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With the publication of the College Sustainability Report Card 2010, more than 1,100 school survey responses from over 300 institutions are now available online. In total, these surveys offer more than 10,000 pages of data collected from colleges and universities during the summer of 2009. To access surveys from other schools, go to the surveys section of the website. To see grades, or to access additional surveys submitted by this school, please click the "Back to Report Card" link at the beginning or end of the survey.
Name: Terry Baker
Title: Director, Dining Services
Date survey submitted: July 21, 2009
1) Total annual food budget: [ $6,000,000]
LOCALLY GROWN AND PRODUCED FOOD
Note: Geographic location and seasonal availability are taken into account in assessing your response. "Local" is defined as within 150 miles of your campus.
2) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to local purchases?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available: Dining Services utilizes a produce bid spec sheet that actively encourages all approved small farms to participate. Efforts to incorporate Made-in-Oklahoma products in all its dining operations, including retail and convenience store operations, are extensive. Dining Services partners with the OSU Food and Agricultural products center to incorporate their Oklahoma produced and processed new products in dining venues.
Questions 3-5 pertain to locally grown purchases.
3) From how many local farms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[ # 2 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ # 3 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: U.S. Foods, Rosemont, Illinois, and Thomas Brothers Produce, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$ NA ]
5) Please list foods you purchase that are grown or raised locally (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, fish, honey, maple syrup; foods that are processed locally should be listed in question 8): fresh fruit (including peaches and watermelon), vegetables (including lettuces and tomatoes), milk, syrup, and meats (including beef, pork, chicken, and turkey)
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # 2 ] Number from which you purchase directly. Ralph’s Meats and Hiland’s Dairy
[ # 5 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: From the distributor, U.S. Foods in Rosemont Illinois, the following items were purchased: Head County sauces, Griffins syrup, Borden Dairy milk and cheeses, Advance Brands meats, Shawnee Mills baking products, and Clements Foods sauces. Other distributors from which locally processed items are purchased are Tyson foods, Pepsi, Blue Bell Dairy, and Coca Cola.
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[ $1,390,000]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): milk, cheeses, meats, baked goods, sauces, and syrups
Additionally, beginning fall 2009, Dining Services will implement the Farm-to-Market concept. The concept emphasizes locally grown and produced foods and includes the following enhancements to Dining Services. Catering will offer special seasonal menus from local farm produce and made in Oklahoma products. A Made-In-Oklahoma Day will be held each month when all the items in dining operations will be labeled where they were made or processed in Oklahoma. Local vendors will be featured throughout the year to offer samples of their Oklahoma products. To promote local produce, Dining Services will feature monthly in the different dining operations on campus a locally grown produce item by providing samples, recipes utilizing the produce, nutritional information, and the name of the farm where the produce was grown.
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Hiland Farms in Chandler and Tulsa, Oklahoma
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ X] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe source and amount:
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe program: Dining Services participates in the Oklahoma Farm to School program that encourages farmers to sell produce to schools and encourages schools to buy part of their fresh fruits and vegetables from Oklahoma farmers.
ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD
12) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to the purchase of organic and/or sustainably produced food?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available: http://union.okstate.edu/uds/Sustainability.htm Sustainability initiatives of Dining Services are presented on the website. The newest dining operation, Roots Eatery, focuses on organic items and ecofriendly products. Two on-campus convenience stores have dedicated organic food sections.
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please list items: vegetables, including lettuces and tomatoes, and assorted fruits. This a rapidly growing segment in Dining Services.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ NA ]
For questions 15-19, please indicate percentage based on annual dollar amount spent.
15) Do you purchase cage-free eggs and/or confinement-free meat products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ .05%] Percentage cage-free eggs
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
16) Do you purchase any grass-fed animal products?
[X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Grass-fed. Type of animal product:
[ %] Grass-fed. Type of animal product:
17) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free meat?
[ X] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
18) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 85 %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product: milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, and butter
19) Do you purchase seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines or Marine Stewardship Council standards?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please indicate.
[ 95 %] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used: Monterey Bay
20) Do you offer specifically labeled vegan entrees on a daily, weekly, or other regularly scheduled basis?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please specify number of options and the frequency which they are offered:
The weekly dining specials include vegan and vegetarian options, both options are presented on the dining website. Two of the dining locations include a wok station and a Mongolian grill for vegetarian or vegan choices. The convenience store includes a large section on vegan and vegetarian options.
21) Please list and give percentages for any other sustainably produced food items you purchase that are not included above:
FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS
22) Do you purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee?
