Goucher students, faculty, and staff can rise to the “Eat Local Challenge” on Tuesday, September 23 and help support food producers in their community, as well as the local economy.
The college’s food services provider, Bon Appétit Management Company, will serve a lunch that is made entirely from ingredients originating within a 150-mile radius of campus — even down to the salt that is used to flavor each dish.
This act, while seemingly simple, has far-reaching implications. Besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions, buying from local growers helps support sustainable farming practices that replenish the land, and it can prevent foods that contain pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics from reaching consumers’ plates.
Since 1999, all chefs at Bon Appétit’s 500+ cafés around the country have been required to source at least 20% of their ingredients from small, owner-operated farms within 150 miles of their kitchens. The company calls this endeavor its Farm to Fork program. Bon Appétit launched the Eat Local Challenge in 2005 to raise awareness about where food comes from, about the importance of local versus organic, and about the impact of “food miles” – the distance food travels from the farm to the dining table.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of its Farm to Fork program, the company is giving away $50,000 in grant money, 10 grants of $5,000 each to fund sustainable agriculture programs and ideas. Goucher College’s Agricultural Co-op, a student-run initiative is in the running for one of the grants. Winners will be announced Monday, September 29.