Dining Services Brings Local Food from Findlay Market to UC Students

From UC News:

Date: 12/7/2011 12:00:00 AM

By: Amy Browns Taylor
Phone: (513) 556-1713

Other Contact: John Hautz
Other Contact Phone: (513) 556-4723

Photos By: Amar Singh, DAAP '12



Nearly 1,200 students took part in the Harvest Market @ MarketPointe event at MarketPointe at Siddall.

UC Dining Services and Ohio’s oldest municipal market house, Findlay Market, collaborated on November 30 to prepare distinctive menus with locally-sourced food for UC students at a special dinner called Harvest Market @ MarketPointe.

MarketPointe at Siddall was transformed into a Findlay Market-like atmosphere.

Students enjoyed delectable food sourced from 11 Findlay merchants. Menu highlights included:

• Kung Pao Pork Stir Fry & Steamed Rice
• Grilled Italian Sausage & Roasted Pepper Panini
• Espresso Rubbed BBQ Beef Top Round with Creamy Cole Slaw
• Greek Orzo, Feta, & Olive Salad
• Cincinnati Style Chili
• Findlay Market Vegetable Soup
• Tuscan Chianti Cacciatore with Toasted Garlic Bread
• Spanish Paella with Fresh Market Seafood
• Adobo Pork Loin Ciabatta with Chipotle Aioli
• Apple Cider

UC Sustainability volunteers sorted food waste and 210 pounds of compostable waste was returned to Findlay Market’s composting system.

The event concept was discussed with 29 students who participated in University Dining Services’ Food Focus Committee meetings this fall and these students were invited to participate in an upcoming outing to Findlay Market. Twenty UC students and staff participated in this outing to Findlay Market on November 5, led by Rebecca Heine, Findlay Market’s Outdoor & Farmers Market Manager and a UC alumna. Heine gave a historical and current overview of the facility and a tour of the market’s composting vessels (called “earth pots”) and urban garden.

During this pre-shopping trip, students and Executive Chefs Kiril Gallovitch, Jonathan Hunt, and Cooper Thomas, met with Findlay merchants and farmers and began formulating the dinner including menus and how to return the event’s compostable waste back to Findlay’s in-vessel food waste composting system. Findlay Market is the only Class II composting facility in an urban area in the state. 

The chefs sourced the food for the event from the following vendors: Kroeger & Sons Meats, Mackie Quality Meats, Eckerlin Meats, Madison’s, Findlay Market Urban Farmers, LeGrand, Salatins, Gibbs Cheese, Silverglade’s, Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spice, and Skirtz & Johnston.

In addition to the special menu, MarketPointe was transformed into a Findlay Market-like atmosphere and included music by a regular Findlay musician, Darius, who has been playing the violin at Findlay since he was nine years old. Currently, he is in the 9th grade at the School for the Creative & Performing Arts.

“Findlay Market and UC have a history of working together. For this night, we were able to come together to highlight fresh local food for the UC community, and we have the potential to do even more exciting ventures together,” said Heine.

Nearly 1,200 students participated in the event, a 30% increase in participation as compared to a typical Wednesday evening at MarketPointe.

The goals of Harvest Market @ MarketPointe were to provide an exceptional culinary experience, support local farmers and businesses, introduce UC students to the historic market in their neighborhood, and to increase participation in sustainable practices. Compostable scrap waste, 210 pounds in total, was sorted by UC Sustainability volunteers and returned to Findlay Market’s composting system. The event resulted in a 30% increase in participation as compared to a typical Wednesday evening at the MarketPointe dining center.

UC Dining Services Director of Operations Ian Sroufe said, “It just proves when you put your energy toward what is right and good, the ball gets rolling, people get on the train, and we all ride into a better way of thinking, working, and living. This is only the beginning.”