Think Globally, Eat Locally Bringing Local Food to College

Gary Kleppel, University at Albany & Longfield Farm gkleppel@albany.edu; www.the farmatlongfield.com

What buying local does for our economy SUNY Albany

Percentage $$ Staying in the Region

4x Economic Multiplier

25% (last year) $2.25 Million $9.00 Million

33% (this year) $2.97 Million $11.88 Million

50% (by 2015) $4.50 Million $18.00 Million

In 2009, about 5% of UAlbany’s food was obtained from local producers

(that’s $350,000)

50 x ‘15���UAlbany Goes

LOCAL

http://www.albany.edu/uas/feedback.shtml

Tell the University

Ramp It Up!

If all 64 SUNY campuses would source half of the food they buy locally, they would

generate

$272,000,000 in economic development per year!

Who are we trying to reach?

If you’ve eaten recently, you’re involved in agriculture

The choices you make about your food determine

the future of farming, the security of your food supply and the trajectory of your economy

Engage: Who’s involved in agriculture?

UAlbany is “Going Local!”

And Here’s Why

Why Local? 1.  Buying  local  improves  food  safety  and  quality  

2.  You  pay  for  food  not  transporta:on  3.  Your  money  stays  in  your  community  4.  It  keeps  our  local  farms  profitable  

Product Source Amount Problem Imported fruits Asia, Latin & South nd Salmonella & vegetables 2000- America Spinach 2006 Mission Farm nd E. coli O157:H7 San Benito, CA Ground Beef 2007 EMMPAK foods 2.8 million lbs E. coli O157:H7

Topps Foods, NJ 21.7 million lbs E. coli O157:H7 Ground Beef 2008 Hallmark Packing 143 million lbs BSE

Chino, CA Meat & Poultry Gourmet Boutique 286,000 lbs Listeria Products 2008 Jamaica, NY Soy Sprouts 2008 Chang Farm nd Listeria

Whatley, MA

Recent Food Recalls

Feedlot –unsustainable Pasture based – sustainable

Which would you rather eat?

Both of these are USDA Free Range chickens

Labels are Misleading!

0  

200  

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600  

800  

1000  

1200  

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Local     Conven1onal  

Miles  T

ravelled  

How far does your food travel?

59 miles

1,494 miles

Source: Adams, et al. 2003. LCSA. Iowa State Univ., Ames

Food Service is Risk-Averse

The Logic of Grass-Fed Compass  Buys  In  

WHADDAYA DO WITH 700 FRESHMEN?

Have a Teach-In

Administrators See the Point

J. Eric Smith

Steven Beditz

Mary Ellen Mallia

So, What’s “local”?

If you know the person who produces your food, it’s probably local

Based on the distance that food can travel in one day

The 250 mile standard

It helps to have a farmer on the faculty

Each of us votes with our fork three times a day

Tell UAlbany that you want local food at the end of

your fork!