Group+A

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We are a group of undergraduates at the University in contact with the student group "Slow Food on Campus". One of the purposes of this group is to advocate the incorporation of "slow", or locally produced food into the dining options on campus as part of UD's effort to be green. The group members have requested that our team of five (Marissa Dick, Meghan Fitzpatrick, Alyson Collins, Taiilore Cradle, and Heather Ferris) submit a proposal to UD dining services to incorporate locally grown, fresh produce into the dining facilities on campus. =====

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We believe that we have the proper skills and resources to conduct the necessary research for this project. We plan on researching the benefits of eating locally, conducting a comparison of what the university is already doing in terms of local food versus what students want, and also how to make "local" work here on campus. Attached is a proposal for this project. The proposal includes a background of the problem, our group objectives, how we will conduct the research, our credentials, the estimated budget, and a project schedule. =====

We hope that you will look over the proposal and see how bringing local and fresh food to campus can benefit Dining Services. We would like to help set a precedent of healthy and sustainable eating at UD. Please contact Marissa at mddick@udel.edu. She can also be reached on her cell phone at 203 610 3191. Thank you in advance for your time.

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The student group "Slow Food on Campus" has requested that our Local Food Project team of five undergraduate students embark on a project to incorporate locally grown and produced food into the dining options on campus. The local food options are currently limited on campus due to contracting with the large food service vendor Aramark and are of inconsistent availability and quality. Additionally, there is little publicity for the few local options that are already available- many people don't even know what they're eating! It is our belief that Dining Services should be rewarded for offering local food, and one way to do that is to advertise its availability, increasing both interest and sales. Our peers have indicated that there is interest in more local produce options to be provided in campus dining facilities. Our goal is to measure student interest in local produce options using survey techniques, as well as look into the options and feasibility of bringing in produce from local farms in the area. Ultimately, we would like to see a profitable incorporation of these local produce options on campus and the creation of a one-of-a-kind program. =====

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University of Delaware has recently been making great efforts to become more environmentally friendly, from the single stream recycling program, to the installation of solar panels on various buildings, and the transition to more energy-efficient buses. Why not keep this "green" momentum going with a change in the campus dining options? According to the University's "Green Thread Initiative", "[UD is] committed to fostering new connections from field to fork and changing the culture of food by nourishing our guests with menus that emphasize fresh whole foods that are raised, grown, harvested and produced locally and/or sustainably wherever possible, and prepared in ways that respect and maintain quality, freshness and pureness" (Green). It is apparent from student RSO's like "Slow Food On Campus" who already attempt to inform our peers whom lack the knowledge of the availability of this food. In fact, from talking to fellow students, it appears that many are unhappy with the quality and freshness of food, especially in regard to produce on campus, and would like to see it improved. The University of Delaware is a member of the Aramark Higher Education community which services our dining options here on campus. Aramark suggests that students ask the chef for locally grown options, but what student would know this is an option without clear advertisement of this option, or without having done the necessary research? Additionally, finding the chef to discuss local food during a busy lunch hour is not a feasible option for busy students. The University has taken some small steps already. UD has a summer farmer's market on campus, and incorporates some products from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, such as UDairy ice cream and milk from campus cows through HyPoint Dairy. We believe it is possible to increase these efforts, provide students with a wider range of local options, and market them effectively to increase student awareness. =====

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In conjunction with "Slow Foods on Campus," our intention is to integrate locally grown produce into campus dining choices and make them competitive with the current non-local selections. This will result in high quality produce and an increase in the multiplier effect, which promotes community growth. By involving local farms and farmers markets, as well as products from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, we will be able to expand local produce utilization. An increase in quality will produce an increase in sales. This will hopefully prove beneficial for the University of Delaware's dining services. We also hope to increase the marketing of the local produce options so that the student body is made aware of the choices available. =====

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1. Examine current produce offered by dining services and the extent of local food utilization. We will do this by entering in the dining halls, and presenting questions to the chefs. We will ask questions such as the source of the produce, and the popularity of the produce among students. We will also ask chefs where they believe local food can be integrated. =====

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- Students will be asked to rate on a scale of 1-5 their overall satisfaction with Dining Services, dining halls, food courts, and specific produce =====

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3. Statistically analyze survey results using Excel software. Graphs will be presented to show student responses and results will be used to suggest a course of action (solution) for our proposal plan. =====

