational events in a ”Food for Thought Week.” The events aimed to raise awareness of the distinctions within Asian cultures and Asian food. Tim Chung, a fourth-year creative writing major and a key proponent of the event, says he thinks Asian food needs to be more than just consumed. “The idea of having a symposium is to get people to think about the people behind the food because it’s deeply ingrained in culture,” Chung says. “People need to know the face behind the food and the relationship between food and power, and they need to think about power dynamics of Asian food in America, particularly because Asian food traditionally has been adapted in America.”</p> <p>Chung says he envisions a larger symposium in the future, but he thinks educational events and discussions are a great start. Student representatives organized two panels. The first was about the many ways to prepare rice and other foods in different Asian countries, while the second focused on the Americanization of Asian cuisines.</p> <p>Soomin Kim, a second-year composition major and cochair of ��سԹ� Korean Student Association, was one of the representatives on the panel about rice. “I mostly talked about how Korean people make rice and different dishes using rice, like ssambap (Korean rice wrap),” she says. “Another thing that is different is the ways that rice is cooked. We use rice to make porridge, especially when you are sick.”</p> <p>Beatrice Chum, a second-year and cochair of Chinese Student Association, says the preparation for Asian Night Market was intensive, but the results were positive. “There has been a lot of thought and debate about what constitutes Asian Night Market, and I think the discussions that have been raised are very important.”</p> <p>Food for Thought Week culminated on Saturday in the night market itself. Attendees sampled food from different countries and cultures and enjoyed some traditional musical performances, including a Chinese folk song performed by third-year Hengxuan Wu, a Vietnamese folk song, a Japanese instrumental piece, and a performance by ��سԹ� College Taiko.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-12-15T12:00:00Z">Tue, 12/15/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Xiaoqian Zhu</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2355">Student Organizations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jeong Hyun Hwang</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Eat Local Challenge Celebrates Commitment to Local Food</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:04 +0000</p> <span>Eat Local Challenge Celebrates Commitment to Local Food</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:04-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Produce often travels 1,500 miles between farm to consumer, but as part of the <a href="http://www.bamco.com/timeline/eat-local-challenge/">Eat Local Challenge</a> on September 29, students, staff, and faculty had the chance to eat a meal sourced completely locally. Every ingredient was produced within 150 miles of the ��سԹ� kitchens, down to the herbs on the pork loin. Those dining in Dascomb Dining Hall were served Lake Erie walleye with hollandaise sauce, sides of parsley redskin potatoes and fresh vegetables, and a local honey and parsnip ice cream apple cider float topped with apple butter crisp. Stevenson Dining Hall served herb-marinated pork loin as well as heirloom tomato and plum relish, buttery yukon hash browns, sauteed garlic kale, and an apple crisp bar.</p> <p>The Eat Local Challenge is a natural extension of both ��سԹ� College’s commitment to sustainability and the mission of <a href="http://www.bamco.com/">Bon Appétit Management Company</a>, the college’s food provider, to promote healthy, local products. In 1999 Bon Appétit launched its Farm to Fork program in which the provider pledges to purchase at least 20 percent of its goods from farmers, artisans, ranchers, and businesses within 150 miles of its kitchens. Today, more than 1,200 vendors are registered with the program. Farm to Fork favors small businesses owned by families who work the land themselves, as well as farmers who preserve plant diversity by growing heirloom vegetables instead of genetically modified produce. On a daily basis ��سԹ� sources approximately one third of its food from local sources and partners with more than 35 vendors in the local area—some as close as <a href="/george-jones-farm">George Jones Farm</a> and <a href="/news/it-doesnt-get-any-greener">Tyler’s Farm</a>, both located less than two miles from Tappan square.</p> <p>John Klancar, Bon Appétit director of operations, is in charge of discovering local vendors and maintaining ��سԹ�’s relationship with its longtime local partners. “You get to visit some interesting places, meet a lot of interesting people, and form great relationships with them,” Klancar says of his job. These relationships are crucial to an undertaking such as the Eat Local Challenge, where communication and flexibility play a large role in what ends up on diners’ plates.