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Sustainability

A Mutually

Beneficial

Endeavor

partnership for student farms that Morrisville State
College in New York has between the School of Ar-
Achitecture and Natural Resources and its Morrisville
Auxiliary Corporation is producing great results for both.
In the last year alone, nearly 10 percent of all produce
purchased by Dining Services came from two student learn-
ing labs: Morrisville’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Nearly 10 percent of all produce purchased by Dining Services in the
last year came from two student learning labs run by the college.
(CEA) Aquaponics Greenhouse and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Northeast Organic Farming Association Dining Services uses a variety of products from the growing
of New York (NOFA-NY) Certified Organic College Farm, areas. “Most of our lettuce comes from the college farm,” said
both located less than a mile from campus. Diana Johnson, director of Dining Services. “We get Swiss
Both production areas were started about seven years ago chard, spinach, sage, all kinds of squash, kale, arugula, all
by the Horticulture Department. “When the CEA greenhouse kinds of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant.”
started with hydroponic and aquaponic production, it started “We utilize them in almost every aspect of our dining facil-
as a research entity,” said Dr. Christopher Nyberg, dean of the ity,” added Christian Martin, chef manager of Seneca Dining
School of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “When the research Hall, the main campus dining area.
was done and it was made teaching-only and production, the When product is harvested in the fall from the student farm,
auxiliary corporation, which runs our Dining some of it is used right away, and the rest is
Services and the Copper Turret Restaurant preserved in a variety of ways. “The dining
that houses our restaurant management and staff are taking raw produce and making
culinary program, hired the staff to staff that red sauces for the year from fresh produce
greenhouse so that we could keep the produc- during the summer,” said Nyberg.
tion up and still provide it as an academic “We take all of the eggplant that we can
resource for the campus.” possibly get and freeze it for later use, for
He continued, “Over time, academics eggplant Parmesan and stews and such,”
has taken control of all of the operation, added Johnson. “We also blanch and freeze
but we have maintained the relationship of beans, and any other of the vegetables we
putting campus-grown food not just in the possibly can.”
campus-owned restaurant, but now also as our While produce from the student farm is
production has gone up, right in the regular mostly harvested in the fall, the greenhouse
dining hall.” and new high tunnel at the student farm allow
for season extension. “The CEA greenhouse
allows fresh vegetable production through
deep winter,” said Nyberg. “We have 12
months of fresh produce being grown.”
Dining Services and the school coordi-
nate what will be grown. “In collaboration
with our customer who buys our produce,
we have meetings and we discuss what they
need and want it for,” said Kelly Hennigan, associate professor
and department chair, Horticulture and Landscape Architec-
ture. “We also make production plans. All of this is planned
out. Besides Seneca and the Copper Turret, there is a harvest
dinner coming up. Months ago, we spoke with Seneca about
what they needed for Harvest Dinner and it was planned in
the production plan. We planned it all out.”
Auxiliary Services is buying the produce at industry standard
pricing. “It is grown with the academic budget and academic
expenses that support that academic program,” said Nyberg.
“To have that be able to be a revolving fund, it has to be sold.
Auxiliary Services is purchasing that product from a state

14 | OCTOBER 2017 ON-CAMPUS HOSPITALITY