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The Local Food Project Team has successfully designed and implemented local food programs for over 100 organizations in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Our team consists of local agricultural experts, statisticians and business people with expertise in the food service industry. We are well trained to offer clients the best experience possible. In addition to our capable partners, the Local Food Project Team is supported by a 24-hour telephone answer service and interactive website. =====

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Our research and implementation of a local food program will have minimal budget requirements. The main cost will be time to team members in surveying the students and local farmers. To compensate for our time, we plan on charging a base rate of $500 each for the student survey and farmer survey. "Slow Food on Campus" has agreed to work with us to defray costs using RSO funding ([]). Additional costs would be incurred from the physical advertising done in the campus dining facilities for the local food products. We are aware that Dining Services will need to make a large adjustment in the way it receives and handles produce. Employees may need additional training, and all efforts will be made to equalize the costs of local versus non-local produce. Due to the low overall cost of the program and our team's willingness to put in the legwork, we hope you will find it a feasible option for the University of Delaware. =====

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Thank you for allowing us to conduct our research pertaining to bringing locally grown food to the University's on-campus dining halls. Attached is a copy of our report containing analysis of our research, as well as our suggested actions to implement the program. Our research is based on interviews with local farmers, surveys conducted with students, and cost and marketing strategies. =====

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 It is our hope that from our report, the University's dining facilities can incorporate more local produce, and pursue the goals of the student group "Slow Food on Campus." We hope to have provided you with the appropriate information to accept and implement our program. =====

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**
This report contains the analysis of implementing a program at the University of Delaware to offer locally grown produce on campus. The analysis includes an understanding of what changes students are interested in seeing regarding the local produce options on campus. We have collected this data by conducting a survey among current students. It posed objective questions, which allowed us to gather quantitative data.

Our interest in this program stemmed from the student organization, Slow Food on Campus. Our survey shows students' desire for a stronger program to offer locally grown produce on campus, as well as a lack of knowledge about the options that are already being provided. The University of Delaware has already made small steps by creating UD dining services Facebook groups, as well as offering a limited selection of these products on campus. The main focus of this program is to improve the lack of knowledge and availability of local produce options at the University of Delaware.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our program focuses on the following three points:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More local produce options available in dining halls
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A more effective advertising program informing students of their options
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A cost effective method of acquiring the produce

