Gator Dining Services - sustain Farmers

Food is a part of our daily lives. What we eat, how it gets to us, the ways in which it is grown, produced, and/or processed - all of these things have far-reaching effects on our society and our environment. As part of Gator Dining's commitment to sustainability, we strive to source as much of our food from local and organic sources as possible.

We place preference on purchasing locally in three tiers:

1. From within 250 miles of campus
2. Within the state of Florida
3. Within the Southeast U.S. (GA, AL, TN, SC, NC, MS)

Did you know that food travels an average of 1,500 miles before reaching our plates? Here is a snapshot of some of our partnerships with local growers and businesses - helping to reduce the miles food travels to reach us while supporting our local economy.

Artie's Tempeh

Tempeh is a traditional soy product that is high in protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins.
Artie's Tempeh is made 2.5 miles from campus and is delivered via bicycle.
Look for this product at the Vegan Stations in our dining halls, Croutons and our Natural Selections Catering Menu
http://www.artiestempeh.com

Sweetwater Organic Coffee

Variety of roasts and flavored coffee including Gator Glory Blend
Local roasted 2.5 miles from campus
Fair Trade Federation, Rainforest Alliance, and USDA Organic certified
http://www.sweetwaterorganiccoffee.com

Sweet Dreams Ice Cream

Locally made 2 miles from campus
Variety of flavors, can customize upon request
Make their homemade ice cream, sorbet and Italian ice every Monday
Custom ice cream cakes and ice cream sundaes
http://www.gainesvilleicecream.com

Marty Wert's Organic Citrus Grove

Available December through March in the Dining halls, look for them in the gray tubs or wooden baskets
Quantities and citrus availability vary
Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, and more
Grown 22 miles from campus in Melrose, Florida
20 acre organic citrus grove
First generation farm
Marty Wert is UF's Grounds Manager

Deep Creek Berry Farm

The farm specializes in thornless blackberries
Farm opens around May 25th every year
Blackberries available until last week of June or first week of July, depending on the season
U-pick or pre-packaged options
Grown 34 miles from campus in Interlachen, Florida
Chemical-free farm
http://www.deepcreekberryfarm.com/index.html

Fresh Point Produce

Fresh Point is our produce supplier that works with 35+ Florida farms to supply to Gator Dining
Gator Dining and Fresh Point work closely to work with local farmers to source UF students with local fresh produce
Here is a list of a few farms that we source via Fresh Point
- Gro-Eco in Madison, FL
- Lambeth Groves in Vero Beach, FL
- Wishnatzki Farms in Plant City, Fl
- Winter Park Dairy in Winter Park, FL
- High Springs Orchard in High Springs, FL
- Driscolls in Dover, FL
For more information and farmer bios - www.eatfloridafresh.com
For what is local now go to http://northflorida.freshpoint.com/pos.php?ID=29&pos=NOprices

Crawford's Organic Vegetables

25 acre family-owned farm
Grows cucumbers, eggplant, squash, bell peppers, sweet corn, and beans
Certified organic farm
Grown 29 miles from campus in Lake Butler, Florida
Coming Soon to Gator Dining!

Lambeth Groves

Supplies Florida orange and grapefruit juices to Gator Dining
Grown in Melbourne, Florida
Dedicated to ensuring "maximum freshness"
Gator Dining works with this farm through Fresh Point, our produce distributor
http://www.lambethgroves.com

Uncle Matt's Organics

Florida's largest organic citrus producer
Makes Organic Orange Juice, Lemonade, Apple Juice and Grapefruit Juice
Look for their juice on our Natural Selections Catering Menu

Florida Fresh Meat Company

Headquartered in Ocala, FL in Marion County
100% Grass-Fed & Grass Finished, no hormones or no antibiotics
Beef, Lamb, pork, chicken, goat, duck and gator meat as well as cage-free eggs
Available with our Natural Selections Catering Menu
http://www.floridafreshbeef.com

White Oak Pastures

Raised and processed in Bluffton, GA
Grass-fed, humanely treated, and all-natural
Family-run farm for 5 generations
No nitrates used in processing
http://www.whiteoakpastures.com
Available with Classic Fare Catering Natural Selections Menu

Kurtz and Sons Dairy

Located in Live Oak, Florida
Grass-fed and naturally-raised cattle
Farmer Bubba Kurtz has been in the beef and dairy business for 30 years
Supplies yogurt, drinkable yogurt, milk, and beef to Classic Fare Catering for special events
Available with Classic Fare Catering Natural Selections Menu

UF IFAS Meat Processing Center

Located in Gainesville, Florida
Federal (USDA-FSIS) inspected facility within the Department of Animal Sciences
Mission is to facilitate teaching, extension and research programs for the Animals Sciences Department
http://www.animal.ufl.edu/facilities/meat
Available with Classic Fare Catering Natural Selections Menu

Sysco Jacksonville

Sysco is our main supplier for our food across campus
Sysco works with many North Central Florida food producers to source Gator Dining with local items
- Village Bread & Bagels in Jacksonville, FL
- Beaver Street Fisheries in Jacksonville, FL
- Mayport C&C Fisheries in Jacksonville, FL
- Annie Euro American Bakery in Longwood, FL
- Dixie Egg Company in Jacksonville, FL
- White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA
- Sunset Farm Foods in Valdosta, GA

TG LEE Dairy

TG LEE Dairy serves as our milk supplier for campus
They have two processing facilities in Orlando and Orange City, FL
They source their milk through multiple dairy farms throughout the Florida and Georgia

Flowers Bakery

Flowers Bakery is headquartered in Thomasville, GA and has a processing plant in Jacksonville, FL
A majority of the bread served in our dining halls are made within a 250 mile radius of Gainesville, FL