University of Vermont
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

UVM signed the Real Food Campus Commitment in 2012 and formed a Working Group to coordinate and implement the commitment. This group includes students, faculty, staff and dining representatives and functions according to the Working Group Charter. The group is responsible for adhering to the Multi-Year Action Plan. UVM Dining uses the Real Food Challenge guidelines when determining what products to purchase for campus. In September 2014 Sodexo (UVM’s foodservice provider) announced a major initiative to help grow Vermont’s local food economy by committing to buy local food first via a comprehensive program called “Vermont First”. Through the program, Sodexo works with farmers, distributors, processors, state government, non-profits and supply chain players within the farm to table economy to increase the amount of local food grown and sold in the state and beyond. UVM Dining also considers Vermont First criteria when determining what products to purchase for campus. If a Real Food or Vermont First qualified item is within a certain price threshold above the conventional price for the same item, UVM Dining has a policy that the qualified item must be purchased. Sodexo’s contract with UVM includes additional sustainability goals and UVM Dining writes an annual strategic plan that outlines how progress towards those goals will be made in the next year.

The Catamount Educational Farm is a five-acre organic farm at The University of Vermont Horticulture Research and Education Center (HREC), located approximately five miles from main campus in South Burlington, VT. The HREC is comprised of 97 acres of well-drained agricultural soils, forests, and waterways. Since its purchase by UVM in 1952, the HREC has hosted vegetable and fruit production plots used for research, teaching, and outreach programs. Apple orchards and a small vineyard have long been important crops at the farm, and a student-run vegetable farm was hosted from 1995-2013. Beginning in 2011, the UVM Farmer Training Program operated a concurrent vegetable farm at the HREC in support of their programming. In the past, each program operated independently and managed its fields with its own staffing and management teams. These programs are the seeds from which the Catamount Educational Farm has grown.Fruits and vegetables grown through Catamount Educational Farm are sold through select outlets within the University in order to fund farm operations and to close the gap between producers and consumers within the UVM Food System. http://learn.uvm.edu/partners/cals/programs/catamount-educational-farm/about-us/

Catamount Educational Farm sells organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit weekly from early June to mid-October. The farm stand is open Tuesday afternoons from 2 pm to 5 pm, and located between the Davis Center and Bailey Howe library. The students grow, harvest, wash, and display the veggies that are sold weekly at the farm stand. Come meet the Farmer Training Program students and experience the seasonal harvest! All proceeds from farm stand sales directly benefit Catamount Educational Farm and the training of new and aspiring farmers. http://learn.uvm.edu/partners/cals/programs/catamount-educational-farm/csa/farmstand/ Davis Center Farmer's Market, presented by the UVM Eco-Reps, runs at least once per semester. It includes a well-rounded display of what Vermont vendors have to offer. Available options will include season produce, canned goods, student groups, and artisanal crafts! https://www.uvm.edu/~davis/?Page=farmersmarket.php&SM=menu_food.html The Burlington based Intervale Food Hub offers local food subscriptions tailored to students and the UVM academic calendar. These subscriptions are similar to a CSA and are delivered weekly to the UVM student center. The pickup is overseen by Eco-Reps.

All of our dining units offer complete-protein vegan and vegetarian options as part of their daily menu cycle for all meal periods. Additionally, Cook Commons, Harris Millis, Redstone Unlimited, and Marketplace have dedicated vegan/vegetarian platforms. The University Marche’s Vermont Bean Crafters platform is 100% vegan and also has an 87% Real Food score. We consistently score an “A” on our Vegan Report Card, as determined by peta2.

Each semester UVM Dining serves entrees at every dining location, for every meal period, that use primarily Real Food Challenge approved ingredients. These “Real Meals” are served at all 17 dining locations for Earth Day and Food Day each year. Many dining locations offer Meatless Monday specials (in addition to the regularly available vegan and vegetarian items).

