There is good news for students at IU who want “real food.” IU has made it a goal to increase the amount of real food they procure to 25% by 2025. Real food is food that is ecologically sound, humane, subject to fair trade and locally sourced.  As of 2019, IU is just above 7% in the amount of “real food” offered.

One-way IU plans to reach that 25% goal is to get beef and sausage from Fisher Farms in Celestine, Indiana. Fischer Farms is owned and run by Dave Fischer, who lives on the 450-acre farm. He and his family rent an extra 750 acres as well.  Fischer says he employees four people to help with the farm and each person has a specific job.

Since partnering with IU, Fischer drives to campus once a week to meet with chefs and students. In the Spring semester, students come to visit his farm and learn about the process.

“It’s really important I think, that people understand where their meat comes from and who their farmers are and to me, that’s just crucial,” Fischer said.

Fischer says he likes to dispel misinformation about farming practices when meeting with students. He says going local is very important for long term sustainability.A common piece of misinformation Fischer says he hears is about how much water farms use.

“Water is not a scarce resource in southern Indiana,” Fischer said. “It’s not a scarce resource on our farm. We have seven ponds we capture the run-off water. So, if people don’t beef because they’re afraid it will use up water. If they buy local it’s not an issue.”

When Fischer Farms first started selling direct in 2004, Fischer says he initially knocked on 17 restaurant doors in Bloomington and got one yes. Now, Fischer Farms supplies beef and sausage to multiple places in Bloomington including Nicks English Hut and IU Dining.The cows are born and raised on Fischer Farms.Fischer Farms makes weekly deliveries to IU after the cows have been butchered and processed by Sanders processing.

Fischer actually calls out to the cows when he’s out in the field. The cows respond and head toward him. Fisher says that the cows don’t respond to strangers.

 

Another source of real food at IU is through the campus farm. The campus farm provides nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, says IU dietitian Rachel Noirot.

“I think it’s a really great way to have students start to think about what food is being served and then where it’s from and not even where it’s from but how it’s produced,” Noirot said.Noirot says that the campus garden gives students the opportunity to work as well. Several classes go out for work days and help with the farm.One of the biggest priorities while looking for vendors for IU Dining is if they adhere to the real food standards, Noirot says.IU holds real food tasting events where they offer free samples of products offered on campus that are considered real food.There is still a long way to go to reach the goal of 25% real food, but Noirot says IU Dining is looking for ways to get there.