Organic Food at Colleges Prompts Donations

"When deep-pocketed donors write large checks to their alma maters, it's usually for a new building or athletic facility, or maybe financial aid or an endowed faculty chair. But at Bates College, an anonymous graduate has given $2.5 million for a less traditional cause: supporting the college's use of organic, natural, and farm-fresh foods.

The gift, announced last week, ranks among the largest ever received by the Lewiston, Maine, college, and will expand the use of local and organic food on campus. In conjunction with a new energy-efficient dining hall that opened in February, the donation has also sparked a yearlong initiative on sustainable food.

"People often give to support faculty and curriculum and programs, and that's necessary and wonderful," said Bates president Elaine Tuttle Hansen. "But here is a gift that actually supports operations and recognizes that there is a financial cost to doing the right thing, from both a nutritional and an ethical perspective."

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