Since 2004, Valley Food & Farm has been coordinating a project designed to create direct or wholesale accounts between New Hampshire and Vermont farmers and Dartmouth Dining Services (DDS). The intent is to create 10 profitable and satisfying accounts between local farmers and Dartmouth College, and to heighten student awareness of locally grown food.

We have met and surpassed our goal! These are some of the farms that have established successful new accounts with Dartmouth Dining Services in the timeframe of Farm to Dartmouth: Riverview Farm (Plainfield NH, apples), Edgewater Farm (Plainfield NH, melons, strawberries, vegetables), MacLennan Farm (Windsor VT, corn on the cob, raspberries), Yankee Farmers Market (Warner NH, buffalo burger), PT Farms (Haverhill NH, beef), Celtic Moon Elk Farm (Plainfield NH, elk sausages and burger), Misty Knoll Farm (New Haven VT, free-range chicken), Walhowden Farm (Lebanon NH, maple syrup, apples, apple cider), Pete & Gerry’s (Monroe NH, humanely raised eggs), and Champlain Orchards (Shoreham VT, apples, apple slices for baking, applesauce, apple cider).

In 2006, the College purchased $260,301 worth of food from New Hampshire and Vermont farms, up from $230,739 in 2004. Ten years ago, the amount of food (other than milk) that Dartmouth purchased from area farms was close to zero, according to David Newlove, associate director of dining services. “We’ve come a long way,” he says. The number of farms and area distributors that Dartmouth works with has also increased, from 8 in 2004 to 23 in 2006.

During the summers of 2006 and 2007, DDS purchased about a dozen varieties of produce directly from local farms, including strawberries, watermelons, onions, beets, summer squash, green beans, lettuce, corn, carrots, green and red peppers, and cucumbers. They were sold on campus at the Food Court, Home Plate Courtyard Cafe and Collis Cafe. Over each winter DDS commits to buying produce again from specific area farmers, and does so all summer long.