Davidson- last day!

Today we scoped out the Davidson Farmer's Market (http://davidsonfarmersmarket.org/local-producers/). Bought some yummy cheese, sweet potatoes, sour cream, and greens. We used these ingredients along with other ingredients (tortilla wraps, salsa, etc.) that we had purchased from the Harris Teeter to make sweet potatoe quesadillas!

At Davidson

We had a late breakfast/lunch at the Union Cafe. I ordered eggs and toast. I am not sure if the eggs were local, but there were no other options for breakfast.

For dinner, we ventured to the grocery store, Harris Teeter to buy some ingredients to make spinach ricotta pizza for dinner. I sent an email to the communiation specialist, Catherine Rheul at Harris Teeter inquiring about their suppliers. In response to several questions, here are a few excerpts of her responses:

• Regarding organic products: As the organic food industry started to take hold in the marketplace and our customers began voicing their opinions about the importance of having organic food options in 'their' Harris Teeter we stayed true to our pledge to provide the best in customer service and the highest quality product; we responded by not only introducing organic foods to our product mix but by also developing our own HT Naturals product line. We began to steadily introducing organic products into our stores, all the while educating our customers about the new offerings. We launched our own HT Naturals brand in April 2002 and, as our company launched the HT Naturals product line, we also continued to introduce other organic items into our stores and quickly established long-term relationships with multiple organic farmers. By 2004, we not only carried HT Naturals products but also an additional 50 shelf stable and 35 fresh organic items. Currently, 94% of our HT Naturals products are certified organic. These include peanut butter, juices, cereals, canned vegetables, macaroni & Cheese, fresh products and much more. All organic items are labeled with our organic logo.
• Regarding locally grown products: Harris Teeter also places a strong emphasis on supporting locally grown produce. It is another way Harris Teeter can stay true to its pledge to provide a wide variety of the highest quality products while helping improve the environment and local economies. When you see the Locally Grown logo on a product it means the produce has traveled 6 or fewer hours from the farm to facility. This shorter drive time reduces the carbon footprint on our environment while supporting local farmers and their neighborhoods.

Fly to Charlotte, NC

I woke up early today to catch my flight to Charlotte, NC to visit two of my best friends from home, Jacqui and Jenny, who go to school at Davidson College. When I arrived, we went to their Union Cafe, a small eaterie in their student center. There I was surprised to find locally grown fruit, and my friend Jacqui bought me an apple.

For dinner that night we went to their main dining hall, Commons. This dining hall was similar to the Ratty at Brown, except it had much fewer options. I was, again, surprised that the cafeteria had local produce, such as local lettuce and tomatoes. I made myself a salad with this local produce and also got some pasta as a supplement.

After doing some research, I found that students at Davidson have implemented a Dining Services Sustainability Program for 2009-2010. Products offered included Fair Trade Coffee, an organic herb and vegetable garden and purchasing a substantial amount of its produce locally.