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We have the cooperation of select local farms, whose names, locations, and services are described later in the report. The respective farmers were each interviewed, and they are willing to partner with the University. Detailed information from the interviews can be found in the analysis section. By partnering with these local farms, we have been able to gain an understanding of delivery routes and distribution options.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The desire for local produce has increased on campus, and the University has made an effort to accommodate these needs. However, even though local produce is offered on campus, the variety and knowledge of such options is limited. With our program, students will have access to additional and higher quality produce options outside of what is already available on campus.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our recommendations: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">1. The implementation of a student awareness program, “Hey UD Did You Know?” <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. A strategic marketing campaign in the University's dining halls to promote the launch of our program. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Implement program at all on-campus dining facilities after the initial launch in the dining halls.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A trip to the grocery store today can be an overwhelming experience. There are more food options than one knows what to do with. Take carrots for example. Do you want large carrots with stems or small baby cut carrots in neat little plastic packages? Do you want the ones imported from Belgium or do you want the ones grown locally 10 miles down the road? Do you want organic carrots or conventionally produced carrots? There are a lot of questions the consumer faces when making such a simple purchase. The problem is that the vast majority of consumers don’t think twice about the answers to any of these questions or consider the implications of their decisions. =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the most important aforementioned decisions with great implication is the decision of whether or not to purchase local food. The University of Delaware has made several small steps toward purchasing local produce and incorporating it into the campus dining options. However, their efforts could easily be magnified to achieve a more environmentally aware program. We, the Local Food Project Team, are a group of five undergraduate students who would like to implement a program on campus in conjunction with the student group “Slow Food on Campus” to incorporate more local produce into the University of Delaware campus dining options. We are also interested in increasing awareness within the student body of these options and the associated advantages to eating local produce.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This report describes the findings of our research regarding the feasibility and benefits of buying and eating local produce. We will discuss:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">-our final conclusions and suggestions
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is generally accepted in the food production community that “local” means within a hundred mile radius (Hatz). People who adhere to this limit when making their food choices are termed “locavores.” Some distinctions revolving around local food should be made. We often lump the buzzwords “local,” “organic,” and “sustainable” together to mean the same thing. However, local and organic mean two completely different things, and local does not necessarily mean sustainable. Local simply refers to the fact that a food product was produced within a 100-mile radius of where it is being consumed. Sustainable is related to the practices associated with the production process. Sustainable practices involve producing crops in a way that does not harm the environment. However, pesticides, fertilizers, and hormone use could all be associated with local food production (Hatz). Organic refers to a set of production standards that include specific legal definitions, inspection processes, and labels (Hatz). Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are generally prohibited from organic farms. The focus of this research is local food products, which are distinct from both sustainable and organic products.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the major benefits of eating locally is reducing your carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is defined as “the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide” (Rohrer). In other words, when you drive your car, heat your house, and purchase consumer items, you are continuously expanding your carbon footprint by increasing the amount of CO2 you are personally emitting into the atmosphere. A major contributor to CO2 emissions is the production of consumer goods. For our purposes we are focusing on the production of food items. The way food is grown, processed, packaged, and distributed all affect the carbon footprint of that product. In regards to local food, we are honing in on reducing the environmental impact of distribution.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Think back to the example of deciding which type of carrots to purchase at the supermarket. A bundle of large carrots has a very different carbon footprint than a package of baby cut carrots. The machinery necessary to process carrots into the baby-cut size and shape require fossil fuels to function. Additionally, the plastic bag that the carrots come in required energy and petroleum to produce, which also consumes fossil fuels and emits CO2. The plastic also then becomes a waste product of the food item. Locally produced carrots are unlikely to be processed or packaged in any way, which greatly decreases their environmental impact. How about the imported carrots versus the carrots from the farm 10 miles down the road? The US imports the majority of its carrots from Belgium (USDA) that get here by plane. Airplanes consume enormous amount of fossil fuels and contribute greatly to CO2 emissions, not to mention the energy required for refrigeration and preservation of the food products while in transit. The Belgian carrots automatically have a carbon footprint that drastically exceeds the local carrots. A typical carrot must travel 1,838 miles to reach your table (Pirog and Benjamin).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even if the carrots weren’t imported and came from an American food distributor, they may still have to travel by train or truck in order to be distributed to your neighborhood supermarket. Ana amazing 20% of all of the petroleum used in the USA is used for agriculture (Prentice et al). The further the product must travel, the greater its carbon footprint; hence, locally produced food items automatically trump most others in terms of CO2 emissions.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not only does local food have low distribution implications, but it also has a wealth of other advantages. One advantage is freshness. Local food is usually purchased within 24 hours of being harvested (Prentice et al). Food also tastes best when it is fresh, as well as retains its maximum nutritional value rather than experiencing nutrient loss over a longer shelf life (Prentice et al). Additionally, buying local produce has some economic benefits by keeping money within the community. Studies have shown that small farms can help stimulate local economies by purchasing feed, seed, and other materials from other local business as opposed to large operations purchasing materials in bulk from distant companies (Flore).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is easy to realize that buying local food products and supporting local farms has a host of advantages for the producer, the consumer, and the environment. We view this as grounds to incorporate more local food into the University of Delaware’s dining options in conjunction with the student group “Slow Food on Campus.” Not only will this project create a more environmentally friendly campus and sustainable community, it will also improve student satisfaction through providing “green” options as well as create positive publicity for the University. We have devised a program plan based on our research, which is detailed in the following sections.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The University of Delaware has taken some small steps toward bringing local and fresh produce to campus.We believe these initial steps show promise and provide evidence as to why expanding this market could be profitable for the university and beneficial for students and faculty. The following is a brief description of what options the University already provides in terms of local produce, including the UD Farmer's market, the P.O.D. on Laird campus, and the farms that UD partners with. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the summer of 2010, Dining Services offered an on-campus Farmer's Market every Thursday from 11-2, featuring fresh local produce. The market was very popular, drawing customers not only for the fresh produce but also for herbs and baked goods, including pies, baguettes, and pretzels. As the season progressed, available options changed to reflect the most in-season produce. Employee Sean Tucker said that " this is one of the few places on or near campus where people can get fresh fruit and vegetables. People are really happy we are doing this” (Rhodes). =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The P.O.D. Market opened on Laird Campus during the 2009-2010 school year and is currently the only marketplace on campus to offer fresh produce. It is open later than any other on-campus food establishment and has been a popular place for students on the go. It serves as a good model to implement across campus in other market and "to-go" locations, such as the Harry Mart and Rodney Mart. =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Local farms and products**

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The university partners with a variety of local farms to provide produce to campus. An overview of these farms is listed in the appendix. Many are located in Newark and the outlying suburbs of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and Greenville, Delaware. More information, including detailed product lists, can be found using LocalHarvest.com. =====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**PROCEDURE**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Student Survey**

