Chef Jordan Rogers (L) and farmer Johnny Blakley (R) at Wake Forest University’s #TasteTheLocal event.

April 2017 — NC Growing Together is working with a new “partner”: CEFS’ University Foods Systems: Farm to Campus, Campus to Farm initiative (UFOODS).   UFOODS seeks to network campuses with their local food communities, specifically to develop new market opportunities for producers.  “These two food supply chain efforts complement each other,” says NCGT Project Manager Rebecca Dunning, who also works with the UFOODS initiative. “Connections made through one initiative can often be plugged into the other.”

An example of leveraging connections is Johnny and Robin Blakley of Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery in Germanton, NC.  Johnny Blakley attended NCGT’s HACCP workshop for cheese producers, Artisanal, Safe and Efficient: The Way Forward for Dairy Producers, in Greensboro last October, and in February, attended NCGT partner FreshPoint’s tour and information session in Charlotte.  So when Wake Forest University’s dining program, managed by Aramark, mentioned that they were looking for a local farmer to participate in a university dining event, Dunning suggested the Blakleys, who live just ten miles from campus.

The Blakleys supplied their goat cheese to the university’s first #TasteTheLocal Farmer Series event on March 29.  Aramark Wake Forest University’s Executive Chef Jordan Rogers turned their fresh chevre into goat cheese cheesecake and their raw milk aged goat cheese was used in tomato herb tartlets.  The event was a huge success.  “The goal of these events is to make the students aware of the good local foods that are available in our area. This was our first event and the students loved it. I would say we had 300 students stop by our table,” says Rogers.  ” We want to be sustainable on campus, support our local economy, and do the right things to preserve our environment,” he adds.

Johnny Blakley enjoyed the event as well.  He and Robin frequently sell out of their products at the Farmers Market and are considering expanding into ice cream production.  If they do that, they might have their first market waiting for them right down the road at Wake Forest University.

UFOODS is currently creating a “How it Works” Handbook for farmers and local food advocates on how to engage in campus food supply chains, and in partnership with the NC 10% Campaign’s Local Food Ambassador Program, is creating Campus Local Food Guides at six Historically Black or American Indian public universities in North Carolina.  For more information about UFOODS, please visit www.ufoodsnc.com.

This article originally appeared in the April 2017 NC Growing Together Newsletter.