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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: Melissa Zelazny
Title: Director, University Dining Services
Date survey submitted: July 21 2009
1) Total annual food budget: [$ Our food budget represents approximately 36% of our total volume. ]
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: http://uds.uvm.edu/social.html#farm
Questions 3-5 pertain to locally grown purchases.
For Dining Services at UVM, we define Local as within the state of Vermont, from which we try and purchase first. Then we look at Bioregional purchases. We have a student forum that looks at changes to policy and what the next best purchase practice is that meets guidelines addressing both local purchases and ongoing sustainability efforts.
Sodexo has a local purchasing policy for produce. In our contracts, we require produce companies to source fruits and vegetables from the same state or geographical region.
Additionally, we require all vendors to follow the Sodexo vendor Code of Conduct covering the following areas; child labor, forced labor, wages and benefits, working hours, health and safety guidelines, freedom of association, non-discrimination, disciplinary practices/coercion, environmental guidelines, community involvement, ethical standards, conflicts of interest and communication. http://www.sodexousa.com/usen/citizenship/diversity/suppliercode/suppliercode.asp
3) From how many local farms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[ 5 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
[ Access to over 60 farms ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please
specify name and location of distributor: Dining Services purchases directly from Champlain Orchards, a farm located in Shoreham, Vt., that supplies our campus with Vernont grown apples and apple products, year round. We also purchase local cider from Chittenden Cider Mill, South Burlington, Vt., free-range turkey naturally-raised chicken and from Misty Knoll Farms, New Haven, Vt., and maple sugar products from Highland Sugar Works, Websterville, Vt. Local, bulk milk comes from Hood Dairy for Booth Brothers Milk.
Black River Produce, in Springfield, Vt. is our primary local produce purveyor, representing over 60 farms and producers. Through them we also procure Vermont artisan cheeses, Vermont soy products, local Vermont meats, local honey and maple sugar products. We work with the entire spectrum of Black River farms dependant on our product needs, seasonality and availability.
We purchase Vemont specialty food products from Vermont Roots, Rutland, Vt., which include gourmet mustrards, chutneys, salad dressings, salsas, etc. In addition, we are currently in the process of developing a direct relationship with Shelburne Farms for cheese, breads, wine and specialty products.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$50,000 in 2006 and it has grown through better tracking and increased volume to $250,000 projected in 2009.]
5) Please list foods you purchase that are grown or raised locally (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, fish, honey, maple syrup; foods that are processed locally should be listed in question 8): milk, apples, honey, cider, maple syrup, cheese, yogurt, bread, salad greens, some Vermont deli meats, ham, turkey, chicken, beef, pepperoni, hamburgers, soy milk, tofu.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # 6 ] Number from which you purchase directly. Bread, Cider, pies, syrup, coffee
[ # 15 or more ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor: Vermont Roots, Rutland, Vt., Black River Produce, Springfield, Vt., United Natural Foods, Keene, NH, Green Mountain Coffee Company, Middlebury, Vt., Speeder and Earls Coffee, KoffeeKup Bakery and Baker’s Dozen, all of Burlington, Vt.
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$ Unknown, but we estimate about 10-15% of our total local purchases are for specialty Vermont products that are processed in the state or thru local companies. ]
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): Bread, granola, baked goods, cheese, yogurt, coffee, tofu, salsas, mustards, jams, jellies, ice cream.
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Booth Brothers Dairy in South Barre, Vermont for bulk fluid milk and ½ gallon containers as distributed. Vermont Soy Milk is produced by Vermont Soy in Hardwick, Vermont and purchased through Black River Produce.
Dairy is contracted by Sodexo with regional dairies and most milk is procured within 150 miles. The exception is with deficit states where the demand outweighs the production. Regionally contracted dairies are antibiotic and rBGH/rBST free.
10) Do you source any food from an on-campus farm or garden?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes. Please describe source and amount: We participate in CSA shares for the Common Ground Student Run Farm for our summer orientation programs, summer retail and fall start up. We sponsor about $1500.00 each summer.
11) Do you participate in a farm-to-school program?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please describe program: Farm to College program
Sodexo Campus Services has been involved in a Farm to College program since hosting the first gathering of local farmers and producers in April 2005. In April 2007 Sodexo hosted a Farm Forum event as a follow-up. Efforts are on-going to increase the amount of local foods on our campus.
We work with the Vermont Dept of Agriculture and Vermont Fresh Network in continued development of local/regional food usage as well as education of the campus community.
Dining services also employs a student Sustainability Intern who tracks and reports local purchases and investigates additional local food opportunities for our campus.
ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLEY 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:
We have a strategic plan and a dining advisory committee that outlines broad goals for purchasing food that meets a wide variety of student needs on campus. We are currently working on a new sustainable dining format that will focus on local products, all natural and organic offerings in a more intentional way that will open in the fall, 2009.
Sodexo has agreements with regional and broadline distributors that provide organic and sustainably produced foods available to all accounts for purchase. As of July 2009, Sodexo has made the following commitments with an achievement date of 2015.
-100% of the fish and seafood we serve will be sustainably caught and raised.
-100% of the farm and ranch products we serve will be responsibly grown from local and sustainable producers.
