Organic Options at CSU-MB

Most of you know that I'm almost always willing to toot the horn of educational institutions integrating sustainability measures on campus, but this story from the Monterey County Herald also ties in nicely with our recent discussion on organic dairy products (which broadened into a discussion of organics in general).

Returning for the fall semester, CSU-Monterey Bay students now have the option to go organic whenever they eat salad, buy fruit or snack on carrot sticks on campus.

A partnership between the university's Maryland-based food service provider, Sodexho, and Earthbound Farm, based in San Juan Bautista, is bringing the local company's produce to campus at the urging of students, faculty and staff who have wanted such a choice for years.

First, could someone more familiar with the area give us a sense of the distance between Monterey Bay and San Juan Bautista (I know -- I can check this...)? I'd like to know if this move towards organic options is also local in nature. While the corporate players in this are definitely not just local in their focus (we just hired Sodexho to manage our food service), is this a sign that sustainable food is moving towards both wider acceptance and greater profitability?

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