This month, local farmers working with the Center for Sustainability and well@du began delivering fresh, organic vegetables right here on campus. Part of the new  fruit and vegetable pick-up CSA (community-supported agriculture) share program, will allow students to sign up for a season’s worth of fresh, weekly  fruits and vegetables to be delivered on campus by local farmers themselves.

Well@du is the university’s employee/student health program through the HR department. Along with the Center for Sustainability, they lead DU’s green initiatives.

The joint effort works with local farms to provide freshly grown and locally sourced produce to the DU community.  Drop-offs will be every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. at the Center for Sustainability in Johnson-Macfarlane Hall.  The vegetables will include selections such as spinach, baby greens and cucumbers as well eggplants, edamame and peppers. On the fruit side of things, the season will begin with peaches, then apples and fresh cider in October.

The fruit and vegetable pick-up is the latest addition to well@du’s “Eat Well” program, which features workshops, competitions and events aimed at promoting healthy eating this spring.  Through direct cooperation with local farmers, students and staff will be able to receive fresh, organically sourced produce for a cheaper price than could be found at most supermarkets. The program aims to support their local economy in the process.

“It’s fun because you never really know what you’re going to get; one week you might get a mix of lettuce and baby greens, the next there might be some eggplants or kale, so you get the chance to try really high quality vegetables that you might not normally use,” said Stacey Barnum, the HR employment coordinator.

According to the well@du program, the fruit and vegetable pick-up is an example of community-supported agriculture, which means students or staff will pay an upfront fee for the season ($135 for fruit, $200+ for vegetables) which allows the farms to buy seeds and products needed for that season. In return, customers receive a subscription to a portion of whatever fruits or vegetables are produced that season.

“[CSAs] started because individuals wanted to grow produce for people, but there are a lot of upfront costs before you have any actual produce to harvest,” said Jeni Nagle, Front Range representative for one of the chosen Colorado farms, Ela Family Farms.

According to well@du, Lefler and Ela Family farms were chosen to provide the local produce for the initiative due to their history of sustainability along with the variety and capacity needed to best serve the DU community. Family operated and located in Colorado, the two farms will provide participants with a range of fruits and vegetables.

“We did a lot of research and chose these farms because they have the capacity to serve our needs,” said Barnum.

“They’ll deliver right here on campus and they have a history that shows they’re clearly dedicated to organic farming and sustainability.”

Ela Family Farms, which provides all of the fruit produce for the program, has been working with various CSA programs for the last six years, but have been growing local Coloradan produce for over a hundred years.

“CSA’s are for people that understand the value of supporting local growers,” said Nagle. “We use organic practices, and sustainable agriculture to provide the variety of products shown.”

Lefler Family Farms are located in Eaton and have served local produce since 1996.

Students interested in the fruit and vegetable pick-up or any of the other programs can find additional info on the DU website under ‘Employee Wellness,’ where they can find sign-up instructions as well.

“You’re getting the fruit and vegetables the day after they’re picked, so the nutritional content and taste is much better,” said Barnum.