Beloit College
( Beloit WI 53511 )
Contact Name:
William C. Behling III
Contact Title:
Food Service Director
Telephone:
(608) 363-2575
E-Mail:
behlingw@beloit.edu
Who was most responsible for initiating your farm-to-college program?

Dining/food services personnel

Student(s)
In what year did the program begin?

Other, please specify:
Are students actively involved in maintaining the program?

yes
How are the students involved in the program?

Researching costs/benefits of local purchasing

Researching availability of local products

Menu/event planning

Member of project planning/advisory committee
In what ways, if any, would you like students to be involved in the program?

Member of project planning/advisory committee

Menu/event planning

Promotional/educational outreach

Researching availability of local products

Researching costs/benefits of local purchasing
What role, if any, have cooperative extension agents or other agency/agricultural professionals played in the farm-to-college program?

Not Involved
What role, if any, would be useful for cooperative extension agents or other agency/agricultural professionals to play in the farm-to-college program?

Facilitator for certain program components

Lead organizer

Resource/contact person

Stimulating interest and/or disseminating information (i.e., outreach)
Who runs/is primarily responsible for the farm-to-college program? (please choose primary person/group in charge)

Dining/food services director/manager
Where do the majority of your locally purchased farm products come from?

State-wide
What are the primary local farm products you purchase? (please list top 3-5 items)

Other, please specify:
Are any of these local food products organically grown?

yes

yes
Approximately how much, in dollars, does dining/food services spend annually on local farm products?

Other, please specify:

Other, please specify:
What is the approximate total number of individual farmers you purchase products from during an entire calendar year?

1-5 farmers

1-5 farmers
Who/where are local products purchased from?

Distributor(s)

Individual farmer(s)

Farmers market(s)
Are local food products used in...

Catering

Regular menus

Special events
Was external funding or other resources (grants, equipment, etc.) used to...

Not used
Have any of the following individuals or groups been directly involved in development, coordination, education or promotion related to the farm-to-college program?

Campus sustainability center(s)

Farmer association(s)

Other student organization(s)

Student environmental organization(s)
Is there a local farmer's organization (i.e., a cooperative) involved in your program that was in place prior to the program's start?

Other, please specify:
Have you used any of the following to promote the program or enhance its educational value?

Farm tours

Information in dining locations about the program

Speakers/demonstrations

Special events (eg., local foods dinner)
What, if any, other environmental initiatives on your campus are connected with the farm-to-college program?

Farmer's market
Are there any bidding requirements for purchasing local food?

yes

yes
Do local products cost more on average?

yes

yes
If yes, how do you manage the higher price?

Reduce costs elsewhere to make up the difference
What do you see as the most significant barriers to starting or sustaining farm-to-college programs?

Coordinating purchase/delivery of products

Finding growers/local product supply

Product price

Product quantity

Seasonal availability of products
What do you see as the most significant benefits from farm-to-college programs?

Higher quality food

Lower environmental impacts

Meeting desire and demand from customers

Opportunity for student education/research

Good for school and/or company public relations

Supporting local farmers, community and/or economy
Of the following policy issues, please choose up to two, if any, that you believe would provide the most significant support for farm-to-college programs:

Grants/subsidies to help farmers organize cooperatives

Federal and state policies providing incentives to state institutions for purchasing locally grown products
What strategies, if any, do you recommend for making farm-to-college programs work?

Engage students in program activities (i.e., research, creating promotional materials)

Start small, such as planning a local foods dinner
What resources, research, or contacts, if any, were useful for starting or expanding your farm-to-college program?

Other, please specify:
Is dining/food services:

Self-operated

Self-operated
Total number of individual meals served daily in locations operated by dining/food services:

Other, please specify:

Other, please specify:
Does food services use a (please choose most appropriate answer):

Meal (board) plan

Meal (board) plan
What is dining/food services' approximate annual budget for food?

Other, please specify:

Other, please specify: