 "Photo:")
With eating organic becoming a more common lifestyle, Miami University has had to increase its options to incorporate the growing trend.
Paula Green, associate director for dining and culinary support, said Miami has always been dedicated to serving vegetarian options, which led to the addition of vegan options and now organic and natural foods.
"The taste of the students has changed and once organics hit the larger market we started opening markets on campus," Green said.
According to the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card for Miami University, dining services spends $2.4 million annually on local and organic products and disposable food containers.
Karen Recker, manager of culinary services, said in February 1972 Miami administrators met with vegetarian students to discuss substantial vegetarian options for the 45 vegetarian students recorded at Miami.
Now, Recker said vegan and vegetarian options are integrated throughout every dining hall, including more recent options like Dividend$ and La Mia Cucina.
Recker said Miami tries to use vegetarian bases when they can, instead of meat, to ensure those foods are available to all students.
Junior Liz Kirkham, a speech pathology and audiology major, has been vegan since summer 2006.
She said she became a vegetarian after researching animal agriculture and factory farming and became vegan four weeks later.
Kirkham lived near Alexander Hall as a first-year and was able to use that dining hall. She said one way Miami can improve its vegetarian and vegan services is to better educate staff on the differences between vegan and vegetarian.
"There are so many people working and it's hard for everyone to know the same standards," Kirkham said.
Kirkham said she looks up the ingredients of vegan dishes at the dining hall buffets before going.
"When I got there the labels didn't match up, the nutrition facts listed cholesterol," she said. "Cholesterol is only found in animal products. That led to a little bit of distrust."
Kirkham said after pointing out this mistake to a staff worker, there was little compassion from them.
Kirkham said the university does do a good job at spreading awareness and letting students know that other options are available.
Junior architecture major Stephen Young has been eating organic foods for four years. He said while he doesn't strictly eat organic, he loves having the option available.
"It's a necessary thing to consider vegans and vegetarians," Young said. "There's not enough of an effort (at Miami), but they're aware of it and are carrying more brands now."
Young said with Miami being a healthy-conscious campus more people will start trying organic and vegetarian foods, even if they're not vegan or vegetarian, but because it's a healthy choice.
Green said for her, sales are the best feedback.
"I had a mother approach me and told me her daughter, who lives near Alexander Hall, was thrilled with the vegetarian options," Green said. "That makes us feel good."
Green said one of Miami's suppliers of organics is United Natural Foods, one of the largest in the U.S.
"In the past three years we've turned our focus to increasing local purchasing," Green said. "There's a great batch of local farmers with amazing products and while they can't supply all our needs, we get specialty items from them."
William Renwick, chair of the geography department, said while organic agriculture is labor intensive, it's not chemical intensive.
"It's more environmentally friendly than conventional agriculture," Renwick said. "The only downside is it's expensive."
Diana Byrd has been the manager of Market Street at MacCracken for three years. Her market has the largest selection of organic foods available on campus.
"We have a suggestion board by the door because it's convenient, and we like to know that we can accommodate our customers," Byrd said.
Byrd said Market Street offers nearly 50 organic freezer options, ranging from fruits and vegetables to tacos and cookie dough.
The markets around Miami sell name-brands like Kashi, Amy's, Gardenburger and Annie Chun.
"Students are used to having these foods available at home and this generation is very healthy," Byrd said.
Kirkham said when she began school at Miami she was a frequent shopper at Greystone Market. Now she shops frequently at Market Street.
"The other markets were all hit-or-miss," Kirkham said. "They'd have something one week and not the other."
Byrd said she stocks everything from organic apples and eggs, soy milk, organic fruit snacks and even organic peanut butter and jelly.
Kim Kaczorowski, visiting instructor in the English department and a vegan, said she eats at the Shriver Center occasionally, but the selection lacks variety in vegan options.
"There's vegetable soup, wraps and salads," Kaczorowski said. "It needs improvement, but I shop at Kroger because I like to cook and it's easy to get vegan there."
With elaborate and expanding organic sections at places like Kroger and Jungle Jim's International Market, Green said it only confirms Miami's need to pay attention to it as well.
