ORONO, Maine - Dining halls in the University of Maine System will soon feature more local food. The state's public university announced Monday that at least 20 percent of its food will be locally sourced by 2020. Advocates for local food say the decision will elevate students' dining experience - and farmers' bottom lines.When University of Maine at Farmington junior Sam Birch envisions his dream plate at a campus dining hall, he sees locally-raised chicken surrounded by plenty of local vegetables. "Just any sort of green, essentially. If it comes from a local farm, in my opinion it tastes better because I know where it's coming from and I feel more comfortable eating it."
Birch grew up farming with his grandfather in Windsor, and he is aware of the effort it takes to grow things like beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and squash. "I want to make sure those that put in a lot of the hard work - people like my grandfather and other local farmers that I talk to - I want to make sure they get the opportunities they deserve."
Birch has been working on the Real Food Challenge campaign at the UMaine System. It's part of a coalition of organizations that have been pushing the state's public universities to purchase food from local sources.
System spokesman Dan Demeritt says the university wants to be a better customer for Maine's farmers and fishermen, and it's prepared to make the commitment official. "There's local food available on all of our campuses now, but this is a significant step forward."
On Monday, the UMaine System put out a bid for a food service contract that extend up to 10 years. Demeritt says it will choose a vendor based, in part, on plans to purchase sustainably-raised, local food that's produced within 175 miles of any campus. The contract requires that 15 percent of dining hall food come from local producers the first year. "And the goal is to increase 1 percent annually through 2020," Demeritt says.
The university system estimates by the time the number reaches 20 percent, it will spend more than $1.5 million annually on local food.
Senior Vice President at Maine FarmlandTrust Marla O'Byrne says that's a big piece of the agriculture market. "Because it provides access to growing consumers, and it introduces students to local foods and it introduces them to the agricultural system in the state of Maine. And so it has benefits above and beyond just the market that it provides."
Farmer Sam Blackstone of Circle B Farms in Caribou is thrilled about the extra stability it will provide farmers, especially during the winter months. "You know, instead of laying off my crew in the wintertime, there's probably going to be a couple of them I can keep around," Blackstone says. "So it's going to be a boost all around for everyone."
Student Sam Birch says, while he's excited about the university system's decision, the Real Food Challenge campaign will continue to push for even stronger commitments to invest in local, sustainably-grown food.
