Good, Fresh, Local is Feature
of Nebraska Dinners

This fall starts a new residence hall dining project at UNL using locally produced foods. Pam Edwards, Assistant Director of University Dining Services at UNL, recently explained the Nebraska Sustainable Food Project to attendees at the Congressman Tom Osborne’s Ag Entrepreneur Training Camp.

Edwards told the group that this project is designed to serve traditional dinner selections where the menu ingredients:

• Come mostly from small Nebraska producers
• Are produced using sustainable agricultural practices
• Include certified organic products
• Are seasonal

This pilot project will be kicked off at the Cather/Pound/Neihardt Dining Service this fall with special meals.

The University Dinner Services/University Housing is partnering with the Food Processing Center and the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center to launch this program. Pam Edwards is the contact person in the dining services at 402-472-9045 or

e-mail at pedwards1@unl.edu. Mark Hutchison is the contact at the Food Processing Center at 402-472-0381 or e-mail at mhutchison1@unl.edu. Elaine Cranford is the contact for the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at 402-472-1748 or e-mail: eklaege1@unl.edu.

Because of their quantity needs, one small producer may not be able to provide enough product for the dining service. To promote this program with small producers, different producers with the same product could be used at the same time.

This program is patterned after some similar programs at other college campuses across the nation.

Producers interested in being involved in this program need to fill out a Producer Information Sheet so that the dining services are aware of what products are available.

Those sheets can be obtained by contacting the above persons or contacting your local NBDC /PTAC office.

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