Each semester UVM Dining hosts memorable evenings by showcasing cuisine and decorating their locations to depict different North American Regions. One of our most loved tour themes is “Taste of Vermont”, a dinner in the fall dedicated to celebrating Vermont products prepared using traditional Vermont recipes. UVM Dining also hosts week long “fests”, celebrating some of Vermont’s most beloved products by integrating them into menus across campus for the week. Farmfest includes recipes with Vermont produce and pays tribute to the farmers who grow it. Farmfest events have included guest appearances from farmers/producers such as: Misty Knoll Farms, Sam Mazza's, Lewis Creek Farms, Champlain Orchards,Vermont Soy, Norris Berry Farm and Black River Produce. Applefest showcases the apples from Champlain Orchards that we use year-round on campus. Bill Suhr, owner of Champlain Orchards is a graduate of the University of Vermont. Cheesefest highlights Vermont produced cheeses in recipes and sampling events with cheesemakers like Grafton Village Cheese, Vermont Creamery, Cabot Creamery, and Shelburne Farms. Maplefest honors the springtime tradition in Vermont of maple syrup production. Recipes across campus are sweetened with Vermont maple syrup and events are held that test the attunement of your maple palate.

The Skinny Pancake is on a mission to change the world by building a safer, healthier, and more delicious food shed while creating everyday enjoyment that is fun and affordable. Stop in to Vermont's favorite creperie for some sweet or savory crepes, paninis hot off the press, or a delicious breakfast which is served all day. Ben & Jerry's has an ice cream scoop shop right on campus and is internationally recognized as a leader in corporate social responsibility and sustainability. They serve cups and cones, milkshakes, fruit smoothies, and decadent sundaes along with fresh baked cookies and brownies. Vermont Bean Crafters joyfully serves up some of the tastiest in local, organic and plant-based food at their dedicated station located with the University Marche. Vermont Bean Crafters prepares hot delicious and healthy offerings that are preservative-free and filled with nutrients all the while sourcing directly from farms within a 256 mile radius. Brennan's tagline is “Local, Organic, Sustainable”. Run by UVM Dining, they feature local burgers, fresh salads, steel-cut fries, milkshakes, sandwiches plus Vermont local brews and wine.

Vegan, vegetarian, local, organic and Real Food Challenge approved are all indicated with logos on our printed and digital signage.

Thesis Support -2014: The Impact of Changes in Beverage Options on Beverage Choice, Calorie and Added Sugars Consumption on a University Campus by Liz Berman -2012: What’s the Catch? An Analysis of Seafood Sustainability at the University of Vermont by Sara Cleaver Financial Support -$500,000 donation to Food Systems Initiative to fund two Food Systems Masters students per year -Offer sustainability internships Guest Lectures -Global Gateways Program English for Academic Purposes: 2014 -Campus Sustainability: 2013-2016 -Barriers to Local Food: 2014-2016 -Vermont Food Systems: 2013-2016 -Foodservice Systems Management: 2013-2016 -Campus Sustainability: 2013-2016 -Service Learning Class Partnerships -Social Marketing for Sustainability: 2014 -Mapping the UVM Food System: 2013 (only offering) -Barriers to Local Food: 2014 -Applied Research Methods: 2013, 2016 -Sustainable Purchasing in Food Service: 2015-2016 -Campus Sustainability: 2015 Additional academic support: -Regularly provide interviews for students for profiles on food systems careers -Promptly provide data for independent class projects whenever requested.

Mindful offerings meet stringent nutritional criteria based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each meal part is limited in calories, has fewer than 30% of calories as fat, fewer than 10 % of calories as saturated fat, and is restricted in sodium, and cholesterol. The Mindful icon indicates these criteria in an entree. Mindful meals are available for all meal times at all of our locations. Simple Servings is a dining option that provides safe and appetizing food choices for customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance, or other special dietary needs. The Simple Servings station offers simply prepared foods made without the eight most common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, milk products and eggs. In addition, all food are made without gluten and controlled for cross-contamination. Simple Servings is located at The Marketplace and Harris Millis Unlimited Dining Hall. My Zone is a gluten-free, peanut and tree nut free area for students reserved with food allergies and other special diet needs. Located inside our four unlimited dining locations (Northside, Cook Commons, Harris Millis and Redstone Unlimited) our My Zones act as a pantry for students to be involved in their own allergen-safe meal preparation. These areas are equipped with a designated microwave, refrigerator, toaster, gloves and allergen-free prep surfaces. We offer fixed international stations at Harris Millis and Marketplace and feature international recipes regularly across campus. Our dedicated Kosher Kitchen on Redstone Campus provides hot lunches and dinners as well as packaged to-go meals that are available at all retail locations. We encourage students to share recipes from home and tell us how to prepare meals the way they like them. We do our best to source specialty ingredients and feature meals that taste like home. We annually host multiple internship rotations for Masters of Dietetics students in addition to extensive guest lectures and class partnerships.

