Campus Dining Partners with Local Restaurants to Provide Weekly Meal Option</h1> <article> <h1>Campus Dining Partners with Local Restaurants to Provide Weekly Meal Option</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 14:56:43 +0000</p> <span>Campus Dining Partners with Local Restaurants to Provide Weekly Meal Option</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-04-13T10:56:43-04:00" title="Monday, April 13, 2020 - 10:56">Mon, 04/13/2020 - 10:56</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When the COVID-19 outbreak forced �鶹��Ƶ’s student body to return home and finish the spring semester by remote learning, Campus Dining never interrupted meal service to the 250 students—most of whom are international—who had to remain on campus due to travel or financial restrictions. </p> <p>Bon Appetit Management Company, �鶹��Ƶ’s food provider, has spearheaded a partnership with local eateries to provide a carryout meal once a week using a regular meal swipe. </p> <p>Edward Michalski, director of operations for Bon Appetit, explains that the idea came from students and other administrators who were brainstorming ways to provide outreach to the community and improve the experience of students who remain on campus. </p> <p>Third-year Wenling Li and second-year Ryo Adachi suggested Kim’s Grocery as an option and provided input with retail and menu ideas. With that, <a href="/dining-services">Campus Dining Services</a> (CDS) purchased an abundance of grocery items at retail and built bags consisting of ramen or a rice bowl for the entree, a side item, a dessert, and a beverage. The trial run launched March 20 with 25 students participating. The following Friday, CDS worked with Kim’s to design a meal program with their $5 rice bowls. </p> <p>Michalski says the meal program—which has been branded �鶹��Ƶ Choose Local—has expanded to include Aladdin’s Eatery, Black River Cafe, and �鶹��Ƶ Kitchen. A different restaurant will be featured each Friday and will continue to the end of the semester. </p> <p>“I think the partnership with Kim's has been very successful because many students like going there, and it was nice to have something new while everyone is staying in their dorm rooms, not having much to do,” says Adachi, an economics major. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with other local restaurants, and I have heard from some of my friends on campus who are excited for that as well.”</p> <p>A student interface and Google order form developed by CDS staff member Candy Tollett has streamlined the process for both students and restaurants. Students choose a pickup time and their menu selection using the Google form, and the order is fulfilled at the restaurant. </p> <p>“The program grew really fast,” Michalski says, noting that the first week started with 86 orders and grew to more than 150 by the third week. “The students are really engaged with it, and we’ve made the process user friendly. We look forward to working with and supporting local vendors and offering students the best campus experience during this unprecedented time.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-04-13T12:00:00Z">Mon, 04/13/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2385">Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A campus dining initiative to partner with local restaurants during the COVID-19 crisis started with Kim's Grocery.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Cooking for a Community</h1> <p>Anonymous — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 18:44:43 +0000</p> <span>Cooking for a Community</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-04-28T14:44:43-04:00" title="Friday, April 28, 2017 - 14:44">Fri, 04/28/2017 - 14:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>On March 23 and 24, the staff of Campus Dining Services (CDS) attended intensive Indian cuisine training sessions with chef <a href="http://curryblossom.com/about/vimala-2/">Vimala Rajendron</a>, a native of Mumbai, India and owner of Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Over the course of two eight-hour sessions, Rajendron taught campus chefs how to prepare such dishes as chicken tikka marsala, pork vindaloo, cabbage bhaji, and chana marsala, as well as her renowned cardamom brownies. A self-described “accidental chef,” Rajendron wove anecdotes from her life and career throughout the two-day training.</p> <p>She began by reading an <a href="https://rajeevrajendran.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/a-monologue-for-chef-vimala/">award-winning poem</a> written by her son, Rajeev Rajendron, which highlights the heritage, sense of community, and “alchemy” inherent to their family’s cooking. With these themes in mind, Rajendron helped CDS staff to prep dishes and create spice mixes. “She opened my eyes to spices like black cardamom and black salt, which create these amazing flavor profiles,” says Matt Krasnevich, a chef and manager of Stevenson Dining Hall. Krasnevich also noted that Rajendron’s approach to Indian cooking is not wholly traditional, and instead emphasizes local and organic ingredients—for instance, she uses beets to flavor and color tandoori chicken, sweetens her dishes with fruit instead of refined sugar, and created a “green” pork vindaloo with serrano peppers, apples, and ginger. “Vimala takes recipes and puts her own spin on it,” Krasnevich says.