Sodexo at Northampton Community College caters "Local Food Economy" luncheon, food sourced from fourteen local farms

Renew Lehigh Valley is committed to promoting smart growth and smart governance to revitalize core communities, preserve open space, and establish an economically and environmentally sustainable foundation for the region’s future growth.

Proponents of this initiative recently gathered at Northampton Community College for a community conversation about the local food economy in terms of food access and insecurity to entrepreneurship, growing farmers, preserving farmland and getting local food into area institutions. Attendees included local farmers, politicians, hospitals, colleges and food service providers.

The event was hosted by Northampton Community College and Sodexo, dining services partner to the school. One hundred percent of the food for the 100-person luncheon was sourced from fourteen local farms, including:

Red Cat Farm- Germansville
Butter Valley Harvest- Bally
Josie Porter Farm- Stroudsburg
Primordia Farm- Lenhartsville
Scholl Orchards- Bethlehem
Terra Fauna Farm- Northampton
Flint Hill- Coopersburg
Wild Fox Farm- Barto
Jetts Produces- Telford
Klein Farms- Easton
Macungie Mountain Herb Farm

Attendees included local farmers, politicians, hospitals, colleges and food service providers.

Bob Meyer, Sodexo general manager at Northampton Community College, and his dining team was instrumental in coordinating local sourcing for the meal.

The menu featured Hydroponic fresh Greens Salad w/ Butterhead Lettuce, Red Leaf, Spinach & BVH Signature Salad Blend, Sliced Watermelon Radishes, Bosc Pears, Goldrush Apples, Cremini Mushrooms, and Orange Carrots; Roasted Organic Chicken Salad on Salt & Pepper Focaccia w/ Fresh Basil Pesto, Arugula, and Caramelized Candy-Sweet Onions; Hand Made Wheat Wraps filled with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash, Purple Beets, Spaghetti Squash, Jetts PA Canned Tomatoes & Candy Sweet Onions; Lehigh Gold and Sweet Potato Chips; Wheat Berry Pudding w/ Goat Milk Smoothie topping and Raw Milk, Pennsylvania Maple Sugar.

“Later that evening, I was at an advisory board meeting for Buy Fresh Buy Local with twelve other leaders from various local-farmer-focused agencies and they unendingly praised the event - and Sodexo,” said Todd Snyder, district manager, Sodexo Campus Services. “Thanks to the on-going efforts by Bob Meyer and his team, we have earned full encouragement for our continued leadership surrounding local initiatives.”

Sodexo at Northampton Community College is part of Grow LV, a consortium of Sodexo culinary teams in the Lehigh Valley sourcing fresh, local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients to serve guests and partners at DeSales University, Lehigh University, Moravian College, Muhlenberg College, Northampton Community College and Lehigh Valley Health Network.

For more information, contact Todd Snyder at Todd.Snyder@sodexo.com or 610-217-5378.