On Tuesday, Saint Joseph’s College was one of many colleges across the country to participate in the Second Annual Eat Local Challenge.

The challenge was sponsored by CafA?© Bon Appetit, a custom restaurant company that provides cafe and catering services to colleges and universities including Saint Joseph’s College.

For the challenge, the culinary staff at Saint Joseph’s had to prepare the noontime meal with nothing but local ingredients. “Local” being defined as from Maine and located within a 150-mile radius of the campus.

“We are really only required to make one full meal from all local ingredients,” said Stuart Leckie, general manager of dining operations at St. Joseph’s. “But we got really excited and decided to do the entire lunch menu from local ingredients.”

Leckie was so passionate about the challenge, he even replaced the salt on the tables with fresh sea salt from Maine Sea Salt Company. Leckie also made sure local wine and butter was used for the cooking instead of out-of-state oils or vinegars.

“It’s just a great idea,” said Leckie. “It makes people realize what is on our door step. There is so much to choose from right here in Maine and since it doesn’t have to travel as far, the items are fresher.”

Paul Reed, manager of Little Alaska Farms located in Wales, Maine, agreed.

“The more natural and local people can get their food,” said Reed, “the better it is for their bodies. By the time beef gets to the store and is ready to be sold, it is approximately three months old. Buying local means it is fresh.”

Little Alaska Farms provided all the meat for Tuesday’s challenge, including chicken, sausage, hamburgers and beef for the Beefy Bean Chili.

Little Alaska Farms is the only grass finished retail meat market in Maine, meaning they raise only grass-fed animals using no grains, antibiotics or hormones.

“People are starting to become more aware of what they are eating,” said Reed. “And I think the Eat local Challenge is an incredible way to show people what is available to them.”

The lunch menu on Tuesday included herb roasted chicken, vegetable frittata, sautA?©ed mussels, sweet Italian sausage, cream of butternut squash soup, steamed potatoes and various fresh vegetable dishes.

Most of the vegetables used were provided by Matt Olson. Olson, an environmental science major, graduated from Saint Joseph’s College in 2005. Gardening had been only a hobby for Olson until his senior year when some of his professors he brought vegetables to encouraged him to talk to Leckie about selling his veggies to Bon Appetite for use in the cafeteria.

Olson went to talk with Leckie and Leckie bought the remainder of his vegetables. Olson had his garden on a friend’s rented land, and when the lease expired, Olson thought his garden idea had as well.

“I told Stuart,” said Olson. “And he really wanted to get me a spot on campus. Like Stuart says, I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Olson’s garden is now located across the street from the college behind an old farm building that houses the college’s marketing department.

Olson tends to the garden and supplies Bon Appetit with 12 varieties of tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce and greens, squash, various hot peppers, several different fresh herbs, peas, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, squash and pumpkins.

“Matt does a great job,” said Leckie. “Next year we are hoping to expand the garden.”

Mmm mmm good

Students at Saint Joseph’s have been looking forward to the Eat Local Challenge since last year’s event.

“They did this last year,” said sophomore Courtney Nelson. “It was great. The program is a good program. It’s always good to support local farmers.”

Sophomore Iris Guimond agreed.

“It’s nice to see they care about helping out the local farmers,” said Guimond, a Fort Kent native whose parents own a cattle farm. “The food is great.”

Martha Decesere, a nursing professor, had a hard time choosing just a few things.

“I couldn’t decide what to get,” said Decesere. “Everything looked great!”

Pat Decola, a sophomore from Methuen, Mass., got the same thing he gets everyday but admits it was a little better.

“The fries taste a lot better,” said Decola. “But the food is usually pretty good.”

Although the challenge happens only once a year, Leckie tries to use and support local vendors year-round.

“We try to purchase and support local farms and keep the dollars in Maine,” said Leckie. “Why buy out of state if you do not have to?”