</p> <p>Rajendron also included a classroom component in the training, where she discussed the differences between North and South Indian cuisines, and helped chefs analyze the flavor profiles of each region. She also described the influence of British colonization on the Western perception of Indian cuisine (for example, the word “curry” simply means “sauce,” and only after the British creation of curry powder did the word become associated with a specific flavoring).</p> <p>The recipes from Rajendron’s training are already being implemented in CDS and can be found in the Classic Comforts and Vegetarian sections at Stevenson. Along with hot dishes and desserts, CDS will soon serve chai tea, the first specially prepared warm drink to appear in the dining halls.</p> <p>Wayne Wood, general manager of CDS, notes that Rajendron’s mentoring mirrors a past partnership with Vel Scott, a local food expert and Cleveland business owner who brought healthy soul food to �鶹��Ƶ’s campus last August. “The great thing about guest chefs is learning different techniques,” says Wood. “Vel Scott emphasizes cutting down on sodium and sugar. Vimala highlights flavor profiles, spice blends, and staying true to the ingredients.”</p> <p>According to Wood, the trainings exemplify a desire on the part of the Dining Committee to represent more types of cuisines in �鶹��Ƶ’s dining halls. The Dining Committee, an organization led by students and staff members that meets on a weekly basis, was recently revived after several semesters of inactivity. In its first semester back, the organization has hosted Michael Twitty, a food writer and creator of the blog Afroculinaria, Rajendron, and is planning a forthcoming workshop with pastry chef Jim Dodge.</p> <p>Both Krasnevich and Wood are optimistic about the future of CDS now that the Dining Committee has been reinstated. “With a weekly committee back in action, we can solve a problem in a more timely fashion,” says Krasnevich. Agrees Wood, “Times have changed. We’re updating, and we need the campus to let us know what they would like to see us doing.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-04-10T12:00:00Z">Mon, 04/10/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Justine Goode</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Chef Vimala Rajendron (left) taught CDS staff members how to prepare traditional Indian dishes such as chicken tikka marsala, pork vindaloo, cabbage bhaji, and chana marsala.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Wayne Wood</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Visiting Chef Brings Home Cooking to Dining Halls</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:35 +0000</p> <span>Visiting Chef Brings Home Cooking to Dining Halls</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:35-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Local-food and nutrition advocate <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VelScottHealthyYou/">Vel Scott</a> believes food is much more than what we eat: It’s nourishment for the mind, body, and spirit.</p> <p>When Bon Appetit, �鶹��Ƶ’s food service provider, hosted Scott for a series of dinners in each of the campus dining halls on April 4-6, many students said the meal “felt like home.” That’s precisely the goal Scott had in mind.</p> <p>“I want students to get a bold taste of the freshness and love that the food was prepared with. I hope it will remind them of home,” said Scott while supervising the kitchen of Lord-Saunders, where Bon Appetit cooks were busy preparing batches of succulent collard greens. On the menu that evening: beef short ribs prepared with vegetables and fresh herbs; baked chicken coated with seasoned breadcrumbs and herbs; black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread.</p> <p>When asked if this would be considered soul food, she gives a quizzical look—the kind that tells you she’s been doing this much longer than you have. “You can’t box in soul food,” she explains. “Soul food is how you prepare it. It comes from the earth, then we each put in our flavors, our love, our cultural background. It’s good for the soul.”</p> <p>A longtime Cleveland resident and former business owner with her late husband, Don Scott, Vel is a leader in the movement to bring healthy living into people’s lives. Through her workshops, lectures, and cooking demonstrations, she teaches that food can be a catalyst for better living. Bon Appetit invited her to share her knowledge with �鶹��Ƶ’s chefs, managers, and cooks, who then took what they learned by offering a special meal using some of her favorite ingredients.