When I walked into O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library this semester and saw the Farmer’s Fridge vending machine no longer in its place by Stacks, I was upset. This machine, along with the one on the third floor of O’Shaughnessy Science Hall, was taken away.
I love the Farmer’s Fridges. Though they are more expensive than a normal vending machine, it is for good reason; you can buy full meals like a sandwich or a cubed cheese snack. I used to visit the OSS Farmer’s Fridge often, but now when I am nearby for class or work, I can’t get the go-to snacks that I used to.
The other vending machines at St. Thomas feature a vast assortment of unhealthy foods like chips, Pop-Tarts and sodas. These usually have higher calorie counts and added sugars. I use those occasionally, but I liked the Farmer’s Fridge if I needed an on-the-fly snack that was better for me. I would occasionally eat breakfast from the Fridge, like the chia seed pudding. I had never had chia seeds before the Farmer’s Fridge; it introduced me to some foods that I now make for myself at home.
A key value of the Farmer’s Fridge company is sustainability, in line with St. Thomas’ goals. The Farmer’s Fridge website encourages people to recycle their used jars in a recycling bin or even in the Fridge itself; there is a compartment specifically for that purpose. Plus, the jars can be taken home and reused.
The Farmer’s Fridge even has a rewards system, so the more often you visit the Fridge, the more points you get. For every $100 you spend, you will receive a coupon for $9, according to the website FAQs. This is a great deal for college students because even though it takes a while to get to $100, students who are often in the library or OSS may use the Fridge a lot. Besides, what student doesn’t love rewards and free things?
According to the Farmer’s Fridge website, you can submit a request for a machine to be put in your space. Evidently, someone from the university did this last year.
Sometimes when I visited the Farmer’s Fridge, certain items would be out of stock. I assumed this meant that students were buying them. It might be that they were not eaten and instead expired, but it is possible that some items were, in fact, popular to students.
Steve Griffin, Executive Director of Dining Services, wrote in an email to The Crest: “The Farmer’s Fridge was removed due to not being used. The company that owns them was throwing more food away than they were selling.”
The St. Thomas Farmer’s Fridges sold 60% less product than the average machine, Griffin wrote.
Additionally, Griffin wrote that the university is adding Practically Plated to the library, “so there will be food available.”
This is a university-run food service to be offered in the cooler in Stacks, and its meals can also be found in the Summit Marketplace, STEAM Café and T’s, according to Griffin. The service provides sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts, which Griffin said students can purchase with their Dining Dollars or credit card.
“Practically Plated items are the same types of items that were in the Farmer Fridge,” Griffin wrote. “(It) is healthier because it is made fresh on campus and only has a 2 day shelf life.”
I’m glad that St. Thomas is offering an alternative option for people who want food in the library, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the school to offer a different option other than their own. I wonder whether this service will be more profitable than the Farmer’s Fridges; perhaps students are more apt to use it because they can use Dining Dollars rather than paying out-of-pocket.
Maybe it’s impossible to believe that we will ever get the Farmer’s Fridge back, but as for myself, I can say that I will miss its healthy, sustainable efforts.
Bridget Schmid can be reached at schm1520@stthomas.edu.