</p> <p>In addition to the community partners, Klancar says the Eat Local Challenge is a massive team effort that includes Campus Registered Dietitian Eric Pecherkiewicz, the chefs, and all the ��سԹ� staff. Klancar says he enjoys the challenge because it is both a celebration of the relationships ��سԹ� shares with its local partners and a chance to push the envelope. “We can think outside the box and think local,” he says. This year’s challenge, for example, featured parsnip ice cream—which, while it earned skepticism at first, turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the night. Dishes served at the challenge also sometimes spark ideas for the future.</p> <p>In addition to the local food in the dining halls, students were also invited to sample products from local vendors outside of Wilder Hall. Students sipped on coffee roasted by Caruso’s Coffee in Brecksville, Ohio, while they munched on varieties of flavored popcorn, from American Classic Snack located in Wadsworth, Ohio, or sampled cheeses from Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op from Middlefield, Ohio. Yogurt came from Velvet-View Farmstead, located in Holmes County, Ohio, which prides itself on the freshness of its yogurt and boasts a 24-hour cow to consumer turnaround.</p> <p>Looking to the future, Bon Appétit plans to continue the Eat Local Challenge and expand its local food programs. The company also hopes to keep addressing farmworkers’ rights and the role food production plays in climate change as Bon Appétit continues to work toward a more sustainable future.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-10-06T12:00:00Z">Tue, 10/06/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kasey Cheydleur</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2385">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2369">Environment & Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Walter Novak</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Healthy Meats Now, Healthy Choices Later</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:04 +0000</p> <span>Healthy Meats Now, Healthy Choices Later</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:04-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a class="newshub_embed" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3dIVBnGDM">New Creation Farm spotlight</a></p> <p>In a rural stretch of northeast Ohio dotted with vineyards and off-the-beaten-path farms, the wind whips around Kristen Boehnlein as she overlooks a small herd of cattle grazing in the pasture. She’s dressed in jeans, a T-shirt bearing her farm’s logo, and long waterproof boots. She apologizes in advance if her thoughts sound incoherent—she worked a busy overnight shift as a paramedic, and she hasn’t had any rest between that job and morning duties on the farm.</p> <p>On this day Kristen’s husband, Scott, is busy making deliveries. Most of their eight children, ranging in age from 3 to 20, are tending the farm and retail store. The air is surprisingly crisp and fresh for early August. A short distance ahead, the hogs, coated and cooled in dried mud, and a flock of wooly lambs nearly blend into the landscape.</p> <p>This is <a href="http://www.newcreationfarm.com/">New Creation Farm</a>, a local source for ground beef, deli meat, and pork products served in ��سԹ�’s dining halls. The Boehnleins guarantee that all of their animals are treated humanely; they’re never given antibiotics or hormones, and their feed never contains GMOs. They back up those claims with routine third-party tests, and they welcome visitors any time, any day to see the farm and ask questions.</p> <p>What started as a few animals to feed their family and friends has flourished beyond their expectations. About five years ago, as the Boehnleins were expanding into restaurant orders, they began a partnership with <a href="http://www.bamco.com/">Bon Appetit</a>, ��سԹ�’s food service provider. According to John Klancar, director of culinary operations for Bon Appetit at ��سԹ�, the commitment started on a small scale with four hogs per month. Now, New Creation is fulfilling orders of six to eight cows and six to eight pigs per month during the academic year. “We make a commitment, and that’s how they raise the animals,” Klancar says. “They never over-raise the animals.”</p> <p>As foster parents, the Boehnleins started raising their own meats to give their children an appreciation for animals, to provide a bonding experience, and to instill work ethic. However, their mission took on a different purpose after one of their children came down with pneumonia. “She was 2 years old, and it started with the slightest bit of pneumonia,” Kristen says. “She was antibiotic resistant and not responding to any treatment at all. She almost died. In 24 hours, we went from a healthy kid to the doctor telling us she almost didn’t make it.”</p> <p>At that point, they started doing their research. “We found out that with most meat labeled antibiotic-free, the animals are still given feed with some antibiotic, just not enough to affect the label requirements.” In most cases, she says, they’re still getting trace amounts of antibiotic. “We were already raising the animals without hormones, but that’s when we started looking for feed that’s truly free of antibiotics and GMOs.”