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[X ] Yes. Please list items: Local produce and yogurt that is organic, fresh herbs and salad greens.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ Not known ] Very similar to the local percentages for produce, but we spend more on convenience grocery organic food that is available in our convenience stores. Soups, cereals, breads, canned goods, pasta’s, sauces, etc.
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).
[ 50 %] Percentage cage-free eggs
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
[ %] Percentage confinement-free. Type of meat product:
Utilize cage free shell eggs for retail sale and cage free liquid eggs in our retail applications. Will be switching to cage free liquid eggs in our residential dining units Fall 2009.
16) Do you purchase any grass-fed animal products?
[ ] No
[X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ Minimal%] Grass-fed. Type of animal product: Serve some grass fed beef in certain catering applications. Utilize local free range chicken and turkey.
[ %] Grass-fed. Type of animal product:
17) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free meat?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat: Free range Turkey and Chicken.
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of meat:
In some applications.
18) Do you purchase hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product, Fluid milk and some yogurt
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product:
Yes. Our Regionally contracted dairy provides 100% antibiotic and hormone (rBGH/rBST) free fluid milk.
19) Do you purchase seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines or Marine Stewardship Council standards?
[ ] No
[X ] Yes. Please indicate. 50% currently with goal of 100% within 2 years.
[ %] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used:
Sodexo contracts through regional and broadline distributors for seafood that provide seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines as well as the Aquaculture Certification Council.
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 with which they are offered:
Yes, all of our dining and retail locations offer Vegan and vegetarian options that are specifically labeled. We offer a vegan or vegetarian local soup daily in the student center, have vegan entrée options available in all of all resident dining locations. There is also a dedicated vegan platform at one of our dining locations. We also offer grain stations and nutrition information on making a healthy vegetarian meal. In the student center we also offer a Mediterranean platform which features vegetarian local flatbreads and entrees. All of our to go items have vegetarian options as a standard. This past year we worked with the STAR club in developing a vegan survey for students and dining brochure for better student information. We also started labeling our soups specifically for vegan as well as local and gluten free 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: 90% of our coffee is certified fair trade.
[ ] All
We feature fair trade locally processed coffee in all of our units. (15 in all). Fair trade tea and bananas are also available campus wide as well as fair trade teas.
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product). Yes, Fair Trade Bananas and Chocolate.
[ %] Percentage purchased that is Fair Trade Certified. Type of item:
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).
[ ] Plastic or polystyrene
[ ] Postconsumer recycled content
[x] Biodegradable/compostable
[x ] Other recyclable plastic containers
Description (optional):
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: One Less Cup Campaign
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[x] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe:
FOOD COMPOSTING AND WASTE DIVERSION
28) Do your dining facilities compost preconsumer food scraps?
[ ] No
[ x ] 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. Yes, nine kitchens collect food production waste for compost.
[ 100%] Proportion of dining facilities that run preconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of preconsumer compost. This number is unknown, as we have no reason to separate pre and post-consumer food waste.
29) Do your dining facilities compost postconsumer food scraps?
[ ] No
[ x ] 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.
[100 %] Proportion of dining facilities that run postconsumer compost programs.
[ ] Annual tonnage of postconsumer compost. This number is unknown, as pre and post-consumer food waste are not separated. Total of 225 tons of food scraps collected annually.
30) Do your dining facilities donate excess food to a food bank, soup kitchen, or shelter, etc.?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please describe: Yes. UVM opened a chapter of the student-run CAMPUS KITCHENS in fall 2008. Student members, under the guidance of dining services chefs, collect and convert leftover surplus foods into meals that are delivered to a local food shelf organization. In addition, Dining Services donates excess food to the Burlington Food Shelf and The Vermont Foodbank on an ongoing basis.
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless 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: One week pilot program occurred in a single dining hall spring semester of 2008. Fall of 2008 opened with all three campus dining halls tray-free. Estimated 40% reduction in food waste.
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): Recycling used frylator oil into biodiesel through a local vendor generating 1575 gallons of fuel annually. Encouraging zero waste catering events using compostable products and utensils.
RECYCLING OF TRADITIONAL MATERIALS
33) Please indicate which traditional materials your dining facilities recycle (check all that apply).
[ ] None
[ x ] Aluminum
[ x ] Cardboard
[ x ] Glass
[ x ] Paper
[ ] Plastics (all)
[ x ] Plastics (some)
[ ] Other. Please list: Cooking oil, food waste (compost)
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please describe: Yes, all dining halls and retail food locations have recycle receptacles for bottles, cans and paper products.
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)? Unknown. All waste from campus is handled together and not separated by facility of functional area. It is suspected to be a much higher rate than the campus average of 36%
[ ? %]
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:
[X ] Contracted. Please describe: Sodexo Campus Services is the contracted food service provider for The University of Vermont. Sodexo manages a total of 15 on-campus food locations to include, three resident dining halls and 12 retail food outlets encompassing a C-Store, a full service restaurant, a multi- platform European style Marche concept ,cyber cafes as well as three partnerships with local restaurants that operate kiosks in our student center.
[ ] School operated Please describe:
[ ] 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: Dining Services is a member of the UVM Environmental Forum. At any given time during our academic year, dining services managers are actively involved, with the university community in pursuing environmental/sustainability initiatives.
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