1. FOOD DAY 2015:
LOCAL FOOD DEMAND ON CAMPUS
Submitted 12-15-2015
Submitted By:
Brandon Hunt
Leah Strain
Megan Geierman
Melanie Wong
Jacob Brown

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SUMMARY
Food Day is an event focused on celebrating our food system. Our aim for the
Food Day event that we hosted was to educate about local foods and the benefits they
have on the community, provide resources for finding local food outlets, and connect the
Greater Lansing food community to Michigan State’s student body. Through these
actions we wanted to encourage MSU students to take part in our local food system.
During our Food Day event, we communicated the benefits of eating locally
produced food, while encouraging the university and its students to become larger
players in this local food system. Student engagement included a survey to better
understand interest and access to local foods, educational materials on Michigan foods,
raffle drawings for relevant prizes, and a social media activity celebrating eating local.
Allen Neighborhood Center, the MSU food bank, and the East Lansing Food Co-Op
(ELFCO) participated through educational tables. Local organizations and businesses
supported us through educational resources such as flyers and raffle prizes.
We found that the vast majority of students want to see more promotion and
labeling of local food in cafeterias and retail stores on campus. Also, we found that the
biggest obstacle for students who would like to eat locally is that they’re unsure of
where to purchase it, or that it’s not convenient for them to purchase it. In light of our
findings, we suggest that the university highlight local food by providing more on
campus, and to integrate support for Michigan products into the Spartan identity.

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INTRODUCTION
Food Day is an event that challenges campuses across the nation to rethink their
diets and buying habits. The event is sponsored by Real Food Challenge, an
organization that aims to “leverage the power of youth and universities to create a
healthy, fair and green food system.” (“The Food Project”, 2015). At Michigan State,
the event is organized by students from the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
(SAFS) minor program. Each year the students select a relevant focus building on the
research and efforts of past Food Day events.
The 2013 Food Day group gathered data through surveys distributed at four
cafeterias on campus. The surveys of about 500 students indicated that students value
local food the most (82%) out of other dining preferences, second came organic (60%),
then international cuisines (55%), and finally, Fair Trade (47%) (Harper, et. al, 2013).
The 2014 Food Day group focused their efforts on getting Michigan apples in campus
stores and cafeterias. From their findings, 82% of those surveyed said that they would
prefer a Michigan apple with a blemish to an unblemished apple from out-of-state (Allan,
et. al). The research conducted during past Food Day events provided overwhelming
evidence for strong student interest in supporting Michigan made products. This
information helped us define our scope and understand the current knowledge base on
campus regarding local food. Drawing from these statistics and our own experiences
with local food on and off campus, we decide to continue the theme of local food and
highlight the many opportunities students have to interact and support local food in the
Greater Lansing area.

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According to Eat at State’s website, Michigan State University currently partners
with over 450 local and regional farmers and vendors that supply products to various
dining halls and various retail stores on campus. The university defines local as being
250 miles from campus and regional as within 600 miles of campus (“Sustainability”,
n.d). For the Food Day event, we elected to focus on fresh produce grown in Michigan,
while highlighting the health and community benefits of a more locally oriented food
system.
One of the objectives of Food Day 2015 was to gauge the current
interest/demand of students for Michigan products. It is necessary to recognize that
our research is specific to Michigan State and the greater Lansing area. Our research
and data interpretation does not speak for all universities nor may it be feasible for other
universities. However, since food systems are of interests to a huge variety of students
and universities across the country, it is possible to compare our efforts at Michigan
State with institutional buying from other universities.
For example, Iowa State University has implemented a local food program within
their food service. Similar to MSU, Iowa State is a land grant University and holds many
of the same values that MSU does, such as promoting local food systems, supporting
state agriculture and forging a community through agriculture. ISU emphasizes the
importance of promoting and labeling of local foods on menus, packaging, and their
websites. ISU also focuses on uniting the three components of agriculture, food, and
community. Their extension work deals closely with local producers and they strive to
increase profitability through mutually beneficial relationships, and community-based