</p> <p>The cows graze on pasture as their main diet, but they receive small quantities of grain— “Scott’s own recipe”—to add richness and enhance the flavor. Beef that’s 100 percent grass-fed is drier and requires a lower cooking temperature; most palettes are simply accustomed the taste of grain-fed beef. To rule out any error of cross-pollination, the Boehnleins have their feed tested by the state agricultural extension at least once a year to make sure it’s free of GMOs, hormones, and antibiotics. Every animal that’s butchered is tested, as well.</p> <p>The Boehnleins say their family is a testament to the benefits of eating all-natural meats. “Our kids are healthy. We have a pediatrician, but they don’t normally need to see a doctor,” Kristen says. “Ever since we started eating our own meat, we haven’t had to use antibiotics, except for the occasional ear infection. It’s amazing how much healthier we are. If you’re not getting antibiotics in your system all the time, in the event that you get really sick, your body will fight it off on its own.”</p> <p>Of course, this makes the Boehnleins’ job a little harder. Without antibiotics, they have to keep a constant eye on the animals’ health. Pigs, especially, can get sick and die very quickly. “What it boils down to is, do you want something natural, or do you want something cheaper that could harm your body? We cannot give up the quality of the animal to mass produce,” Kristen says.</p> <p>And the Boehleins firmly believe—as do their customers and restaurant chefs—that the quality is something you can taste. “Once your kid is in college, they’re really starting to learn on their own what they’re going eat. If ��سԹ� College and Bon Appetit can educate students to make healthy choices, they’re getting a good start not just for themselves, but for their future families’ health, too.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-09-14T12:00:00Z">Mon, 09/14/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">New Creation Farm, based in Chardon Township, Ohio, is a local provider of ground beef and pork products.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Zach Christy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>It Doesn't Get Any Greener Than This</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:25 +0000</p> <span>It Doesn't Get Any Greener Than This</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:25-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a class="newshub_embed" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjZZp__4LB0">Tyler's Farm Local Food Spotlight</a></p> <p>In the food service industry, the standard for what can accurately be called <em>local food</em> pertains to products and ingredients sourced within a 150-mile radius. <a href="http://www.bamco.com/">Bon Appetit Management Company</a>, ��سԹ�’s food service provider, requires its chefs to purchase at least 20 percent of their food that way. At ��سԹ�, the amount of locally sourced food is closer to 35 percent throughout the academic year.</p> <p>Just 1 mile from Tappan Square, a local greenhouse is growing hydroponic lettuce and greens. When the lettuce reaches campus kitchens, it’s barely an hour old. It doesn’t get any greener than this.</p> <p>When Tyler Gogolek planned to build his hydroponic greenhouse in early 2014, he needed a commitment from potential buyers to secure financing. Although Bon Appetit was already buying salad greens from another local provider, Gogolek piqued the company’s interest. Could he grow spinach and other varieties, he was asked. Construction of the greenhouse finished in December 2014, and the first crop was available the following February. Bon Appetit liked what it saw, and Gogolek started delivering greens to the dining halls in spring 2015.</p> <p>Hydroponics is growing plants without soil. “It has been used since the ancient times of Babylon. The science is not newly discovered, it’s just newly refined,” says Gogolek, who has been growing garden mums and operating under the name Tyler’s Farm for 20 years. The obvious benefit of a hydroponic growing system is the ability to harvest year-round; it’s also a controlled ecosystem.</p> <p>“I believe we’re in a series of climate patterns that no one can predict anymore,” Gogolek says. “Here, we can grow in a controlled environment. We can apply light and water and feed at the control of our fingertips, and make the plants happy and consistent in the production cycles. All the nutrients are in the water. The plants don’t have to search for anything.”</p> <p>Gogolek implements biological insect control—bugs that eat other bugs—which means he doesn’t have to spray pesticide. “The fact that we don’t spray is such a key component. If people knew the things that are applied to their food, I think they would be appalled,” he says.</p> <p>At any given time, the greenhouse is growing 20 varieties of greens, including various leaf and bibb lettuces, spinach, kale, and stirfry mix. When classes are in session, Gogolek fulfills orders at ��سԹ� three times per week. He says Bon Appetit has been instrumental in the learning stages of his operation. “We had to find answers to questions like how much product fit in a case, and are we using every bit of what we grow? From the chef’s standpoint, they’ve steered me away and steered me toward. It’s been a great relationship.”