Iowa State University

Iowa State University

ISU Dining

News & Info

Clyde's and More Open for Summer!

News Archive

Farm to ISU

Farm to ISU

Farm to ISU Links

Events

November 11th
Thanksgiving Dinner at Dining Halls
Featuring Farm to ISU products (local turkeys!)

November 14
Fruit & Vegetable Farmer Workshop: Building Partnerships with ISU Dining
Sponsored by ISU Extension Value-Added & ISU Dining
Friday, November 14, 10:00AM-1:30PM, Union Drive Marketplace
RSVP to Sue DeBlieck

Featured Local Products

ISU Horticulture apples for Labor Day brunch
ISU Horticulture grapes for Labor Day brunch
Photo from Labor Day brunch
Local apples from Deal's Orchard, Jefferson, Iowa
Local meats

Importance of Farm to ISU Program

  • Providing an opportunity for Iowa farmers, processors, and food entrepreneurs to profitably market their products
  • Providing people with a healthy and affordable diet and fresh local foods when in season
  • Providing safe and healthy foods grown with high levels of environmental stewardship
  • Contributing to the vitality of rural and urban communities,
  • Connecting Iowa State University to Iowa communities

 

Ultimate Goals

  • To be better stewards of the Earth as we fulfill Iowa State University's mission: Create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.
  • Focus on local small growers, farmers, and ranchers who use sustainable and organic practices
  • Support Iowa businesses as they provide local jobs and economic development
  • Develop a restaurant featuring Iowa products
  • Develop an organic Café in the Memorial Union
  • Develop organic features in residential dining centers and retail operations
  • Educate ISU community about organics, sustainability and the importance of regional food systems - where and how their food is grown
  • Grow to 35% of purchases providing economic value to ISU Dining and supporting organic, sustainable and local producers
  • Collaborate with other off-campus organizations to strengthen ties between the community and ISU in an effort to provide a healthy regional environment

 

Why Now?

  • When compared with others, ISU Dining has been purchasing a high-dollar amount of sustainable, organic & local products ($153,000 in FY '06). Past work has not been well publicized.
  • ISU Dining is expanding and remodeling over the next few years and looking to incorporate sustainable, organic & local products into menus.
  • Becoming "green" is now making national headlines and public sentiment is growing. As a university, we are here to lead by example.
  • Local and regional food distribution systems use less fuel and emit fewer greenhouse gases than conventional distribution systems1
  • Obesity and childhood diabetes are on the rise; 61 percent of Iowans are overweight or obese2. These children will become students and ISU Dining is here to offer a variety of healthy products and help students develop sound eating habits throughout their college career.
  • Organizations like the Leopold Center and ISU Extension and PFI have developed programs and tools to help farmers sell into these markets.
  • ISU Dining received a grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture to hire a program coordinator

 

Definitions

 
Organic - USDA certified
Local - an agricultural product that can be traced to a farm within
      ~200 miles of Ames;
Regional - within ~500 miles of Ames.

 
Sustainable -Food Alliance certified

For Potential Farmers/Producers

Steps to start to sell to ISU:

Additional information:


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