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learning. ISU extension also helps to organize events like local food festivals that have
become very popular in the state (Strohbehn, et.al, 2003).
Montana State University has also made considerable effort to include local
foods into their food service. They are presenting it to the public as an integral part of
their residential dining program. Montana State has implemented a “Montana Made”
program that “provides both outreach and resources to Montana growers, producers,
and manufactures while using the purchasing power of University Food Services to
provide an institutional marketplace that promotes our local foods community.”
(“Montana”, n.d) The University has made use of three unique logos to promote local
Montana products and sustainably raised food to their diners. This approach allows
Montana made products to become a part of the student identity on campus, this
celebration of local food spreads awareness and encourages students to adopt more
sustainable dietary habits.
Many people, including students, think that eating locally is important but may not
understand why. One important reason to eat local is to economically support the
farmers who make it possible for us to eat. Direct marketing channels, or those with
fewer intermediaries, are often used in local procurement and allow the farmer to
maximize profit to support their way of life. Another important reason to consider is that
supporting smaller farmers strengthens our state and national agricultural industry.
Furthermore, properly managed family-run farms can provide important environmental
assets to support Michigan biodiversity, so supporting local farms is important to keep
our agricultural potential strong (Martinez, 2010). In Michigan, 22% of our workforce is
powered by the agricultural and food industry. Our state is rich in agricultural history

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considering that Michigan State University is the pioneer land grant university (“Morrill”,
n.d). We have a relatively strong state-wide farm structure as approximately 95% of
Michigan farms are single-family operated or are family partnerships. In order to
maintain this high percentage, we need to continue to support local Michigan farms by
purchasing more local food products (“Michigan”, 2015). This is strengthened by the
fact that students who eat foods lacking in nutrients or who have nutrient deficiencies
have shown an increase in tardiness, hyperactivity, anxiety, aggression, low test scores,
and absences. Students who are not lacking nutrients have shown increased
concentration and higher academic performance as well as mental and physical health
improvements (Dodsworth, 2010).
Taking all of this into consideration, we have seen that introducing more local
food campaigns for campus cafeterias and retail stores is a movement which will be
supported by an eager student body, especially at a school like Michigan State that
began as an agricultural college.
RATIONALE
Michigan is the second most diverse agricultural state in the United States, our
variety of microclimates support a range of food and fiber products (“Welcome”, 2015).
With a growing public interest and investment in local and regional distribution,
providing more fresh michigan produce will create an identity that will encompass these
values. MSU has made great strides towards including more local foods into our food
service, including efforts such as “Great Lakes Plate” in South Neighborhood, the MSU
Food Truck, as well as supporting local businesses like Stone Circle Bakehouse and
Woody’s Oasis. However, we think even more can be done for fresh Michigan produce

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in MSU’s food system. Promoting Michigan agriculture by featuring Michigan products
will not only strengthen Michigan farmers, it will create a sense of appreciation and
community that can be inclusive of everyone. In addition, if the university helps to
bolster Michigan agriculture, our state will be in the position to employ/retain more
graduates which will improve Michigan’s economy overall. Our university and our state
benefits when Spartans plant their roots in Michigan. This direction is aligned with our
institutional pledge with Cultivate Michigan to increase institutional food purchasing from
Michigan sourced food up to 20% (“Cultivate”, n.d)
We know that the 2013 Food Day team found that students in cafeterias valued
local foods over other food traits (Harper, et. al, 2013). We wanted to find out how
knowledgeable MSU’s students were regarding our local food system. Our objective
was to educate the community on the local food system as well as to collect data to
pass on to decision makers within the University. We hoped to encourage both
students and administration to become larger players in the local food system by
building off our current programs, institutional history as a land grant university, and of
our research.
METHODS/ACTIVITIES
The following is our project’s general timeline:
Mid September: Submit application for space in front of the Auditorium, begin seeking
stakeholders interested in supporting our cause, delegate responsibilities to group
members
End of September: Follow up with stakeholders interested in assisting us, check on
status of event location, discuss possible activities, work on RFP