</p> <p>On being local, as in 1-mile-radius-local, Gogolek says the benefits are just amplified. Students can take comfort in knowing their lettuce is simply clean and straight from the farmer. And above all, “it’s nutritious and has great flavor.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-08-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 08/20/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Zach Christy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>It Takes a Family to Feed a Campus</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:03:39 +0000</p> <span>It Takes a Family to Feed a Campus</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:03:39-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:03">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>About 60 miles east of ��سԹ�, a young family farm raises poultry, cattle, ducks, lambs, and pigs. The animals are all free range and given spacious protection from the elements. The cows always feed on pasture, while the pigs and poultry enjoy non-GMO nutrition. They’re never given hormones or antibiotics. It’s no wonder that top restaurants in northeast Ohio seek out New Creations Farm for its humane treatment of animals and quality meat. So, too, does ��سԹ� College’s food service provider, Bon Appétit Management Company.</p> <p>This year marks the 15th anniversary of Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork program. Since 1999, all Bon Appétit chefs have been required to buy at least 20 percent of their ingredients from farmers and producers within 150 miles of their cafés. To celebrate the milestone, the company decided to give back to its vendors by awarding $5,000 grants to 10 farms in need to help grow and maintain their operations.</p> <p>On September 26, a dozen ��سԹ� students volunteered to work on <a href="http://www.newcreationfarm.com/" target="_blank">New Creation Farm</a> in Chardon, Ohio, where they helped with feeding, moving sheep, and general farm work. It was on this visit that farm owners Kristen and Scott Boehnlein and their seven children learned they were awarded one of two grants in the Midwest region. The other recipient is Open Hands Farm of Northfield, Minnesota.</p> <p>“New Creation is a small family farm, and its values are fantastic,” says John Klancar, Bon Appétit director of culinary operations at ��سԹ�. “Out of seven kids, six are adopted. They’re open about how some of the kids have come from abusive or broken homes. The farm work is therapeutic for the kids. It’s all about family… they’re wonderful people to work with.”</p> <p>��سԹ� has partnered with New Creation Farm for seven years. Its supply has grown from four pigs a month to providing all of ��سԹ�’s ground meat, breakfast sausage, ground pork, specialty sausage, pork loin, pork shoulder, hot dogs, salami, ham, and roast beef. In keeping with Bon Appétit’s requirements, the meats contain no nitrates or MSG.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.bamco.com/forktofarm/finalists-midwest/#newcreation">grant</a> will allow the Boehnlein family to restore a century-old barn on their property that needs water repairs and drainage solutions. In addition to storing their tractor, the barn will provide shelter to breeding sows and their piglets in severe weather, a place to process vegetable oil as they convert their vehicles, and a welcoming space to host their farm education days for schools in northeast Ohio.</p> <p>Klancar says the volunteer work day was a good experience for ��سԹ� students to make connections with the people who are raising their food. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has never been on a farm before,” Klancar says. “It’s important to see that the animals are treated humanely and have a good life on the farm.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2014-10-10T12:00:00Z">Fri, 10/10/2014 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Tappin' in Tappan</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:04:10 +0000</p> <span>Tappin' in Tappan</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:04:10-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:04">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a class="newshub_embed" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSXtsGe9ILY&feature=youtu.be">Tappin' in Tappan</a><a href="http://new.oberlin.edu/student-life/facilities/detail.dot?id=30308&buildingId=30214">Tappan Square</a> is the perfect place for a lot of activities. Whether it's playing Frisbee, reading a book under a tree, or putting on a concert, the park hosts many functions for the ��سԹ� community. But this spring, some ��سԹ� students have put it to new use: they're using it to make maple syrup.