</p> <p>A self-made cook, Scott’s expertise in healthful, culturally relevant food stems from the changes she made when her husband experienced health problems. The couple owned three nightclubs in the Cleveland area, and she ran the kitchens. She made a conscious decision that if rich, salty foods were bad for her husband, they were bad for customers, too. Not wanting to sacrifice flavor and enjoyment, they decided to travel to West Africa to explore their roots.</p> <p>“I saw the simplicity of life, with people eating together,” she recalls. Garlic, onions, greens, and fresh coconut played recurring roles in the food they ate. “We tasted the warmth and love. It was a real eye-opener.”</p> <p>Since then, she’s gone all over the world to learn about regional cooking styles and traditions. Along the way, she discovered that every culture has its own soul food. For instance, just as sauerkraut always goes with sausage in Germany, you wouldn’t think of serving collard greens without cornbread in her native Mississippi.</p> <p>Second-year Anthony Allen, a chemistry major and football player, says he came to the dinner looking for some good sources of protein, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that the meal was healthful, too.</p> <p>“Everything was prepared with great care and forethought. It was a pleasure to talk with Vel. Bringing in outside chefs to train Bon Appetit staff can help diversify the menu in the dining halls. I would enjoy seeing more visiting chefs in the future.”</p> <p>Wayne Wood, the general manager of Bon Appetit at �鶹��Ƶ, says the dinner with Vel Scott was a new way to connect with students. He says the most common feedback he received was that the food “felt like home.”</p> <p>“We have passionate chefs and managers. They’re still talking about what they learned from Vel. I hope this is the start of more programs like it in the future.”</p> <p><a class="newshub_embed" href="https://youtu.be/jkRGttPcjxQ">Vel Scott Visiting Chef</a></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-04-15T12:00:00Z">Fri, 04/15/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Vel Scott, a local-food and nutrition expert from Cleveland, shared her knowledge with Bon Appetit chefs and planned a special meal in the dining halls in early April.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Pang Fei Chiang</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Healthy Meats Now, Healthy Choices Later</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:04 +0000</p> <span>Healthy Meats Now, Healthy Choices Later</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:04-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a class="newshub_embed" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3dIVBnGDM">New Creation Farm spotlight</a></p> <p>In a rural stretch of northeast Ohio dotted with vineyards and off-the-beaten-path farms, the wind whips around Kristen Boehnlein as she overlooks a small herd of cattle grazing in the pasture. She’s dressed in jeans, a T-shirt bearing her farm’s logo, and long waterproof boots. She apologizes in advance if her thoughts sound incoherent—she worked a busy overnight shift as a paramedic, and she hasn’t had any rest between that job and morning duties on the farm.</p> <p>On this day Kristen’s husband, Scott, is busy making deliveries. Most of their eight children, ranging in age from 3 to 20, are tending the farm and retail store. The air is surprisingly crisp and fresh for early August. A short distance ahead, the hogs, coated and cooled in dried mud, and a flock of wooly lambs nearly blend into the landscape.</p> <p>This is <a href="http://www.newcreationfarm.com/">New Creation Farm</a>, a local source for ground beef, deli meat, and pork products served in �鶹��Ƶ’s dining halls. The Boehnleins guarantee that all of their animals are treated humanely; they’re never given antibiotics or hormones, and their feed never contains GMOs. They back up those claims with routine third-party tests, and they welcome visitors any time, any day to see the farm and ask questions.</p> <p>What started as a few animals to feed their family and friends has flourished beyond their expectations. About five years ago, as the Boehnleins were expanding into restaurant orders, they began a partnership with <a href="http://www.bamco.com/">Bon Appetit</a>, �鶹��Ƶ’s food service provider. According to John Klancar, director of culinary operations for Bon Appetit at �鶹��Ƶ, the commitment started on a small scale with four hogs per month. Now, New Creation is fulfilling orders of six to eight cows and six to eight pigs per month during the academic year. “We make a commitment, and that’s how they raise the animals,” Klancar says. “They never over-raise the animals.”</p> <p>As foster parents, the Boehnleins started raising their own meats to give their children an appreciation for animals, to provide a bonding experience, and to instill work ethic. However, their mission took on a different purpose after one of their children came down with pneumonia. “She was 2 years old, and it started with the slightest bit of pneumonia,” Kristen says. “She was antibiotic resistant and not responding to any treatment at all. She almost died. In 24 hours, we went from a healthy kid to the doctor telling us she almost didn’t make it.”