New Seasons Market Portland, Or

II. Opportunity

The opportunity for New Seasons to partner with Portland State University has never been better. The city of Portland as a whole has been pushing to make the town not just green but healthier; a city in which people choose to eat healthy, organic, and locally grown food. Now this movement of organic eating has been spreading like wildfire in the city of Portland, however it’s been difficult to push organic, local foods on the Portland State campus because healthier foods have generally been more expensive than food from Safeway, and college students don’t have a lot of money. That’s where New Seasons comes in; by bringing New Seasons to Portland State would mean that students and civilians would have access to healthy organic food that is affordable. The store would be located on the bottom floor of University Point right below student housing apartments, one block off of campus

III. Background

In 1999, Brian Rohter, Stan Amy, and Chuck Eggert, with the help of their friends and families decided to open the first New Seasons Market in Portland, OR. All three men had previous grocery store ownership. Their mission was to make people more knowledgeable about eating healthier foods. The three founders was a company that was committed to the community. The first New Seasons started with a bakery, a deli, a salad car and a take out meal area. The thing that sets New Seasons apart from markets is that they refuse to label their store as a conventional grocery store or health food store. By 2001 New Seasons had opened 3 new stores in Portland bringing their total number of stores to 4 in the Portland Metropolitan area. A fifth store was added in 2004, which created 120 jobs. By 2004, New Seasons had become the foundation for the “slow food” movement in Portland. The slow food movement praised groceries that were fresh and local. In 2005, New Seasons hired Lisa Sedler as it’s new president while Brian Rohter became the CEO. Sedler had been a former VP of sales and merchandising for Colorado based Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy. At the end of the 2005, New Seasons had 900 employees while planning to open two more stores in 2006.

IV. Discussion

A College Food Culture

Portland State University has a powerful impact on their students and the surrounding community. PSU has the responsibility to act as a role model for their students. To address the pressing matters regarding student health, we must consider the foods we eat on campus.

In the years 2010 – 2012, findings that were published reported that about one third of people in the United States are obese, or around 25 pounds heavier than their recommended weight. The extra pounds not only make people unhappy with how they look and feel, but they increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea. But new statistics show that if something doesn’t change soon, the obesity pandemic in the country will continue to increase significantly.

According to an analysis by the Centers and Disease Control Prevention (CDC) it has been reported earlier this year that 35.7% of adults and 16.9% of children ages 2-19 are obese. Data from CDC projects obesity rates under the adult category will reach 44% by 2030. This graph compares the obesity rates over a total population along with other nations worldwide.

Today’s college students may not know that they are included in the statistics projected for 2030.This is caused by an increasing number of colleges and universities contracting meals out to fast food chains such as the McDonalds. Nutrition experts say that making healthier options available on campus for students is a good step towards a healthier student body.

Prevalence of Unhealthy Food on Campus

Portland State University objectives are to provide resources for a healthy student body and community. However, more options need to be provided in regards to sustainable fresh and local foods. Portland State University has a special opportunity to tackle the problem of obesity on our campus. For many young people, college is the first major step towards independence and freedom away from home. Students are open to change and challenge as they experience new lifestyle choices. We can capitalize on this change period by encouraging students to improve eating habits by teaching them how to implement healthful changes. At the same time, we have the resources to provide a supportive environment by providing and promoting good healthy food choices.

The goals are to decrease the prevalence of unhealthy food on campus by encouraging healthy food choices, promoting obesity awareness, and a healthy student body. Today, students have few healthy food choices on campus. A long-term plan to promote a healthy student body can build on top of existing programs and guidelines already installed on campus. However, PSU administrators and decision makers must support the cause. The first steps begin with the establishment of New Seasons Market that represents sustainable fresh and healthy local foods. Implementing New Seasons on campus brings opportunities such as coordinating efforts and developing realistic goals and strategies to improve student health, jobs, and following through by implementing the dining dollar system for return sales.

We must recognize that obesity is a real threat that compromises the overall well-being and development of students. These young people are not just our future alumni but America's next generation of leaders. Colleges need to step forward, develop an action plan, and follow through. New Seasons Market promotes strategies that focus on healthy eating. Effective weight management can benefit students of the campus community. The vision is to make healthy decisions easier, more convenient, and enjoyable through supportive environmental changes and overall healthy, delicious food.

Consequences of Unhealthy Eating Habits

After conducting observations on PSU campus dining locations, our research found several trends that the university uses to encourage students to eat on campus. The most common trends include grab-and-go and made-to-order food options. The traditional sit down meal is often no longer the first option because of in between classes, jobs, and homework duties. Students that don’t have time will most likely prefer the grab-and-go options such as pre-made sandwiches, salads, pastries, and parfaits. Sometimes students will pair them with high calorie beverages along with snacks. Other food locations offer