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  • From: "Kevin Ancell" <kancell AT goodearthgardens.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Producers find a market at school
  • Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 10:27:58 -0700

Producers find a market at school




By Kristy Hebert 12/19/2002




Slippery Rock University hopes to offer students fresh vegetables by working
with local farmers, and, meanwhile, help to sustain local agriculture.

SALEM, Ohio - For producer Don Kretshmann, joining a cooperative made sense.

He could sell his vegetables to more businesses and break into a new market.

So when several other producers also expressed interest, Kretshmann and the
other farmers near Butler County, Pa., formed a co-op called Pennsylvania
Local Organic Works.

Agreement. Slippery Rock University students think the co-op sounds good,
too - good to their taste buds.

For the university's local food liaison, Heather House, working with the
co-op sounds like a win-win situation - the students and faculty get fresh
produce and the farmers have another outlet for selling their product and
hopefully sustaining their operations, which is House's main goal.

Eating something that has been shipped 1,500 miles doesn't make sense to her
when she could eat the same thing grown by one of the farmers in her own
community.

P.L.O.W. Kretshmann's co-op, better known as P.L.O.W., worked with the
university last summer and provided fresh vegetables for the faculty dining
room.

The university and ARAMARK, the school's food service supplier, were pleased
with the positive feedback and decided to expand the program to include
student dining areas, House said.

Although the university is reportedly still talking with P.L.O.W., House
said the organization is cost prohibitive because it sells organic
vegetables. The university is also talking with other producers about co-op
possibilities.

As an alternative to a co-op, the university is also looking at supporting
local farmers through New Wilmington auction house.

House said the auction meets the insurance requirements and has a large
number of high-quality vegetables from local producers.

Joining sides. Kretshmann stresses that farmers need to work together.

Large farms have the advantage because they produce more and have more
outlets than small farms. Therefore, small farms are disappearing.

Co-ops can have the same advantage as large farms if they work together,
Kretshmann said. This, he hopes, will sustain smaller producers.

Requirements. To work with the university, cooperatives must have proper
insurance coverage, a predictable ordering schedule, be subject to corporate
inspections and approved as a vendor, House said.

Kretshmann said it's also important for the co-op to be able to match the
buyer's requirements.

For example, when a co-op is selling to a grocery store, it must ticket the
produce with the store's labels and use packaging the store is familiar
with.

The cooperative's quality standards must also be consistent with industry,
commercial standards.

Concerns. House admits that producers have concerns.

ARAMARK currently has frequent deliveries, predictable service and
standardized packaging.

"I have no doubt that farmers in our area can match them," House said, but
the cooperative will need to be well organized.

Another question producers are asking is who sets the price.

Farmers set the price, House said, however, it is up to university whether
it will pay that amount.

This concerns farmers who are worried about getting stuck with their
product.

Because there aren't contracts in advance, Kretshmann said the business is
risky.

Producers also want to know whether the university has storage facilities
for produce like potatoes and carrots, which last longer.

The answer is "no," House said.

Farmers reason that if the university had more storage space, they would
feel more comfortable knowing the university could buy more produce.

Reasonable supply? ARAMARK offers a large salad bar daily that local
producers could help fill with their vegetables - if they can provide the
volume needed.

"We're talking thousands of pounds of lettuce each week," House said. "A
valid question is whether the supply is even there."

Cost is also a concern, House said. "Cost is definitely an issue, but if
quality is that much better, a little more money is worth it," she said.

Prime growing. Another hurdle is that the prime vegetable growing season is
August and September. Classes don't start until September, so if producers
want to provide more produce, they would have to extend their growing
season.

For more information about Slippery Rock University's program, call House at
724-738-2647.

For more information about P.L.O.W., contact Kretshmann at 724-452-7189.

(You can contact Kristy Hebert at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 23, or by e-mail at
khebert AT farmanddairy.com.)




  • [Market-farming] Producers find a market at school, Kevin Ancell, 12/20/2002

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