</p> <p>At that point, they started doing their research. “We found out that with most meat labeled antibiotic-free, the animals are still given feed with some antibiotic, just not enough to affect the label requirements.” In most cases, she says, they’re still getting trace amounts of antibiotic. “We were already raising the animals without hormones, but that’s when we started looking for feed that’s truly free of antibiotics and GMOs.”</p> <p>The cows graze on pasture as their main diet, but they receive small quantities of grain— “Scott’s own recipe”—to add richness and enhance the flavor. Beef that’s 100 percent grass-fed is drier and requires a lower cooking temperature; most palettes are simply accustomed the taste of grain-fed beef. To rule out any error of cross-pollination, the Boehnleins have their feed tested by the state agricultural extension at least once a year to make sure it’s free of GMOs, hormones, and antibiotics. Every animal that’s butchered is tested, as well.</p> <p>The Boehnleins say their family is a testament to the benefits of eating all-natural meats. “Our kids are healthy. We have a pediatrician, but they don’t normally need to see a doctor,” Kristen says. “Ever since we started eating our own meat, we haven’t had to use antibiotics, except for the occasional ear infection. It’s amazing how much healthier we are. If you’re not getting antibiotics in your system all the time, in the event that you get really sick, your body will fight it off on its own.”</p> <p>Of course, this makes the Boehnleins’ job a little harder. Without antibiotics, they have to keep a constant eye on the animals’ health. Pigs, especially, can get sick and die very quickly. “What it boils down to is, do you want something natural, or do you want something cheaper that could harm your body? We cannot give up the quality of the animal to mass produce,” Kristen says.</p> <p>And the Boehleins firmly believe—as do their customers and restaurant chefs—that the quality is something you can taste. “Once your kid is in college, they’re really starting to learn on their own what they’re going eat. If �鶹��Ƶ College and Bon Appetit can educate students to make healthy choices, they’re getting a good start not just for themselves, but for their future families’ health, too.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-09-14T12:00:00Z">Mon, 09/14/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">New Creation Farm, based in Chardon Township, Ohio, is a local provider of ground beef and pork products.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Zach Christy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>It Doesn't Get Any Greener Than This</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:25 +0000</p> <span>It Doesn't Get Any Greener Than This</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:25-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a class="newshub_embed" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjZZp__4LB0">Tyler's Farm Local Food Spotlight</a></p> <p>In the food service industry, the standard for what can accurately be called <em>local food</em> pertains to products and ingredients sourced within a 150-mile radius. <a href="http://www.bamco.com/">Bon Appetit Management Company</a>, �鶹��Ƶ’s food service provider, requires its chefs to purchase at least 20 percent of their food that way. At �鶹��Ƶ, the amount of locally sourced food is closer to 35 percent throughout the academic year.</p> <p>Just 1 mile from Tappan Square, a local greenhouse is growing hydroponic lettuce and greens. When the lettuce reaches campus kitchens, it’s barely an hour old. It doesn’t get any greener than this.</p> <p>When Tyler Gogolek planned to build his hydroponic greenhouse in early 2014, he needed a commitment from potential buyers to secure financing. Although Bon Appetit was already buying salad greens from another local provider, Gogolek piqued the company’s interest. Could he grow spinach and other varieties, he was asked. Construction of the greenhouse finished in December 2014, and the first crop was available the following February. Bon Appetit liked what it saw, and Gogolek started delivering greens to the dining halls in spring 2015.</p> <p>Hydroponics is growing plants without soil. “It has been used since the ancient times of Babylon. The science is not newly discovered, it’s just newly refined,” says Gogolek, who has been growing garden mums and operating under the name Tyler’s Farm for 20 years. The obvious benefit of a hydroponic growing system is the ability to harvest year-round; it’s also a controlled ecosystem.</p> <p>“I believe we’re in a series of climate patterns that no one can predict anymore,” Gogolek says. “Here, we can grow in a controlled environment. We can apply light and water and feed at the control of our fingertips, and make the plants happy and consistent in the production cycles. All the nutrients are in the water. The plants don’t have to search for anything.”