UVM Dining has used LeanPath at their largest volume location, Harris Millis since 2013. UVM Dining has also collaborated with UVM Eco-Reps and UVM Recycling Department to host a “Weigh the Waste event” every fall since 2009. UVM Dining is also recognized by the Food Recovery Certified for our food donation program, which sends ~15,000 lbs/year to Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf.

UVM Dining removed trays in Spring 2008. All stations allow customers to try a taste of a menu item before ordering it through the “Try A Taste” program. Customers are also encouraged to ask for customization of their order to meet their preferences and reduce waste through the “Just Ask” program.

Food is donated multiple times per week and from all dining locations to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. Donations total approximately 15,000 lbs per year.

Our dining facilities produce approximately 150-200 gallons used cooking oil each month. We have been diverting our waste oil since 2000. Today, the oil is taken to Smart Fuel America in New Hampshire, which blends it into a biofuel. The biofuel is then used to power a paper mill in Brattleboro, Vermont, the first in the nation to solely use vegetable fuels to run its plant. Visit UVM Recycling & Waste Management for more information on UVM Dining's vegetable oil collection history.

In collaboration with UVM Recycling and in accordance with Vermont's Universal Recycling Law UVM Dining diverts all organic waste from the landfill. Each week, about nine tons of pre and post-consumer food scraps and compostable packaging is collected from our dining locations and then transported 10 miles to the Green Mountain Compost facility. Employees are trained in composting at their annual orientation and again at their unit.

In collaboration with UVM Recycling and in accordance with Vermont's Universal Recycling Law UVM Dining diverts all organic waste from the landfill. Each day, about nine tons of pre and post-consumer food scraps and compostable packaging is collected from our dining locations and then transported 10 miles to the Green Mountain Compost facility. Students are exposed to composting as early as their orientation and consistent signage is placed campus-wide explaining how to properly sort compostables. For the first two weeks of every semester, Eco-Reps help students learn how to sort their waste at busy locations on campus.

Reusable wear is available in select locations equipped with dishwashers and collection areas equipped for dine in service. Reusable service-ware is also an option for catering.

We work hard to limit excessive packaging. When we do use packaging, we use recyclables or compostable products that are in line with preferences of Chittenden County Solid Waste District. We never use Styrofoam on-campus and we offer complimentary memberships to our reusable to-go container program, Eco-Ware, to all new students. We know that students are busy and often must eat on the run. This need makes to-go dining very popular on our campus, which generates waste. Much of this waste is diverted from landfills by utilizing recyclable and compostable packaging but Eco-Ware aims to avoid the use of this packaging altogether by shifting from single-use to reusable containers. Eco-Ware can be used at all retail and resident dining as well as on campus “franchise” locations.

We support the use of reusable mugs on-campus. Customers who use reusable mugs only pay $1.19 for any size refill on-campus for coffee and fountain soda options as part of the One Less Cup discount campaign. Reusable mugs are available for purchase in all of our retail dining locations.

We also have a reusable utensil program, called Sporks. Sporks are also given to each incoming student as part of their meal plan (distributed at the same time as Eco-Ware). Sporks can be used at all retail dining and on campus“franchise” locations. We partner with four of our vendors to participate in the Power of Three closed loop recycling program. Casella collects all our recyclables, sorts the material and sends our recycled paper to SCA in New York to be made into napkins, which Sysco delivers to campus with our regular food orders. All of the napkins used on campus are from the same paper fibers that are recycled by our campus.