The College Food Project: Economic Impact

    UW-Madison’s Memorial Union caters food for many events on campus, including large summer conferences. In July 2001, the Union served four mostly organic and locally grown meals to 1,000 plant scientists at the Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions Congress. Here is a budget for the local food served at that event:

    Farm or Farmer Cooperative Location Food Supplied Price
    Wisconsin Pasturelands Coop of pastured meat producers in southern Wisconsin Chicken and beef

    $3,250.41

    Homegrown Wisconsin Coop of 20 organic farmers in southern Wisconsin Vegetables and eggs

    2,694.25

    Spicer Family Farms Avoca, Wisconsin Strawberries and rhubarb

    845.00

    Cherokee Bison Farms Colby, Wisconsin Bison

    604.05

    Cedar Grove Cheese Plain, Wisconsin Cheese

    282.80

    Rushing Waters Palmyra, Wisconsin Smoked trout

    261.76

    Organic Valley Coop of over 200 organic farmers, based in LaFarge, Wisconsin Pork, turkey, dairy

    1,425.44

    Blue Farm Janesville, Wisconsin Corn chips
    —–
    Scenic Valley Jersey Cheese Darlington, Wisconsin Cheese
    —–
    Schickert’s Mushrooms Campbellsport, Wisconsin

    119.00

    Total income generated for Wisconsin farmers

    $9,482.81