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We created a survey (as seen in the appendix) to be distributed among current University of Delaware graduate and undergraduate students. The survey was administered through an online host, SurveyMonkey.com. The link to said survey was distributed via email to students. Our goal, (as stated in our proposal), was to collect data from 100 students. Their responses are reflected in the charts and summary in the appendix. Data was exported by hand from SurveyMonkey to Microsoft Excel, where graphs were generated to reflect the student answers. The graphs in the appendix show the percentage of students that chose each response, as well as the average response for those questions that were asked with a scale of 1-5. =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Farmer Interviews** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We traveled to local farms in the area as listed in the appendix. The farmers were each interviewed to acquire information about what produce they can provide and their willingness to participate in the local food program we have devised. Notes were taken on these participants responses and considered in our recommendations. Since this data was not quantitative a numerical analysis can not be given. This data was to produce an idea of potential suppliers, and to find possible seasonal fluctuations of produce options. We contacted farmers prior to meeting with them, and all farms allowed us to come present them with our questions.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**ANALYSIS**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Student Survey**

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Upon inspection of our survey data, it becomes immediately apparent that UD students are in favor of local produce on campus. We obtained demographic data to give a better idea of the kinds of students responding to the survey. Of those surveyed, 78.5% were juniors and seniors, and 65% did not live on campus. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When asked whether they were interested in having local produce available on campus, they indicated they were. Their responses were given on a 1 to 5 scale in which 1 was "strongly disagree" and 5 was "strongly agree". The average response for this question was 4.06, indicating interest in local produce. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The next question attempted to assess the current level of satisfaction with local produce on campus. Since students appeared to be interested, it only makes sense to fill a potential niche market. When asked whether the current local produce options were satisfactory, the average response was 2.41, indicating some dissatisfaction. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When asked whether they would be willing to pay more for local produce, the response was somewhat ambivalent, with an average response of 3.25. 47.4% "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they would pay more for local produce, but many also had no strong feeling on the subject. Therefore, it is possible that raising prices slightly to compensate for high quality produce may be an option. This is especially true for students on a University meal plan who can use their "points" to purchase produce. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The next question asked whether students would be interested in buying goods produced by the UD Farm. The response to this was highly positive, with an average rating of 4.12. We believe that this question may have revealed an untapped market. Certainly, goods from the UD Farm are frequently sold off campus (milk from the dairy goes to HyPoint, etc.), but utilizing the fresh products on campus could be highly profitable. An expanded "Garden for the Community" idea might be beneficial, as in a later question students appeared most interested in having fresh fruit and vegetables. The Garden for the Community is currently not-for-profit, providing up to 3 tons of seasonal produce to the Food Bank of Delaware on a yearly basis (Garden for the Community). There is room for growth in that direction, especially with the amount of interest seen. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The next question addressed one of the ways in which UD has already taken steps toward offering local produce. It asked if students found produce at the P.O.D. market on campus acceptable, and the average response was 3.35 with 46.3% of responses as "Neutral". Only about 13% of students were dissatisfied with the P.O.D., which indicates to survey analysts that the University has taken a step in the right direction. Expanding a current project instead of starting a completely new one may be easier, so creating versions of the P.O.D. from the other mini-marts on campus may be a simpler way to incorporate produce on campus. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When asked if they would patronize the Farmer's Market currently operating in the summer if it was open year round, the response was positive with an average response of 3.97. Less than 5% said they would not utilize the market, and over 75% agreed that they would use such a market during the school year. Again, this may suggest that an expansion of something the University is already doing may be in order. In fact, by only having the market open in the summer, UD may be losing quite a bit of money. Although there are certainly operating costs and logistics to worry about for a winter farmer's market, the benefits would be likely to outweigh the costs. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The final questions analyzed what kinds of produce students would like, and where they would like to see it implemented. Students were allowed to choose any kind of produce and locations in which produce was desired. 96% of respondents said they would like local fruit available, and 85% indicated a desire for vegetables. 