With the introduction of organically- and locally-grown foods, UW-Madison residence hall cafeteria menus have a healthier outlook this year.
Apples, organic blue corn tortilla chips, hamburger from cows raised without synthetic hormones and environmentally friendly potatoes — all items being purchased exclusively from farms in Wisconsin — are now available in campus cafeterias.
John Hendrickson of the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems said it is much
more beneficial for the local economy to purchase from in-state sources.
“A lot more of the profits go straight to the farmers,” he said. “[And] we are establishing growers by buying their products.”
In addition, he said, by buying locally UW is looking out for the environment.
“If we were to transport the foods from say, Holland or Costa Rica, we would be using much more
fossil fuel,” Hendrickson said. “We are eliminating the middleman in the transportation process.”
Many students believe having organic foods on cafeteria menus helps the environment as well as the individual.
“I have heard organic foods really increase your energy,” UW sophomore Jake Lechusz said. “It’s definitely a healthy idea.”
Others are not so enthusiastic.
“I ate a salad once, and halfway through the salad I realized there was a worm on the bottom,” UW sophomore Dana Emerson said.
Despite risks like this, organic foods’ popularity is growing, not only on campus but throughout the country.
According to a June ABC news poll, 52 percent of Americans would choose organic foods over traditional choices. In addition, the organic-food market is increasing at a rate of 20 percent per year.
This trend is reflected at UW. However, the concept of organic foods was not immediately welcomed.
“We can’t convert students to eating these products right away,” Hendrickson said. “We introduced the idea by having one organic meal a year, then one meal a semester, and finally increasing the foods to their present status.”
Some organizations are making education about organic and locally-produced food their primary goal.
The F.H. King Students of Sustainable Agriculture hopes educating students about organic food will nudge UW to greater efforts in the area.
“Basically the cafeteria guys said they’re willing to serve whatever students want,” member Ryan Magana said.
UW-Madison is also feeling pressure from other schools turning towards organic food.
Public schools in Berkeley, California began serving organic fruits and vegetables in 1999. Bates College in Maine, Yale University in Connecticut, and Northland College in Wisconsin are other schools providing the same foods.
The new accessibility to organic foods has garnered encouraging student response.
“We definitely have enough positive feedback,” Hendrickson said. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be increasing the product.”
