By Sheila Murray
Guest Writer
A local farmer recently accused St. Lawrence University for failing in their commitment to buy local food. The open allegation raised controversy over the truthfulness of SLU’s support of local food and ignited conversation about how to move forward.
Dulli Tengeler of Birdsfoot Farm wrote a letter to The Hill News identifying the losses that local farms suffered when SLU did not buy as much food as promised from the North Country Grown Co’op (NCGC). “I feel burned that a commitment was made and not honored, and that I have to donate my boxes of extra grown crops to the Neighborhood Center or compost them,” said Tengler. In order to stay within the budget, SLU asked that NCGC meet SYSCO prices, to which Tegeler said, “It is not fair and it is not sustainable,” and that she hopes to resolve the issue “before it becomes no longer possible to supply SLU with local produce.”
Director of Dining and Conference Services at SLU, Cindy Atkins, responded that there has been a long-standing relationship between the university and NCGC and that there is no plan to stop supporting them. According to Atkins, the momentum to buy local came from the administration 10 years ago when SLU joined the Farm to School Program, and SLU supported the evolution of this program into the NCGC of today. “We needed one organization to have all these people and products come together,” said Atkins.
Although there was an overabundance of food this season and some of the crops were lost, the focus of NYGC is on the future. Director of NCGC, Sue Rau, says that “(the issue) is over and done with and we have to move on.” She emphasizes the importance of future planning so that no more damage is done and that she wants to make it easier on both sides of the partnership.
While the letter certainly brought a controversial issue to the forefront, it also ignited productive conversation on how best to improve.
Emlyn Crocker, a member of “Lettuce Turnip the Beet,” SLU’s food justice club, identifies student mobilization as key to moving forward. “There needs to be a response. Students have the power and we need to put out the message that we want local food,” says Crocker. She also reasoned that mindfulness and numbers are important in communicating the message: “Instead of 10 angry students we need 100 students that care.”
Ann Bennett, of Bittersweet Farm would agree. She is familiar with SLU’s environmental groups on campus but says that this just is not enough to make a difference. “It can’t just be 12 students from the organizations; there is serious pressure needed,” she stated, “This means seven to ten percent of the student body saying that (local food) is what they want.” Brian Bennett added that there is a need for education about local foods and that money cannot be the primary factor.
Indeed, Rau identified that one of the principle issues with promoting local foods to universities is that students don’t notice the difference. “It means a big deal to be appreciated because dealing with different foods, local foods, can be difficult.”
If nothing else, the letter from Tengler acted as a catalyst for open discussion and local food management. In this case, hopes are higher than the tension that initially arose, and we can expect an outcome. According to Rau, SLU and NCGC are currently discussing and are hoping to reach a new agreement by next week.
Today would be a good day to look down at your plate and ask yourself: Is it local?