72% liked the idea of dairy products on campus, while 60% wanted salads and baked goods. Essentially, the majority of students are looking for mainly fruits and vegetables on campus. For those who don't have access to kitchen facilities, fruits are more popular than vegetables, but the majority of students surveyed live off campus. Interestingly, this may be a way to generate food revenue from those who would not normally spend money on campus on food. When asked where students would like to see produce on campus, the clear winner was Trabant Student Center, with 86.2% of students saying they would purchase produce there. About 70% of students said they would purchase produce at Perkins or one of the many mini-marts on campus, and only about 50% said they wanted to see local produce in dining halls. Again, these numbers may have to do with the demographics of students surveyed. Students living off campus are unlikely to spend much time at the mini-marts or the dining halls. Instead, they would be more likely to grab food between classes at one of the student centers, using their own money instead of a meal plan. =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Local Farms** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Through our data from interviewing local farmers, we have found our plan to be financially feasible. Each farm provides a variety of produce ranging from fruit to poultry. The produce each farm provides is further described in the "Description of Local Farms Participating" portion of the appendix. We have anticipated transportation to cost an average of $394.68 total to make a round trip to each farm and back. The total amount to travel to each farm is defined separately in the "Cost of Transportation" chart located in the appendix. However, not every farm will be visited on every trip due to changes in produce availability at different times of the year, therefore lowering the total cost. Along with the produce available, the farmers have warned us that price fluctuations may occur depending on demand for the goods. Due to this fluctuation, the exact costs of the produce cannot be determined at this time. The varying costs would be managed throughout the implementation process, and would be maintained at a predetermined cap price after our program is fully integrated.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The University of Delaware Dining Services has shown promise in incorporating and supporting locally grown produce, and continues to make efforts to do so. In fact Dining Services purchases produce through a primary vendor located in Pokomoke, MD. Local produce is available through this primary vendor seasonally. Items such as apples, asparagus, cabbage, corn, cucumbers,eggplant, escarole, collards, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, peppers, peaches, squash (acorn, butternut, zucchini and summer) watermelon, pumpkin, gourds, potatoes, yams, snow peas, apple cider, tomatoes, and mushrooms are purchased by our primary vendor through local farms when in season. Farms are located in Laurel, DE; Vineland, NJ; Assawoman, VA; Horntown, VA; Norfolk, VA; Roanoke, VA; Kingston, MD; Kennett Square PA; and Faison, NC. Local Food Project Team, along with "Slow Food on Campus," would like to be part of this continous local growth. We understand that it is not feasible to make a complete switch to only locally grown produce, especially in this economy. However, we will take advantage of the opportunity to educate the student body by advertising the current locally grown options provided. The Local Food Project Team would like to join the University of Delaware in continuing to incorporate local produce to various dining facilities across campus. Perhaps in the future UD will be able to significantly increase the amount of local produce options offered, but for now it is our task to inform students of their options and work toward supplying a greater variety.=====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Through our analysis, we were able to conclude that students, for the most part, are aware of the benefits of eating locally grown produce. To further inform and educate students, we plan to heavily promote “Hey UD Did You Know?” for thirty days. This is phase one. Each day will include local food benefits as compared to imported food. Facts about how local food positively impacts the economy and the environment will be mentioned in a way that will be applicable to college students and their lives. The "Hey UD Did You Know?" posters will be placed in various locations around campus, as well as in The Review student newspaper and in each dining hall. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The second phase involves fourteen days of spreading the word. Pictures, posters and banners will be displayed in the four dining halls- Rodney, Russell, Pencader, and Kent, as well as to the UD dining services Facebook page. The Local Food Project Team, in partnership with “Slow Food on Campus,” will also have “Local Food Speaks” days. Each Thursday of phase one, there will be stations set up outside of the dining halls with local produce, bread, and dairy samples. One of the final marketing tools to promote the initial launch is a contest. Students are highly motivated when there is a reward. Thus, the contest will consist of drawing a new dining services logo that includes the University of Delaware, dining services, and locally grown products. The winner will receive meal plan points on their accounts. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We can conclude from our research that there is a general consensus in the student body that more local produce options should be provided on campus. The Local Food Project Team agrees that the University of Delaware recognizes this problem and has started to remedy it by incorporating locally grown food products on campus. In addition to improving the local economy and lowering the University's our carbon footprint, this program will also be positive publicity for the school in general. The University of Delaware should be commended on how much local produce is available to students, we want students to know what they're eating and where it's from. =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**APPENDIX**

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Questions Posed to Local Farmers** =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1. What produce does your farm offer? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2. What are you're delivery/pick-up options? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3.How many customers do you provide for? What type of customers do you have? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">4. Have you provided for a university/school before? ===== <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">5. Are you willing to partner with the University of Delaware Dining Services?