</p> <p>A group of ��سԹ� students, including Arthur Davis ’15, Griff Radulski ’14, and Maggie Heraty ’14, have tapped a number of maple trees in the square—sugar maples, to be exact—for their sap. The project emerged from a conversation that Davis had with Sean Hayes, the facilities manager at the <a href="/aj-lewis">Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies</a> (AJLC), which houses a number of green technologies as well as the environmental studies department, about raising awareness around local food and its production around campus. Not only does the tapping project yield delicious results but, says Davis, working in Tappan Square provides a high level of visibility. "It's a place where people are walking by every day, both students and community members. It makes it a really visible thing," he says.</p> <p>According to Davis, making syrup is very easy. First, the group identified the trees they wanted to use and then drilled holes in them. Then, they inserted tubing into the holes, which they fed into buckets beneath the trees. After that, they "just let gravity do its job," as Davis puts it. Tree sap, which is essentially water and naturally occurring hormones and minerals, drained into their buckets from the tree.</p> <p>The group collects the sap periodically and boils it down into the gooey pancake topping. Though, simple, it's a slow-going process: the sap must be boiled to about a 40th of its size to be flavorful enough for syrup, which has necessitated 10-hour-long boiling sessions from the team.</p> <p>Presently, the group is still deciding how they'll use the syrup they make. They've given some of it to Dennis Greive, the grounds service manager who helped them orchestrate the project but they're looking into the best way to share it with the ��سԹ� community.</p> <p>And, lest it trouble the arborphiles out there, no, tapping doesn't hurt the trees. "It's sort of like giving blood," says Davis. "We can give a lot of blood without causing detrimental effects to our own health."</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2014-04-02T12:00:00Z">Wed, 04/02/2014 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">James Helmsworth</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A maple tree’s sap is draining into this bucket, as per the design of the Tappin’ in Tappan team.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Zach Christy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Junior Wins Udall Scholarship</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:04:39 +0000</p> <span>Junior Wins Udall Scholarship</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:04:39-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:04">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In her three years at ��سԹ�, Rachel Manning has led the charge for healthful eating and food access, both locally and in Appalachia.</p> <p>Her largest achievement, the Mountain Garden Initiative, is a school-based garden that she cofounded with Hilary Neff ’13 in Harlan County, Kentucky. The initiative addresses food access issues in Appalachia and integrates lessons about the garden and environmental conservation into Cumberland Elementary School's science curriculum. Manning has also led community service trips during academic breaks, organized a variety of local gardening work, and initiated and taught healthful cooking classes at Langston Middle School in ��سԹ�.</p> <p>The Udall Foundation has recognized Manning’s commitment by naming her one of 50 2013 Udall Scholars. The Foundation awards the scholarships on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, health care, or tribal public policy; leadership potential; and academic achievement. This highly qualified class of Udall Scholars was selected from 488 candidates nominated by 230 colleges and universities. Each scholarship provides up to $5,000 for the scholar’s junior or senior year. The 2013 Udall Scholars will assemble August 7 to 11, 2013, in Tucson, to receive their awards and meet policymakers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care, and governance.      “I was extremely surprised when I found out that I received the Udall Scholarship,” she says. “The application really helped me think about my interests and options for my life after ��سԹ�. I’m looking forward to the conference in Tucson and meeting the other Udall scholars.”</p> <p>Manning, a junior who is majoring in sociology and East Asian studies with a Chinese language concentration, was a 2012 recipient of the <a href="https://www.dalailamafellows.org/dalai-lama-fellows" target="_blank">Dalai Lama fellowship</a>. This summer, she will further develop the Mountain Garden Initiative by connecting the garden in Kentucky with one or two others in Tanzania and Kenya established by the organization Mama Hope, which funds schools, health clinics, clean water systems, and food security projects throughout Africa. Manning was introduced to Mama Hope through her Dalai Lama fellowship mentor.</p> <p>After ��سԹ�, Manning says she plans to work in sustainable agriculture, school gardens and childhood nutrition, or food policy.</p> <p>Junior Margaret Heraty received honorable mention from the Udall Foundation. </p> <p><em>Amanda Nagy is assistant director of media relations in the communications office.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2013-05-06T12:00:00Z">Mon, 05/06/2013 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2369">Environment & Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> </article> </main></body></html>