Teresa Kopsa, an administrative associate in the Office of Research at The University of Kansas, looked over the beets, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes and other fresh organic produce lying on a table in the north parking lot of Memorial Stadium on the KU campus.
Kopsa is among the faculty, staff and students who signed up earlier this year for Crops to Campus, a partnership between KU and Common Harvest CSA to bring a local produce subscription service to the campus.
CSAs, or community-supported agriculture programs, provide weekly produce deliveries for individuals and families, who, in turn, support the farms growing the produce through the purchase of a subscription. The Common Harvest CSA program is made up of four organic farms in Douglas County: Moon on the Meadow, Buller Family Farm, The Red Tractor Farm and Juniper Hill Farms.
“It’s a bonus for both sides,” Kopsa said. “The farmer gets to sell (their produce), and we get to try new things.”
Recently, Kopsa took home boer goat meat raised at The Red Tractor Farm and used it instead of ground beef for tacos. She also recently tried roasting beets.
Two days a week, the Common Harvest CSA farms bring their harvest to designated pick-up stations: the stadium parking lot on Tuesdays and a south campus location on Fridays.
“It gives people a chance to try things they would not normally use, and they may feel a little more adventurous (in their cooking),” said Jen Humphreys, co-owner of The Red Tractor Farm, a small vegetable and goat farm that mostly sells its products at farmers markets.
Scott Thellman, owner of Juniper Hill Farms, said participating in the Crops to Campus program has given him a chance to talk directly to consumers at the pick-up sites. Juniper Hill Farms typically supplies fresh produce to local grocery stores and restaurants.
“Everyone’s really loved the produce,” Thellman said. “People who are just walking by inquire about it and how they can sign up.”
Kim Criner, education and outreach coordinator of KU’s Center for Sustainability, said the Crops to Campus program — from late May to late October — offers two types of subscriptions: a full share, with seven to eight items a week, for $18 per week, and a half share, with four to five times a week, for $13 a week.
“The subscriber is investing capital into the small farm and shares in the harvest,” Criner said.
Like KU, Kansas State University also brings locally produced/processed foods to its campus — mostly for use in its dining services.
Mary Molt, associate director of K-State’s Department of Housing and Dining Services and assistant professor of hospitality management and dietetics, said Dining Services purchases locally produced/processed meat, milk, flour, fruits and vegetables “as much as we can” to feed 4,500 students during the academic year.