Campus eateries showcase locally grown food options

The Eat Local Challenge featured products from 40 local farms in Bon Appetit eateries Tuesday.
The Eat Local Challenge featured products from 40 local farms in Bon Appetit eateries Tuesday.

Duke students got in touch with Durham Tuesday, thanks to Bon Appetit’s “Eat Local Challenge.”

The Great Hall, the Marketplace, Trinity Cafe, the Freeman Center and the Fuqua School of Business’ Fox Center showcased an array of locally grown foods during lunch Tuesday.

The challenge­—the result of a Bon Appetit Management Company initiative called “Farm to Fork,” which originated in 1999—encourages chefs to cook meals using only ingredients grown or raised within a 150-mile radius of the respective Bon Appetit eatery. This was the first year the Duke University Campus Farm, which was one of 40 local farms and artisans participating, partnered with the University’s Eat Local Challenge, Bon Appetit Marketing Director Sarah McGowan said.

“Today’s event gives us the opportunity to highlight the great measures we take to extend our relationship with the local farmers,” Great Hall Managing Director Emanuel May said. “[We can] highlight what we feel passionate about as a company, which is great food.”

Some of the food offered at the challenge included cabernet-braised beef bourguignon and steamed Carolina wild clams in a tomato and corn broth. These ingredients for these dishes—among others—came from local suppliers such as Grant’s Seafood, Chatham Hill Vinery, Harris Acres Farms and the Duke farm, according to a Bon Appetit release Sept. 22. The challenge also offered vegetarian and vegan options.

The challenge is in its seventh year, McGowan said, adding that transforming University eateries into local-produce-only venues was a detailed process.

“Everything from salad dressings to beverages to the cobblers that Chef Ryan Sides made at the Marketplace must be made entirely from local ingredients,” McGowan wrote in an email Tuesday.

Bon Appetit recommends eating local food because it encourages biodiversity, supports local farm families, protects the environment and supports the local economy, the release stated. Local food is also considered to be more nutritious and better-tasting.

“These providers are often certified organic or use organic growing and harvesting practices,” McGowan said. “Quality and freshness are key.... What we really want students to realize is that these are all standard, daily practices in all of our kitchens.”

The event at the Great Hall was highly attended by students and faculty.

Henrique Silva, a second-year law student, said he was impressed by how fresh the produce looked, adding that he thought the Eat Local Challenge was a good idea.

“It helps local people instead of big companies,” Silva said.

In order for a farm to participate in the challenge, it must be owner-operated and earn less than $5 million in annual sales for produce, Bon Appetit Resident District Manager Nate Peterson said.

“Smaller family-run farms are better stewards of their land [because] they are more aware of the chemicals they put in the land,” said Nicole Tocco, a recent graduate of the Nicholas School of the Environment. “[They also] use sustainable agriculture techniques, such as cover crops”.

Growing cover crops helps prevent erosion and replace nutrients. They also capture carbon emissions, which helps fight against global warming.

Tocco, who is also a manager-in-training for Bon Appetit, said purchasing from artisan food-makers requires knowledge about what is in season and the logistical issues associated with sourcing from smaller farms. Purchasing local food from smaller farms requires more attention to ingredients, she said, adding that Bon Appetit prioritizes menu creativity and a focus on flavor.

“We cherish our relationships with local farmers and growers and in turn, take great pride in the food we serve each day,” McGowan said. “Customers have a right to know where their food is coming from. Showcasing our farmers during Eat Local Challenge is a way to take that to the next level, and let them know not just where, but who their food is coming from.”

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