</p> <p>Gogolek implements biological insect control—bugs that eat other bugs—which means he doesn’t have to spray pesticide. “The fact that we don’t spray is such a key component. If people knew the things that are applied to their food, I think they would be appalled,” he says.</p> <p>At any given time, the greenhouse is growing 20 varieties of greens, including various leaf and bibb lettuces, spinach, kale, and stirfry mix. When classes are in session, Gogolek fulfills orders at �鶹��Ƶ three times per week. He says Bon Appetit has been instrumental in the learning stages of his operation. “We had to find answers to questions like how much product fit in a case, and are we using every bit of what we grow? From the chef’s standpoint, they’ve steered me away and steered me toward. It’s been a great relationship.”</p> <p>On being local, as in 1-mile-radius-local, Gogolek says the benefits are just amplified. Students can take comfort in knowing their lettuce is simply clean and straight from the farmer. And above all, “it’s nutritious and has great flavor.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-08-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 08/20/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Zach Christy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>It Takes a Family to Feed a Campus</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:03:39 +0000</p> <span>It Takes a Family to Feed a Campus</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:03:39-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:03">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>About 60 miles east of �鶹��Ƶ, a young family farm raises poultry, cattle, ducks, lambs, and pigs. The animals are all free range and given spacious protection from the elements. The cows always feed on pasture, while the pigs and poultry enjoy non-GMO nutrition. They’re never given hormones or antibiotics. It’s no wonder that top restaurants in northeast Ohio seek out New Creations Farm for its humane treatment of animals and quality meat. So, too, does �鶹��Ƶ College’s food service provider, Bon Appétit Management Company.</p> <p>This year marks the 15th anniversary of Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork program. Since 1999, all Bon Appétit chefs have been required to buy at least 20 percent of their ingredients from farmers and producers within 150 miles of their cafés. To celebrate the milestone, the company decided to give back to its vendors by awarding $5,000 grants to 10 farms in need to help grow and maintain their operations.</p> <p>On September 26, a dozen �鶹��Ƶ students volunteered to work on <a href="http://www.newcreationfarm.com/" target="_blank">New Creation Farm</a> in Chardon, Ohio, where they helped with feeding, moving sheep, and general farm work. It was on this visit that farm owners Kristen and Scott Boehnlein and their seven children learned they were awarded one of two grants in the Midwest region. The other recipient is Open Hands Farm of Northfield, Minnesota.</p> <p>“New Creation is a small family farm, and its values are fantastic,” says John Klancar, Bon Appétit director of culinary operations at �鶹��Ƶ. “Out of seven kids, six are adopted. They’re open about how some of the kids have come from abusive or broken homes. The farm work is therapeutic for the kids. It’s all about family… they’re wonderful people to work with.”</p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ has partnered with New Creation Farm for seven years. Its supply has grown from four pigs a month to providing all of �鶹��Ƶ’s ground meat, breakfast sausage, ground pork, specialty sausage, pork loin, pork shoulder, hot dogs, salami, ham, and roast beef. In keeping with Bon Appétit’s requirements, the meats contain no nitrates or MSG.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.bamco.com/forktofarm/finalists-midwest/#newcreation">grant</a> will allow the Boehnlein family to restore a century-old barn on their property that needs water repairs and drainage solutions. In addition to storing their tractor, the barn will provide shelter to breeding sows and their piglets in severe weather, a place to process vegetable oil as they convert their vehicles, and a welcoming space to host their farm education days for schools in northeast Ohio.</p> <p>Klancar says the volunteer work day was a good experience for �鶹��Ƶ students to make connections with the people who are raising their food. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has never been on a farm before,” Klancar says. “It’s important to see that the animals are treated humanely and have a good life on the farm.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2014-10-10T12:00:00Z">Fri, 10/10/2014 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2386">Food</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2550">Dining</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>