Articles
The College Food Project
Colleges and universities using their buying power to support Wisconsin farms
Six campuses in Wisconsin are now buying some of the food for their dining services directly from local Wisconsin farms and farmer cooperatives. Four of them are buying from local farms and cooperatives that use organic and sustainable farming practices. The UW-Madison’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems is helping to connect these farmers with campus dining services.
Local food buying can not only help keep farmers in business—it can engage students in supporting local farms and thinking about where their food comes from. The College Food Project is expanding our understanding of institutional food service operations, policy and decision-making, and the role of food wholesalers in the institutional food market.
In 1998, CIAS supported a preliminary study of the potential for colleges and universities across the country to purchase local, sustainable food products. This study yielded a general understanding of the opportunities and barriers within this marketplace. Results are detailed in a CIAS research team publication: Something to Cheer About.
The SARE-funded College Food Project next assessed the potential for local food purchasing in all colleges and universities in Wisconsin. After investigating the opportunities and barriers at all institutions, we worked with schools to develop local food purchasing programs by networking with local, sustainable growers and conducting educational programs with students to increase demand for local food.