ARAMARK, EOU Dining Services partner with area growers to put local and organic produce on the menu

LA GRANDE, Oregon – If wild huckleberry muffins, apple cobbler and homemade salsa are enough to tempt the taste buds, just imagine how enticing these recipes could be if they were made with locally grown, organic ingredients.

That’s just what the campus food service provider at Eastern Oregon University is doing.

Michael Morse, food service director for ARAMARK, is incorporating organic and locally grown produce into the menu at EOU’s dining hall, RFoC, short for “Real Food on Campus.”

Morse has partnered with area growers to purchase the produce. He says going organic, even for just some recipes, is already a big hit with the students. So far there are three growers supplying produce to EOU and others have shown interest in becoming involved.

“Dining Services is receiving great feedback from students and staff, but it really shows in their consumption. The amount of organic and local foods consumed has doubled over the last few weeks!” Morse said.

Submitted photos / Michael Morse, food service director for ARAMARK, and Vivian Petersen, EOU administrative program assistant, believe in the benefits of including locally grown and organic foods on the menu. The addition of seasonal fresh fruits, vegetables, honey and locally raised beef was an instant hit with the students.

Vivian Petersen, administrative program assistant at EOU, oversees event scheduling on campus and works closely with ARAMARK and Dining Services to coordinate both student-related and outside catering events. She says she is glad to see more healthy options being made readily available.

“Nearly every day I see one our student athletes walk out from the dining hall with an apple in their hand. It’s nice to know where the food is coming from and that it hasn’t been chemically enhanced,” Petersen said.

When in season, apples, pears, peaches, potatoes, beef and honey are just some of the locally grown and/or organic foods that can be found on the RFoC menu everyday. Onion rings made from Walla Walla Sweets and garden fresh creamy basil tomato soup are also favorites. Sugar-free dessert options are also being added.

Local, organic whole fruit is now also available in Mac’s Grill located on the first floor of the Hoke Union Building.

An example of how much produce is being integrated in one week is best described in weight from a recent order: apples, 150 lbs.; pears, 40 lbs.; tomatoes, 25 lbs.; potatoes, 100 lbs.; winter squash, 40 lbs.; and green peppers, 30 lbs.

By partnering with area food producers, ARAMARK and Dining Services are putting into practice the shared commitment to serving the community and advocating for social change and environmental responsibility.

“The integrated use of locally supplied foods reflects and aligns with our increasingly health-conscious student body and meets the demands for organic, pesticide-free, local foods,” said Stephen Jenkins, director of Residence Life at EOU.

“More importantly, it promotes the students’ awareness of what they are eating and how their decisions can impact the La Grande and surrounding communities,” Jenkins said.

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