Berea College

• Type: Private, 4 yr, 1000-5000, Liberal Arts
• Region: Southeast
• City: Berea
• State: KY
• Provider: Sodexo
• Farm size: 480
• Farm operated by students? yes
• Successes and achievements: Survey questions: 1) Concerning purchasing and use of locally grown food: Note: Geographical location and seasonal availability are taken into account in assessing your response. 1a) From how many local farms and/or other local producers do you make purchases? We currently buy produce from 9 Kentucky farms and two certified Kentucky-grown produce cooperatives (over 15 farms in each co-op). 5 farms are located in the Berea community, and 8 are within 50 miles of campus. We buy the majority of our pork and some beef from the Berea College farm. All of the flour and cornmeal we use is produced by a family-owned mill less than 50 miles from campus. 1b) How much do you spend annually on purchasing locally grown food? The fiscal year is Sept. 1, 2007-Aug.31, 2008, and to date we have spent $44,858.25 –63% more than in the same period last year. Purchasing from local producers is tracked and recorded from invoices monthly, in order to measure progress. 1c) Are you contracting with a local dairy? All of our fluid milk comes from Southern Belle dairy, located about 50 miles from campus. Southern Belle has a long standing agreement with a locally-based cooperative of producers, and purchases 99% of its fluid milk from 170 producers in 19 Kentucky counties. 1d) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden? Our findings: Berea College Educational Farm and Gardens supply Dining Services with meat and organic produce. The Local Food Initiative, a collaboration between dining services, students, faculty, and the local community promote Berea's participation in a sustainable food supply. Your response: Yes. Last year – Sept. 1 2006 – August 31 2007- our College farm purchases totaled $6,981.00. This year, over $15,000 of our local food purchases to date have been made from the college livestock Farm and Gardens – an increase of over $125%! We attribute the improvement to the farm’s increased production in response to demand; having a dining services’ staff person dedicated to overseeing purchasing logistics, and the Local Food Initiative’s continued efforts to promote a local food system for the College. 2) What type of organic or other sustainably-produced products are you purchasing? For example: Fair-trade coffee, fair-trade bananas, cage-free eggs, free-range chicken, cage-free pork, grass-fed beef, organic produce, organic bread or baked goods. Our findings: Please see above. Your response: In 2007-08, we partnered with the campus Oxfam group to provide and promote more Fair Trade products at meals and events. Organic, Fair Trade coffee is now the only coffee served in the dining hall, retail operation and campus catering. Organic, Fair Trade rice is served twice weekly on the vegetarian line; organic, Fair Trade (Choice) tea; organic produce (Berea College Garden is certified organic); organic dried beans; tofu, garam masala, natural organic peanut butter (in bulk) offered daily; organic soy milk offered daily.
• Composting: don't know
• Food activities: student farm/garden, farm-to-college program, fair trade purchasing, local purchasing, academic programs, student organizations, organic purchasing
• Farm functions: CSA, farmer's market, supplies dining hall, research, other educational
• comments:
• Relevant academic programs: Course(s) offered, Research, Extracurricular Activities
• comments: