As part of the Winona State University-Community Partnership Sustainable Food Project and WSU Family Weekend, campus dining services held “A Taste of Southeast Minnesota” Saturday, Oct. 17.  The dinner promoted local farms that WSU dining services regularly purchase produce from.  The dinner was held in the Jack Kane Dining Center and Lourdes Dining Hall.  It was open to the public and cost $7.50 plus tax.  The “Taste of Southeast Minnesota” menu included: organic roast beef, bison burgers, roasted root vegetables, salad greens in a raspberry vinaigrette and roasted potatoes.

          The meal highlighted foods that come from farmers working within 40 miles of campus, which results in a smaller carbon footprint because food grown close to home takes less fuel to make it onto the dinner plate. In addition, locally grown foods are often fresher and readily available in season.  Cafeterias at WSU provide a variety of foods from local farms every day.  According to building manager Donna Spaeth, on any given day around 30 to 40 percent of food on campus is locally grown.

          The eight diversified family farms contributing to the dinner integrated grass-fed livestock, hormone-free and non-therapeutic antibiotics, and other sustainable farming practices. Farms included: Earth-Be-Glad-Farms, Root Prairie Galloways, Fairview Farm, Featherstone Fruits & Vegetables, Smith Gardens,Whitewater Gardens Rockie Hill Bison and Weaver Gardens.  “Depending on the time of year and our menu, we will purchase from 10-12 farms,” said Spaeth.  On campus, “Food items that we are able to get locally right now are pork, apples, cheeses, some lettuces, potatoes, wild rice, corn, squash, cabbage, carrots and onions. During growing season we have the ability for more local variety,” said Spaeth.   “Supporting local farmers is very important to us.  We are mindful of reducing our carbon footprint and buying local is a way to accomplish this. We have had many fresh and delicious products sold to us with great pride from local farms,” said Spaeth.

        As far as being cost efficient, “Of course local is less expensive in the long run because it is a fresher product that has traveled very few miles, without the fuel charges and carbon emissions from distant sources,” said Spaeth.  To find local farmers, the Local Harvest Web site locates the best organic food grown closest to you (www.localharvest.org).  Find farmers' markets, family farms, other sources of sustainably grown food in your area and where you can buy produce and grass-fed meats.

        WSU’s dining services Web site offers a variety of healthy information (www.dineoncampus.com/winona).  Nutrition tools such as a chart, journal, and calculator aide in creating a more balanced diet. 

        “A Taste of Southeast Minnesota” was sponsored by the WSU-Community Partnership Sustainable Food Project committee, with assistance from the Land Stewardship Project, Bluff Country Co-op and Chartwells Food Service.