ADVICE COLUMN CONTEST REMINDER

With more students wanting organic foods, colleges and universities across the nation are exploring
their options – and students love it! Organic produce, meats and cheeses, as well as all-natural,
ready-to-eat, products, like Kashi®, have the potential to bring you new sales from new customers
you are not reaching now. Schools that offer natural and organic choices have found it definitely
takes long-term commitment, but the benefits, such as supporting the local economy, increasing
profit potential, and gaining the loyalty of your students, are well worth the effort.

Why go “organic”?

The popularity of organic foods is growing. US and European sales of organic food and drinks
were $31.8 billion in 2005 and are projected to rise to $58.9 billion by 2010.1 Also, according to a
survey of U.S. chefs by the National Restaurant Association, locally grown and organic produce are
two of the hottest trends in foodservice.2 The University of California, Berkeley found organic was a profitable way to do business, as well. “A lot of people go into organic because they think it’s the
right thing to do for health, wellness and sustainability. We realized that it is also the smart and
profitable thing to do, not to mention the great tasting thing to do if you want to succeed long-term,”
said Shawn LaPean, Director, Cal Dining.

Overcoming the hurdles

Planning
The University of Kansas’ “MarketFresh” organic concept is still in its infancy but operators have already learned that it takes careful planning to grow an organic business. “We’ve seen too many college operations put together a quick organic operation that falls apart when the vendors can’t deliver
quantity or consistent quality,” said Marketing Manager Shant Thomas. “All it takes is letting
your students down once and it can take years to regain that trust and volume again.”

Consider certification

Although it may seem intimidating at first, the organic certification process can yield great
success and earn the loyalty of your customers. “Being able to offer and promote that your
operation is fully certified means a lot. We felt having that certification would make a difference
to our students and as it turned out, it did,” said LaPean. “I get calls and emails every week from other dining services directors and even some students that want a program like this on their own campus.”