In continuation of Miami University dining hall's themed dinners, Thursday highlighted local farmers and their produce. Promoting local producers is a trend that's not only followed by the Oxford Farmers Market Uptown (OFMU), but also by a Wilkes Scholars initiative and the use of dairy products in Tuffy's. The editorial board of The Miami Student believes the cooperation between local farmers and on-campus venues is a crucial development and is important to showing students the benefits of local agriculture and supporting local suppliers in the face of rising food and transportation costs.
The connection between the university and farmers in the area helps support and promote local culture. The tradition of farming in southwestern Ohio should not be overlooked, and by hosting a local produce themed dinner, Miami has shown its support of its neighbors. Events like the 2007 Harvest MOON festival have already demonstrated the success that can occur when Miami students coordinate with and are exposed first-hand to local agricultural possibilities. There is no better way to expand this exposure to the student population than by hosting events such as Thursday's theme dinner.
While it is an important first step for places like Market Street in MacCracken Hall or Tuffy's to carry locally produced products, the themed dinner provides an overt visual connection to illustrate the importance of regional farmers. Taking into account previous reporting on the subject of local farmers, we find it especially important to echo the comments of our March 7 article "Local flavor: community farms contribute to Miami's food supply". In it, Market Street at MacCracken Hall general manager Diana Byrd said a renewed focus on local producers has been spurred by "hopes of conserving resources and attaining fresh products close to home."
With inflated gasoline and diesel prices bearing down on an economy that is facing serious fiscal threats, the safe bet-the one that Miami has chosen to embrace-is to look locally to use resources not thousands of miles away, but right here at home.
In the wake of Sunday's storms and damage due to wind and fallen trees, it is even more important to support local producers economically through by purchasing their goods. For students that normally eat on campus and do not normally venture up to the OFMU or are unaware of other issues of local sustainability, being able to come face-to-face with a real economic question will do us all some good.
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