WSU Dining Services joins with local farmers

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 Southside Executive Chef Adam Koerner tends to a salad bar at Southside Cafe, Feb. 20.

By partnering with local farms, Washington State University Dining Services is increasing sustainability.

“Respecting the food is a big part of being a chef,” Adam Koerner, executive chef at Southside Café said.

Dining Services recently partnered with Allan Family Farm in Pullman, Koerner said. They received corn from the farm last semester and are looking into expanding their partnership to include more produce and provide meals for summer Alive! sessions.

“We used some of their corn products last year and the quality was outstanding,” Koerner said.

Robert Allan of Allan Family Farm said when Koerner approached them at the farmer’s market, they jumped at the opportunity.

“I just thought it was a big step in the right direction,” Allan said. “It provides a good-quality way of life for folks.”

Allan said foods that are local are not only fresh, but offer more for the consumer as well.

“(The) fresher the better, and it’s not just that it tastes better, but that it’s healthier too,” Allan said.

Nutrition plays a large role in going local, said Chelsey Woods, registered dietitian for WSU Dining Services.

“Nutrition from food is at its peak when it’s picked,” Woods said.

Woods added that much of the demand for fresher food is coming from students, although a balance between taste and health is necessary.

“We want to put out food that they enjoy and that they eat,” Woods said. “We could put out the healthiest things out there for them, but if they’re not going to eat it, it’s not going to do any good.”

Koerner said another recent local partner is Artfully Yours Bakery, which provides organic, vegan and gluten and allergen-free baked goods.

Having gluten-free options is essential, Koerner said, and he added that he has hardly been able to keep Artfully Yours Bakery’s items in stock.

“It’s nice to know we have these businesses in the community and that we can help them out,” Koerner said.

Purchasing produce from local farmers not only adds nutrition to the diets of students, but also strengthens the local economy.

“We’re a big footprint in this community, as far as the local community we serve,” Koerner said.

Allan said there is a certain amount of risk involved with selling locally through outlets such as the farmers market.

“You’re risking your time, and you might sell your product, and it’s not a sure deal,” Allan said.

Providing the university with produce helps create consistency for the business, he said.

“It’s more stable for business, for my business,” Allan said.

Dining Services has been providing local foods to students for nearly 10 years through a partnership with Shepherd’s Grain. Shepherd’s Grain supplies all of the flour for baked goods, as well as lentils and garbanzo beans, Koerner said.

When it comes to utilizing purely local food suppliers, Koerner said seasonal foods pose a challenge, which is why there is currently a mixture of local and non-local options in the dining halls.

“With the amount of mouths we feed each day, that’s a lot of pressure to put on one person,” Koerner said.

However, Koerner said the Allan Family Farm is working with other local farmers to create a local co-op that could potentially provide enough food seasonally to sustain WSU’s dining system.

“If we could do that, I think we could see a lot of the menus changing in the near future,” Koerner said.

Allan said consistency in quantity is hard to reach, but a farmer’s co-op could alleviate that difficulty.

“I think the time of food labels with a million different items on it is fading, and to be ahead on that, that’s where we want to be,” Koerner said. “That being said, having the traditional, not-good-for-you food is a necessity as well,” he added with a laugh.