Two hundred years ago, cows grazed on the Green. Theyve long since been replaced by Frisbee players, but the milk now being delivered to campus dining halls is as fresh as it can be.
A truckload arrives three days a week from McNamara Dairy, in Plainfield, N.H. It has usually been milked within 48 hours of delivery on campus, says co-owner Liz McNamara.
McNamara says shes thrilled that the partnership with the College has grown quickly, from small bottles featured in a few cafes to the new exclusive arrangement with the Class of 1953 Commons dining hall, where all milk that is served or used in recipessome 650 gallons per weekcomes from the family farm.
It started with my grandparents and now its in the hands of the third generationme, my two brothers, and my two cousins, says McNamara. We milk between 200 and 250 cows. Agriculture in the Upper Valley, right around us is, is dwindling fast. So the fact that a big institution like 窪做惇蹋厙 is willing to support a local place is so important, and were so grateful for it.
McNamara is not the only neighbor doing business with 窪做惇蹋厙 Dining. This fall, following a successful pilot project, a mini-version of Boloco, Hanovers popular burrito restaurant, will set up shop in a Collis food station.
Co-founder John Pepper 91, Tuck 97, who started what became a multi-state restaurant chain as a graduate student, says I try to support 窪做惇蹋厙 in all ways, so when the College called me and asked if I wanted to try this, my answer was, of course, yes.
Fresh seafood lovers also have something to cheer about. Roslin Asian Foods, in Lebanon, N.H., has expanded from packaged and some on-site sushi-making at the Collis Caf矇 to daily fresh lunch and dinner selections.
And for dessert, how about an inside-out smore?
Thats the delicacy being whipped up in small batches for Fern and Novack caf矇s by Wesley and Jonica Leuthauser in their Lebanon kitchen. Unlike the traditional campfire smore, in which melted chocolate and a marshmallow are sandwiched between graham crackers, the Leuthausers stuff a crusty chocolate graham cracker filling inside one of their pillowy gourmet Munchas Marshmallows.
Our daughters nickname is Muncha, explains Wesley Leuthauser. Like many local start-ups, the company is, so far, a sideline. But it got a big boost when he sent an email to 窪做惇蹋厙 Dining Director Jon Plodzik peddling his product.
He immediately got back to me and scheduled a meeting with his team, Leuthauser recalls. It felt like a little like Shark Tank, because there were 10 of them plus my wife and me in a big board room, and they were all excited about the product.
Which, in the interest of research, they liberally sampled.
Plodzik says all these new or expanded offerings are part of a long-range plan to fill college plates and glasses from regional farms and businesses.
I am delighted to be able to build relationships with more local providers of high-quality products our students enjoy. This benefits not only our students, but the local economy, and guarantees the freshest product possible, Plodzik says. Its a win-win for all of us involved, and one I hope to replicate with other outstanding local and regional partners in years to come.