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Beginning of October: Refine activities, contact stakeholders and secure donations
Week before Food Day: Location gets approved, advertising starts, survey finalized
and printed, materials for activities secured, social media contests starts
Day of event: Activities held, surveys filled out, social media contest winner picked and
prizes distributed
After Food Day: Thank you cards written and distributed, raffle winners picked and
prizes distributed, began data analysis and final report
The space in front of the Auditorium near the Rock served as location for the
event. This central area assisted with gaining interest via foot traffic and being an easily
identifiable landmark across campus. This location was also beneficial because our
stakeholder, MSU’s Student Organic Farm, had their farmstand set up near our event,
providing a visual representation of the fresh local produce that can be grown in
Michigan. Adding to the atmosphere, a project sponsored by Farmers Feeding the
World (a marketing venture of Farm Journal Media in collaboration with industry
sponsors) called Hunger U, was set up next to us. Their focus was global hunger, but
there was a deep mutual interest in expanding food access among both of our efforts.
This made for an interesting dynamic as our events coincided with each other.
Additionally, Food Day 2014 was held in a nearby location in both prior years, so by
having the event here we continued the place recognition for the annual Food Day
event.
To secure the space for our event we jumped through multiple hoops and
university policies. With the help of our main stakeholder from the SAFS department,
Julie Cotton, we secured the location going through MSU’s Infrastructure and Planning

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(IFP) department and later MSU’s Student Life department. We also were able to rent
chairs and tables for our event through IFP for a nominal fee that can be seen in the
budget.
Our main marketing channel was social media; we created the hashtag
“#EatLocalEL” as a way to track posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram before and
during the event. We also ran a contest through the hashtag -- participants were asked
to share our event on their social media using the hashtag, a random winner received a
box of produce from the Student Organic Farm as a prize. There were roughly twenty-
eight entries from Facebook, one from Twitter, and one from Instagram. Additionally, we
used word of mouth as another way to advertise by telling friends, classmates, and
various student organizations about our event.
Food Day 2015 was held on October 22, 2015 from 12pm to 4pm. Our event
was made up multiple activities, all supporting our data collection and education efforts
regarding the MSU community’s knowledge and receptivity to local food. The activities
at our event included:
● Student survey
● DIY salad board where participants pinned images of ingredients that
made up a salad later discovering if they those ingredients could be grown
locally
● Representation and materials from: MSU food bank, Student Organic
Farm, Allen Neighborhood Center, SAFS Department, East Lansing Food
Cooperative

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● Photo-booth where participants wrote why local food is important to them
on a whiteboard and had their image taken with the board.
● Free local food, including Michigan apples and Michigan grown and
produced potato chips.
Our short survey consisted of a dozen checkbox questions. The final survey,
found in Appendix A, gave us information regarding participant profile (year, major, etc);
their current buying habits (checking labels, choice of store, etc); and allowed us to
measure their current interest in local food (paying more for local food, challenges
buying local food, etc). The surveys were printed on half sheets of yellow paper and
pens were distributed at our table. Knowing that data collection can seem somewhat
tedious for participants, we added incentives to encourage participation. Those who
participated in the survey received an entry into the raffle that included multiple gift
cards and prizes sponsored by local businesses and organizations our stakeholders.
With a maximum budget of $200 we decided to allot $50 to purchase gift cards for the
raffle (name the businesses). A few additional businesses were generous enough to
donate additional gift cards. Through the support of East Lansing Food Co-Op, Foods
For Living, Allen Neighborhood Center, as well as the SAFS department, we able to
offer $140 worth of gift cards/ store credit to six survey participants.
Attendees could also participate in our DIY salad board activity and our “What is
local to you?” photo-booth to receive additional raffle entries. Winning raffle tickets were
drawn and winners contacted via email and Facebook messages within a two week
period after our event concluded.
BUDGET

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Category Items using SAFS funding Sponsored Items Estimated Cost of
Event without
additional
sponsorship
A. Materials,
Supplies &
Publications
$2 tables (8) = $16
$0.35/chair (16) = $5.60
Educational materials = 16.12
-Tents borrowed from
Allen Neighborhood
Center and Friends (two
total)
-Cork Board borrowed
from Julie Cotton
-Supplemental handouts
offered to community
members
-Tent rental=
$200 from Events
to Rent for 10 x
20 ft
-4 x 3ft cork
board= $83.99
from Staples
-Educational
Materials= $37.72
B. Travel N/A
C. Other Direct
Costs
Hopcat gift cards for raffle=
$50
-$25 from Foods for
Living
-$15 from Allen
Neighborhood Center
(ANC)
-3 cases of Apples
(approx 150-180)
-2 cases of Great Lakes
Potato Chips (approx 80
single serving bags)
-Hopcat gift
cards= $50
-Foods for Living
gift card=$25
-ANC Market
Money= $15
-Apples= $120
-Great Lakes
Chips= $76
TOTAL A+B+C Approx. $87.72 $607.71
CONCLUSION
Over the course of the semester, our group was able to successfully promote
Food Day and the community members that were represented. Our aim was to inform
MSU students of the benefits local foods have on our community, while providing
resources for finding local food outlets and connecting the Greater Lansing food
community to MSU’s student body. Between social media outreach, word of mouth,
and the event itself, we were able to connect with many students and faculty to

