Billy Skiber, executive chef at Kennesaw State University’s dining hall, may have hit on a way to hold the “freshman 15″ down to 10 and save tons of money. He’s combating those infamous pounds that so many college newbies pile on during their first year by serving a profusion of fresh, organic vegetables and herbs, much of it produced by the school.
In tandem with Gary Coltek, Kennesaw’s director of culinary and hospitality services, Skiber brings the current farm-to-table craze into the dining hall where approximately 7,500 students, faculty, staff and members of the public eat every day. But he’s not just relying on the harvests of local farmers for his ingredients: He’s also serving beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach and other fresh produce from the university’s Harmony Hill Farm and Apiary in Bartow County.
Last spring, students and culinary staff tilled the 3-acre site, located about 40 minutes north of the Cobb County campus. It is a small part of a tract given to the school last year. A committee recommended uses for the property, and organic farming was at the top of the list.
“Our goal from the beginning was to grow things we could incorporate into the campus cuisine,” Coltek said. They wanted to farm organically and looked for heirloom varieties. "We’ve had six varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, watermelon and okra -- all high-yield produce that we harvested all summer.”
The last of the summer crop was brought in this week, and the beds were prepped for a fall planting of lettuces and root vegetables. The harvest was immediately put to good use in the salad bar, sauces, dressings and sandwiches made in the Commons, the year-old dining hall that features a variety of food stations and cuisines.
“The Commons was built around the premise of small-batch cooking,” Coltek said. “We actually cook to order as much as possible. So when we get in these items from the farm, the chefs can immediately use broccoli or green beans in whatever they’re doing. We do change the menu, so if we’re getting a great yield on spinach or onions, we’ll add them in.”
Skiber, whose latest gigs were with the Georgia World Congress Center and the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead before moving to Kennesaw a year ago, estimates that since the first harvests in the spring, the culinary staff has diced, sliced, cooked and served more than 2,000 pounds of the fresh vegetables. That’s added a flexibility to the menu that makes cooking at the Commons fun, he said.
“They’ll call me from the farm and say, ‘We’re bringing down 80 pounds of green beans,’ but when you’re feeding this many, that’s good for about an hour,” Skiber said with a laugh. “The menu is constantly changing, from day to night.”
Along with the farm, the culinary crew oversees 18 bee colonies with 500,000 honey producers. So far, more than 20 gallons of honey have been used in dressings, sauces and the Commons’ signature sweet Vidalia onion and honey vinaigrette. And adjacent to the campus dining hall is a 3,000-square-foot organic herb garden of rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil and more that’s managed by the chefs.
"Last fall, we harvested enough basil to carry us through the winter," Coltek said. "[Herbs] alone saved us $12,500. There's no question that growing our own is worth it just for the money we're saving."
The same commitment to freshness extends beyond basil and beans. The Commons staff brines its corned beef, roasts its beef, makes its pizza dough and generally does as little processing as possible.
“We’ll bring in a 150-pound whole snapper and feed students right off the fish,” Coltek said. “We’re educating them not just on organic food but on preparation and freshness.”
Chris Preston, a junior environmental science major who has pitched in on the farm, helps spread the word about its impact on the menu, the university and the environment through the student group Progressive Earth Alliance at Kennesaw.
“We’re trying to get more students to help out because the more we plant, the more we’ll have coming in,” he said. “At the same time, it saves the Commons a lot of money and works toward the goal of sustainability that the university supports.”
But do college students, known for midnight burger binges and pizza parties, care about freshness and flavor? Based on the quick consumption of the farm produce, the chefs say they do.
Preston agrees. “The farm brings an awareness of healthier food to the students. They know where their food is coming from and that it’s being produced locally and organically. And there is a difference: The cucumbers and tomatoes I’ve had were out of this world! I ate a lot of heirloom varieties in salads that were just great.”
Farm-to-campus dining
You don’t have to be a student to enjoy the farm-fresh produce at the Commons. The public is welcome to purchase entry cards that cover the cost of all you care to eat.
The Commons at Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Building 40, Kennesaw. 678-797-2902, www.kennesaw.edu/dining
Hours: breakfast, 7:30-10:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays; lunch, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; dinner, 4-8 p.m. daily; brunch, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.
Prices (before tax): Breakfast, $6.30; lunch, $8.91; dinner, $11.95; brunch, $8.91.
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