University of Massachusetts Amherst
OP-7: Food and Beverage Purchasing

The UMass Dining Sustainability Department is currently on our third grant initiative to support a resilient New England food system. The continued goals of this grant are to increase local and sustainable food sourcing, create a cost defensible model for other institutions, and provide continued education and engagement opportunities for our campus community to understand sustainable food systems. Sourcing and Procurement Highlights: -UMass Dining sources from approximately 100 local farmers and businesses -We have an agreement with our prime produce vendor that local and regionally sourced items should be used first before sourcing elsewhere -100% local milk is used in Hampshire & Berkshire Dining Commons - Source produce from the UMass Student Farming Enterprise and our 5 on-campus permaculture gardens in addition to our local farms - Utilize individually quick frozen (IQF) techniques to extend the time that we can supply local fruits and vegetables - Source free range turkeys from Diemand Farms located within 20 miles of campus - Source some free range local chicken, beef and pork within 250 miles from campus for use in all of our Dining Commons - Incorporates wild and foraged ingredients into menu cycles, such as fiddleheads, when seasonally appropriate -100% spring rolls are hand rolled, using local vegetables when seasonally appropriate, from a local family restaurant -100% local honey -Local maple syrup - 100% organic, free-range eggs -Serve organic and fair trade coffee -Sourcing more underutilized, local "trash fish" - All seafood served through UMass Dining is certified sustainably sourced using Seafood WATCH guidelines - One local produce aggregator (Joe Czajkowski Farm, just 2 miles from campus) brokers for about 20 additional local farms in order to allow UMass Dining to source as much local produce as possible

The UMass Dining Sustainability Department is comprised of 3 full-time staff members. Two team members analyze our purchasing software (FoodPro) quarterly, in order to track progress and monitor trends of local and sustainable foods. This in depth analysis allows the UMass Dining Sustainability team to make recommendations and advice projections for future spending in relation to our goals such as the Real Food Challenge and the Food Solutions New England goal of 50% New England produced by 2060. At UMass Dining, our 3 week menu cycles are adapted to what is seasonally available. In the summer and fall we source tremendous amount of fresh produce to maximize what is seasonally available. We capture the fresh harvest by using the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) technique which extends our supply of local foods. In the winter we utilize locally sourced meat and dairy as well as storage crops such as squash, root vegetables, and apples. We also tap into four season markets through farmers who use extended growing season techniques such as greenhouse crops.

-UMass Dining sources 100% antibiotic free chicken -We support local businesses that may not have third party certifications but are small business and rely on our support. For example, we put money back into the local economy through sourcing from Glazed Donuts, Mi Tierra tortillas, Berkshire Brewing Company, Grandy Oats, Esselon Coffee Roasting Company, and more.

UMass Dining Sustainability Accomplishments: -Voted #1 Best Campus Food by the Princeton Review - On track to meet the Real Food Challenge Campus Commitment of 20% real food by 2020 -Launched the Lean, Low Carbon, Local Protein Initiative to increase sourcing, expand distribution, and create solutions to protein procurement regionally -UMass Dining is the first university in the country to provide SPE Certified meals - Since 2015 more than 30% of our menu is Plant Based Proteins -Hampshire Dining Commons has become the national model for sustainable campus dining -Launched an initiative called UMass Fresh, a new outlet for regionally sourced homemade meals to the campus community -Published a free "How To Guide for Foodservice Operators" with the hope that other institutions implement the tools in the Guide for their own operations which can be found at localumass.com