University of Minnesota, Duluth
OP-6: Food and Beverage Purchasing

In 2011 Dining Services partnered with the Student Agriculture Project (UMD Farm). The UMD Farm is comprised of 15 acres at the UMD Research and Field Studies Center (formerly the Northeast Agricultural Experimental Station). The UMD Research and Field Studies Center originated in 1912, and was one of six University of Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Stations across Minnesota. The farm remained active through 1966, while some activities continued into the mid 1970's. The 15 acres that are being used today consist of a 5 acre trial seedling apple orchard, and a 10 acre organic transition farm. The UMD Farm is located at 4709 Jean Duluth Road which is just 5 miles from the UMD campus. In the three years since the Farm's inception, we have purchased over 20,000 pounds of produce. We are also purchasing local grass fed beef patties, and additional fresh produce from local farms in Wrenshall and Barnum Minnesota. Our menus during the summer and fall seasons highlighted these wonderful fresh options. We have also purchased hundreds of pounds of Bayfield apples and apple cider, as well as apples from our UMD apple orchard, and other orchards in Minnesota. Dining Services also partakes in the Edible Garden Project, growing food right on campus, and using this produce in menus. The edible gardens are an experimental project that harvests and grows edible plants for use by UMD faculty, staff and student groups. UMD Dining Services has an edible garden outside the Food Court, and Dining Services uses produce from their gardens to make a variety of the meals and side dishes served in the Food Court and Center Court. Dining Services also procures produce from “The Food Farm” in Wrenshall, MN. The Food Farm is a certified organic farm located in Wrenshall Minnesota, which is 30 minutes south of Duluth. All of the vegetables are certified organic which means they are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. In fall of 2012 UMD Dining Services utilized 200 pounds of carrot per week from July to January. In fall of 2013 UMD plans to purchase even more produce from the local Food Farm, including carrots, potatoes, and onions.

In 2011 Dining Services partnered with the Student Agriculture Project (UMD Farm). The UMD Farm is comprised of 15 acres at the UMD Research and Field Studies Center (formerly the Northeast Agricultural Experimental Station). The UMD Research and Field Studies Center originated in 1912, and was one of six University of Minnesota Agricultural Experimental Stations across Minnesota. The farm remained active through 1966, while some activities continued into the mid 1970's. The 15 acres that are being used today consist of a 5 acre trial seedling apple orchard, and a 10 acre organic transition farm. In the three years since the Farm's inception, we have purchased over 20,000 pounds of produce. We are also purchasing local grass fed beef patties, and additional fresh produce from local farms in Wrenshall and Barnum Minnesota. Our menus during the summer and fall seasons highlighted these wonderful fresh options. We have also purchased hundreds of pounds of Bayfield apples and apple cider, as well as apples from our UMD apple orchard, and other orchards in Minnesota.

Tracking of local purchases is done through Claudia Englemeier, in UMD Dining Services, through purchasing software.

New local/organic items added in past year include: Bayfield Apples - Bayfield, WI 5560# (apples) Sandy Hills beef patties - Barnum, MN 612# (beef patties) Lake Superior Fish - Superior, WI 1200# (fish) Food Farm - Wrenshall, MN 2500# (carrots and potatoes) Canoe Wild Rice - Aikin, MN 6768# (wild rice) Peace Coffee - Minneapolis, MN 3965# (coffee beans) UMD SAP Farm - Duluth, MN 11,610.5# (fresh vegetables)