20 MB - University of Toronto Magazine

ew& NotableNR ECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON CAMPUSThe Sustainable ChefJaco Lokker brings local flavour to student menusPHOTOGRAPHY: COREY MIHAILIUKSO,not all experiments workout. For a local foodstheme night at 89 ChestnutResidence cafeteria, Chef JacoLokker tried to feature Ontario beef orcanned tomatoes in every course. Alas,his attempt at tomato basil ice cream fordessert didn’t make the menu. “Youreally need fresh tomatoes for that,”he admits.That the good chef even tried tomake ice cream from scratch – andsuch an exotic one at that – says muchabout the delicious developments atU of T since it has committed to buyingsome local foods. On this chillyJanuary evening, Lokker’s dining roomis a tasty slice of Tuscany – or is thatOntario? – with students indulging inrich tomato bisque, pasta and homemadepizza, all using canned tomatoesfrom Kerr Farms in nearby Chatham.For the meat eaters, there are heartybeef burgers and a succulent braised potroast – and a farmer on hand to explainthat the beef was raised humanely onsmall farms and without growth hormonesor antibiotics.Previous theme nights have featuredorganic dairy and Ontario apples – theapple flambé over ice cream was a hugehit. And Lokker, a towering man resplendentin chef’s whites, practicallygets giddy about the summer, when hecan buy local fresh produce to can andmake vinaigrettes and sauces for theupcoming school year.For Lokker, serving local food hasbecome a passion, if not a mission. InSeptember 2006, the University ofToronto partnered with Local FoodPlus (LFP), a network of certified Ontario-basedfarmers and processors who14 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE / SPRING 2008grow and sell food produced accordingto sustainable methods that are goodfor the environment and give farmers afair wage. According to Lokker, themethods, certified by independentinspectors, also result in tastier, morenutritious food. “You start with greatingredients that are healthier for thestudents,” says Lokker, who points outthat LFP farmers growing produceminimize the use of synthetic pesticides.“We know the farmers have donetheir part in producing food in a waythat’s safe and humane and contributes