Farm to College Link

The picture above indeed captures the future of alternative transportation. A City Wheels hybrid at the Environmental Studies Center in Oberlin is parked next to an Amish buggy from south of Wellington. Which one is highly fuel efficient and which one runs off of oats? The Amish family traveled to Oberlin to join other farmers, students, and dining service managers as a part of a local foods forum and celebration. The NAC worked with Oberlin students to moderate a forum with five family farmers which focused on opportunities for local marketing to area institutions.

The greenhouse pictured to the right is a heated greenhouse that runs off of waste vegetable oil collected from dining halls at Oberlin College. The greenhouse was purchased through a contribution by Bon Appetite, the national service management company that operates Oberlin’s dining halls.Bon Appetite is a pioneer in food service management, making local food purchasing a top priority through its Farm to Fork program. The greenhouse purchase represents a pioneering effort on the part of the company to invest in the infrastructure to expand the capacity for farmers to supply local markets. Following the Oberlin investment, Bon Appetite purchased high-tunnels to support another farm in Pennsylvania that supplies Grove City College. With $750,000 spent on local food by Oberlin College in 2005-06, Bon Appetite provides a good model for corporate investment in community economic development in the very communities that they serve.