Portland State University

• Type: Public, 4 yr, Grad School, Urban, >25,000
• Region: Northwest
• City: Portland
• State: OR
• involvement in the Real Food Challenge?
  Level 1: Connected to the network
• Provider: self operated
• On campus concessions: Subway,Sbarro,Starbucks,Noah's Bagels,Zoca(Aramark),Freshens
• Dining Services Director/Executive Chef: Stephen Wadsworth/Patrick Durgan
• Farm size: 60+ acres of useable land!
• Farm operated by students? yes
• Needs and challenges: Incorporating the States largest Farmers Market held weekly on the PSU campus into the institutional purchasing model of PSU's contracted Food Service Provider. Modify State laws which restrict local purchasing powers, through further assessment of open bid processes. Exchanging fears of locally corrupt purchasing decisions for low bid corporate proposals seeking the lowest denominator of quality in search of exported profit are not the solution. Publicly acknowledging that our food system is broken & in need of a neo-modernization. In order to provide global food equity the privileged must address their own food security!
• Successes and achievements: Food For Thought Sustainable Cafe / Student Coop Food For Thought serves as a growing opportunity to prove the daily relevance in understanding the need to further the sustainability of our community food system. Food For Thought was created as a product of much devotion and the acknowledgment of necessary change in our community food system and remains as a living laboratory for further understanding of our relationship with that which sustains us.
• Composting: pre-consumer food waste, post-consumer food waste, other organic waste
• Food activities: student farm/garden, student organizations
• Farm functions: supplies co-op, training growers, other educational, food consumed by volunteers, food donated for hunger relief
• comments: 11acre Learning Garden Laboratory is a joint venture in the adivancement of educational gardens. PSU maintains a 49acre urban campus capable of progressing drastic change in the way we view "local" food production.
• Relevant academic programs: Extracurricular Activities, Student-run programs, Course(s) offered, Research
• comments: PSU is working to create a progressive center for research in sustainable food systems.