Northland College
( Ashland WI 54806 )
Contact Name:
Jeff Spangenberg
Contact Title:
Food Service Director
Telephone:
(715) 682-1339
E-Mail:
jspangen@northland.edu
Who was most responsible for initiating your farm-to-college program?

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

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

no
In what ways, if any, would you like students to be involved in the program?

Member of project planning/advisory committee

Promotional/educational outreach

Researching availability of local products
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

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?

50-200 miles
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?

Farmer-managed cooperative(s)

Individual farmer(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)

Food service management company
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?

Class research

Farm tours
What, if any, other environmental initiatives on your campus are connected with the farm-to-college program?

Composting program

Recycling program
Are there any bidding requirements for purchasing local food?

no

no
Do local products cost more on average?

yes

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

Pass cost directly on to consumer
What do you see as the most significant barriers to starting or sustaining farm-to-college programs?

Finding growers/local product supply

Product price
What do you see as the most significant benefits from farm-to-college programs?

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

Grants/subsidies to help dining/food services offset extra costs
What strategies, if any, do you recommend for making farm-to-college programs work?

Build positive relationships among key players (such as dining/food services, farmers, faculty/staff, and students)

Be patient but persistent

Is dining/food services:

Contract-managed (please provide contractor name)

Contract-managed (please provide contractor name)
If the program is contract-managed, from which level(s) of the company are individuals involved in the program?

Local level
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