Grand Valley Magazine Winter 2015 - (Page 4)

CA M P US NE W S Farm to table now on campus Students, faculty and staff members at Grand Valley are adding a Laker flavor to the farm-to-table concept. In a new partnership between the Office of Sustainability Practices and Campus Dining, produce grown on campus is now being incorporated into meals served on campus. Herbs and vegetables are grown, harvested and packaged at Grand Valley's Sustainable Agriculture Project, a hands-on farming space that allows students, faculty and staff members to learn about sustainable agriculture. Then, the produce is purchased, prepared and served at Engrained, a campus restaurant located in The Connection on the Allendale Campus. "The produce is grown less than a few miles from the restaurant where it's being prepared and served," said Dave Feenstra, project manager for the Sustainable Agriculture Project. "It's a beneficial collaboration that exposes students to where food comes from." Before the produce could be sold and served, a food risk safety assessment through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development had to be completed, which included inspections of equipment and procedures at SAP. Feenstra said students and staff members who harvest the produce completed an extensive training program to learn about food safety. Aaron Johnson, food services director for The Connection and sustainability manager for Campus Dining, said the collaboration began about two years ago. "The partnership aligns with Grand Valley's commitment to sustainability. It fosters education and community engagement among members of the campus community," he said. SAP was established in 2008 and includes two hoophouses used for fall and winter vegetable production and a community supported agriculture program. GVM ONLINE Watch a video of farm to table at www.gvsu.edu/gvmagazine. At left, Rick Roberts, from Campus Dining, accepts produce from Youssef Darwich, a student who works at the Sustainable Agriculture Project. The initiative brings fresh herbs and vegetables from SAP to a campus restaurant. photo by Amanda Pitts Trustees approve property exchange to grow health professions, nursing Grand Valley's Board of Trustees approved a property exchange and purchase in downtown Grand Rapids to enable the university to expand its growing programs in nursing and health professions. The approval came at a special board meeting held December 9 to consider 4 Winter '15 the property deal with Spectrum Health. Grand Valley is trading its parking lot on Lafayette Avenue for a Spectrum Health parking lot located next to Grand Valley's Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences on Michigan Street. Grand Valley's Lafayette lot is slightly less than an acre (.88 acres) and is located within the Heritage Hill neighborhood. Spectrum Health's parking lot is 1.4 acres located on Michigan Street, providing more options for Grand Valley for future expansion on the site. In addition to the swap of land, Grand Valley will pay Spectrum Health $1.85 million in recognition of the differences in size, location and appraised value of each parcel. The university also owns property on the north side of the I-196 expressway, which is planned for additional health campus expansion over the next 25 years. http://www.gvsu.edu/gvmagazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Winter 2015

Campus News
Athletics
Donor Impact
Arts
RMSC celebrates silver anniversary
Get a job
Another man's treasure
YGR
Research
Sustainability
Q&A George Grant Jr.
Off the Path
Focal Point
Alumni News

Grand Valley Magazine Winter 2015