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communicate the benefits of purchasing and eating locally produced foods; as well as
advocate for local foods to become a stronger part of the university’s food system.
Our findings reinforce previous studies and movements to promote local foods on
university campuses including previous Food Day events and the recent partnership
with Cultivate Michigan. There is a clear demand for an increase in the labeling and
marketing of local foods on campus. Our university has an amazing opportunity to
address the values of the student body and local community because we're located in
the heart of the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation (Michigan, 2015).
Along with our access to local foods, we have a history of supporting Michigan
agriculture. MSU is the pioneer land grant university and we have a responsibility to
carry out our mission of teaching and supporting agriculture.
This year, our team decided to look into the ways in which the university can
point students in the right direction when it comes to buying food. Our aim was to
inform students, who are transitioning from meal plans to buying food on their own, of
ways they can supplement their diet with locally produced foods. This is a crucial time
in which many students form a consumer sensibility, a time where educators can inspire
new buying habits that will benefit Michigan’s agricultural industry, and the university as
a whole.
Michigan State has already created a favorable environment for Michigan made
products, but more should be done considering current student demand. The conclusion
we have drawn, through speaking with partners for this legacy project like Colleen
Matts, is that the most effective way to integrate more local foods into a the average
student’s diet is to highlight one specific product each year, and emphasize its potential

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role in our food system. Food Day is an event that will continue to spark dialogue about
issues surrounding food. The university has an opportunity to use this event, and others
like it, to provide students with an atmosphere that is compatible with the values
outlined in the “Be Spartan Green” and “Spartans Will” media campaigns.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
We would like to acknowledge the community members who supported our event:
● Thank you to Julie Cotton from the SAFS department at MSU, without her
mentorship and guidance this project would not have been possible.
● East Lansing Co-Op and our contact person, Julia Kramer, for their gracious
donation of gift cards for our raffle and time spent speaking to students about
food co-ops at our tabling event.
● MSU’s Student Organic Farm (SOF) for their donation of a CSA share for our
social media marketing contest and participation in our tabling event. Much
thanks also goes to Joe Fox for representing SOF and Bailey Urban Farm at
SOF’s table.
● Simon Dongha Lee, the photographer who covered Food Day providing us with
beautiful images of our event.
● Foods for Living for providing us with a gift card for our raffle as well as
connecting us with Great Lakes Potato Chip company who donated two cases of
potato chips to us (approx 80 bags)
● RHS Sustainability for sponsoring us with three boxes of Michigan apples
(approx. 150-180 apples)

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● The Allen Neighborhood center for their donation of $15 of market money to use
at their farmers market, supplemental materials, and for letting us borrow their
tent.
● MSU Food Bank for participating in our tabling event providing students with
information on accessing pantry staples on campus free of charge.
Appendix A:
Survey
Year of School: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, 5th year, Graduate student,
Staff (omitted from data)
Major: Fill-in-the-blank
Campus meal plan: Yes, No
How often do you look at a food label or a display in a market or restaurant to determine
where food is grown/made? Always, most of the time, about half of the time, less than
half the time, rarely, never
Would you be willing to pay more for locally produced food, compared to what you
would pay for non-local food? Yes, maybe, no

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If yes, then how much more would you be willing to pay? 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%
Approx. what percentage of your weekly food purchase are local products? Fill-in-the-
blank
Would you like to see more labeling of local food products on campus? Yes, no
Where do you buy most of your food? Select from the following: Supermarket, cafeteria,
local independent shop, farmers market, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), don’t
buy food, other
From the following list please select the 3 most important things to you when choosing
fresh food: Price, quality, organic, animal welfare, local, amount of packaging, organic,
environment, other
Select 3 things that make it difficult for you to buy local food: Don’t know where to buy it,
more expensive, not convenient, quality not as good as supermarkets, not familiar with
foods or how to cook them, not interested, other
Where do you usually eat on campus? Cafeteria, Union, International Center, Other
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