University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
IN-25: Innovation B

Description: Wheat and oats grown on approximately 20 acres of campus grain breeding farmland (and on potentially many more acres off campus) will be processed into flour and used as needed in University Housing’s dining halls. After harvest, the grain will be cleaned and placed in cold storage, then milled per the usage schedule in the dining halls. The healthy, whole-grain flour can be used in making loaves of bread, pastries, cakes, biscuits, pasta, or pizza dough to be served to students in the residence halls throughout the academic year. Students working the mill learn about the process of creating a safe, healthy food product from farm to table — and because the mill will run year-round, it can be showcased to students, faculty, staff, and visitors for tours, events, and courses as a sustainable food model on campus. The first cleaning, storing, and milling will begin after a summer 2017 grain harvest. Outcomes: Each acre of wheat produces 40-80 bushels (or up to 4,800 pounds) of grain — and therefore as many as 4,000 typical bread loaves. The products of fields on campus in which more sustainable practices are researched will now also provide sustenance to campus residents, thus closing a circle of sustainability. The University has significant acreage that could be converted to wheat and oat production as needed, meaning that campus could satisfy all of its dining needs.