[ ] No
[ X ] Some. Please describe: Java Dave’s, Seattle's Best, and Starbucks
[ ] All
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ 100 %] Percentage purchased that is Fair Trade Certified. Type of item: Diamond Crystal sugar
[ 100 %] Percentage purchased that is Fair Trade Certified. Type of item: United Natural Foods prepackaged convenience foods
DISHWARE AND ECO-FRIENDLY INCENTIVES
24) Please indicate which of following your university-operated/contracted dining facilities offers.
[ ] Disposable dishware
[ ] Only reusable dishware
[X] Reusable and disposable dishware
25) If you offer disposables, please indicate materials used (check all that apply).
[ X ] Plastic or polystyrene
[ X ] Postconsumer recycled content
[ X ] Biodegradable/compostable
[ ] Other
Description (optional): All paper napkins on campus are from recycled paper; reusable cloth bags are available for purchase in convenience store locations. The Catering Department uses all biodegradable disposable products, such as, cups, forks, knives, napkins, and spoons. Taco Mayo and Chik Fil A, two franchise operations on campus, use 95% paper and cardboard food containers.
26) Do your dining facilities offer discounts or cash incentives to individuals using reusable dishware, bringing a bag, or bringing reusable containers?
[ ] No
[X] Yes. Please describe: At certain dining locations refills into a reusable container are discounted.
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[ ] No
[X] Yes. Please describe: takeout containers
FOOD COMPOSTING AND WASTE DIVERSION
28) Do your dining facilities compost preconsumer food scraps?
[ X] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate the proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs (e.g. two out of five dining facilities) and, if available, the combined annual tonnage composted.
[ %] Proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of preconsumer compost.
29) Do your dining facilities compost postconsumer food scraps?
[X] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate the proportion of dining facilities that run postconsumer compost programs (e.g. two out of five dining facilities) and, if available, the combined annual tonnage composted.
[ %] Proportion of dining facilities that run postconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of postconsumer compost.
30) Do your dining facilities donate excess food to a food bank, soup kitchen, or shelter, etc.?
[X] No, as a state university the state guidelines are followed.
[ ] Yes. Please describe:
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless dining program?
[ ] No
[ ] Sometimes--on specific days, on certain occasions, or in specific locations. Please describe:
[X] Yes, standard practice
Please describe program including date started and, if available, data on reduced food waste or water consumption: Trayless dining started in the fall semester 2008 in one all-you-care-to-eat facility. Students were very supportive of this new initiative and it was quite successful. As a result, in spring semester 2009, all campus dining facilities are completely trayless in the all-you-care-to-eat facilities.
32) Please tell us about any other steps your dining facilities have taken to reduce waste (e.g., food waste auditing, recycling used cooking oil for biodiesel production):
Food waste auditing is done through production sheets, computerized inventory management systems, and forecasting modules. Training and certification focuses on waste reduction and all catered events follow guaranteed counts to reduce waste. Fryer oil is processed through Capitol City Processors. Cooking oils are filtered once per day and in some cases filtered several times per day. In addition, several professors use the discarded fryer oil in the production of biodiesel for alternative fuels.
RECYCLING OF TRADITIONAL MATERIALS
33) Please indicate which traditional materials your dining facilities recycle (check all that apply).
[ ] None
[ X] Aluminum
[ X ] Cardboard
[ ] Glass
[ X ] Paper
[ ] Plastics (all)
[ X ] Plastics (some) at dining locations and vending operations
[ X ] Other. Please list: Old equipment and tables go to metal recycling
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[X ] Yes. Please describe: In the vending operation, dining services recycles cans and plastic through a program with the local Habitat for Humanity. Recycle bins are at inside locations and recycle dumpsters are located at outside locations. The services of a paper shredding company are utilized.
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[approximately 40%]
AFFILIATIONS
Questions 36-37 are for informational purposes only; responses will NOT be included in the Report Card evaluation process.
36) Indicate if your dining services are:
[ ] Contracted. Please describe:
[ X ] School operated. Please describe: Dining Services is one of the non-academic, organizational units of the university. They oversee more than 30 different dining establishments with various food options conveniently located throughout the OSU campus
[ ] Other. Please describe:
37) Is the dining services director, or another dining services staff person, a member of any campus-wide environmental/sustainability initiatives or committees at your school?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: The Dining Services Director is a member of the President's Task Force on Sustainability. All dining managers who are under the direction of the dining services director have attended two seminars within the past year on sustainability issues and practices for the campus dining environment.
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