Janeal Downs
Contributing Writer
VCU Dining Services held the first Local Food Day in Shafer Dining Court on Tuesday.
Students sampled locally grown food from farmers at the event. Local food days are a portion of the new Healthy for Life Program, which promotes and educates students on healthy eating habits and buying local food.
As students made their way to Market 810, they were encouraged to sample Mountain View Orchard Asian Pears.
“I think they’re delicious. I love Asian pears,” said freshman business major Jack Koretke as he and other students sampled the pears.
Mountain View Orchard, Tuesday’s featured farmer, is one of the many local produce food businesses that is associated with VCU through Produce Source, a local food distribution company. Produce Source has provided the university with local food items for more than a year and helps represents produce farmers of Virginia.
“We want the students to sample the pears and then they can see where they’re coming from and hopefully they’ll want more local products,” said Produce Source representative Deborah Ford.
VCU also purchases local tofu, tempeh and vegan sausages from Twin Oaks Community Foods, bread from Flowers Baking Co. and dairy from Pet Dairy in Petersburg, Va., according to the VCU Goes Green website.
The next Local Food Day will be Oct. 8 and will feature local apples from Charlottesville grower Crown Orchard.
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