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**"Local Foods" Survey Conducted Among UD Students** =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Survey Questions: =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">1. What best describes your academic standing at the University of Delaware? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">A: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate Student, Other =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">2. Where do you currently live on campus? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">A: On campus dorm, On campus apartment, Off campus apartment/house, Other =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Respond to the following questions on a scale from 1 to 5, 1 meaning strongly disagree and 5 meaning strongly agree =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">3. I am in interested in having local produce available on campus =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">4. The University of Delaware currently provides satisfactory local produce options to students. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">5. I would be willing to pay slightly more for fresher, local produce on campus. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">6. I would be interested in buying products from the UD Farm, including milk, ice cream, fruits and vegetables. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">7. The produce available at the P.O.D. Market is of satisfactory quality and should be expanded across campus =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">8. I would utilize the Farmer's Market on campus (currently operating in summer) if it remained open during the school year =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Choose all that apply. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">9. What kinds of local products would you like to have available on campus? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">A: Fruits, Vegetables, Salads, Baked Goods, Dairy Products. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">10. Where would you like to see local produce being offered on campus? =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">A: Trabant, Perkins, Mini-Marts, Dining Halls, Other =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** DESCRIPTION OF LOCAL FARMS PARTICIPATING ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">All following information can be found on LocalHarvest.com:

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**Kranz Hill Farm:** Located on six acres outside of Newark, Kranz Hill Farm is a project of Omnia Humanitas, a local non-profit organization dedicated to building sustainable communities and redefining education. Kranz Hill Farm specializes in heirloom and hybrid vegetables. The forty member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) can pick up produce on Tuesdays and Fridays between 4 and 6:30 pm at their White Clay Creek State Park location. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**Whimsical Farms:** This Newark, Delaware farm raises pastured pigs, wool and meat sheep, and free range chickens, primarily for eggs. Meat is processed according to customer specification in a USDA certified processing center. In addition to meat products, Whimsical Farms also sells vegetable and herb plants from certified organic seed. They offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables ranging from broccoli to peaches. The farm is open Sundays from 10-2pm for public consumption. =====

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<span style="color: #222200; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**Happy Cat Organics, LLC:** Happy Cat Organics is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and offers quality, open pollinated and heirloom seeds and seedlings. In addition to seedlings, they are a market grower of produce, culinary herbs, fruits and nursery stock. They grow potatoes, peppers, artichokes, mushrooms, peas, and a host of other products. Happy Cat Organics boasts naturally grown, organic produce and is part of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Slow Foods USA. Customers can place orders by contacting the farm directly or through their website. =====

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<span style="color: #222200; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**Down to Earth Harvest:** Down to Earth Harvest is a small farm located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania which practices strict organics. They are pursuing organic certification and provide high quality, diversified produce. They encourage balance within natural systems and implementing techniques to extend seasons. They have an 80 member CSA and offer on-site and satellite pickups of their products. The farm offers a variety of produce ranging from arugula to greens to zucchini. In addition to customers in the Kennett Square area, Down to Earth Organics works in conjunction with Philadelphia farms. They have pick ups on Thursdays from 3-7 pm and Saturdays from 9:30-3 pm in Philadelphia. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.03em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">** Coverdale Farms: ** Run by the Delaware Nature Society since 2010, Coverdale Farms is a non-profit CSA in Greenville, Delaware. The farm uses organic and sustainable farming practices to grow seven acres of mixed vegetables. Members receive weekly pickups on the farm. In addition to organic produce, the farm offers cooking classes and hosts other events to educate customers on the importance of sustainability. They produce different types of lettuce, peas, potatoes, corn, carrots and a variety of other fruits and vegetables. =====


 * COST OF TRANSPORTATION CHART**
 * || Distance*Average Cost Per Mile || Transportation Cost (Round-Trip) ||
 * Kranz Hill Farm || 0.8miles*$3.90 || $6.24 ||
 * Whimsical Farms || 9.6miles*$3.90 || $74.88 ||
 * Happy Cat Organics, LLC. || 14.5miles*$3.90 || $113.10 ||
 * Down to Eat Harvest || 13.3miles*$3.90 || $103.74 ||
 * Coverdale Farms || 12.4mile*$3.90 || $96.72 ||

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Flore, Jan L. et al. "Social and Community Impacts," in Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Study: Final Report. Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa, 2003: 148. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pirog, Rich, and Andrew Benjamin. "Checking the Food Odometer: Comparing Food Miles for Local Versus Conventional Produce Sales in Iowa Institutions." Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, July 2003. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">USDA. “U.S. Carrot Statistics.” U.S. Department of Agriculture: Economics, Statistics, and Market Information System. January 2011. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1577 =====