Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
ۿ۴ýUniversity ۿ۴ý once again have the opportunity to consume wholesome nutritious food grown on campus. Fresh vegetables, including those organically and conventionally grown by ۿ۴ý using hydroponic technology, are being served in the cafeteria as part of the TU2U Initiative.
Feeding ۿ۴ý vegetables grown on campus by the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences is not new. As early as 1882, ۿ۴ý could be found on the university’s campus participating in programs that provided food to individuals matriculating on campus.
It was a student suggestion last year that turned into a program that provides the food being grown on campus to TU ۿ۴ý. This builds on initiatives that CAENS has already in place for the past couple of years through state programs that provide carrots, bell peppers, fresh blackeyes peas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, zephyr squash, collard greens, kale,m mustard greens and more to schools within Alabama. They include Elmore County schools, as well as several Macon County schools, the D.C. Wolfe School in Shorter, Booker T. Washington High School, George Washington Carver Elementary School, Notasulga High School, ۿ۴ýInstitute Middle School and ۿ۴ýPublic School.
“This work goes back to 1882 when our agriculture department fed our ۿ۴ý,” said Dr. Olga Bolden-Tiller, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences. “This is a joint effort with the university, ۿ۴ý and Perkins Management Services to help source nutritious, wholesome food in our cafeteria.”
The launch of TU2U and vegetable distribution to locals is timely as it was aligned with the university’s 133rd Annual Farmers Conference last week. That event was originally named the “Peoples Conference,” aimed to provide training on advances in agricultural production while emphasizing the importance of nutrition.
“We have always had a day celebrating Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver who continue to serve as educational resources for people in the community,” she said. “We are teaching people about nutrition and starting here at home. We look to work with local farmers to provide produce we don’t source here on campus.”
On Friday, ۿ۴ýUniversity ۿ۴ý were able to enjoy the first weekly installment of food grown on campus being delivered to the cafeteria.
“This is another example of how ۿ۴ýUniversity and its ۿ۴ý are working to solve the world’s most complex problems,” said Dr. Mark A. Brown, President and CEO. “Our ۿ۴ý wanted to take advantage of organic food being grown on campus to create an additional healthy option. This is going to benefit our ۿ۴ý immediately and the larger community in the near future. That’s the ۿ۴ýWay!”
Amare’ Hardee is a senior Accounting major from Tallahassee, Florida and the university’s 66th Student Government Association President. He said watching a student ask a question during a Town Hall turn into an initiative that feeds the community has been a joy of his tenure.
“Once I got into my presidency it was a priority for me,” said Hardee. “Dr. Brown talked about ۿ۴ýentering the renaissance period because of initiatives like this. It’s a testament of Dr. Brown’s leadership.”
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