<< Back to Report Card
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: Judith Gipper, M.S., R.D.
Title: Dining Service Director
Date survey submitted: July 14, 2009
1) Total annual food budget: [$ 3,491,062.00 ]
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:
WMU Dining Services has developed a Locally Sourced initiative based on Michigan, and the surrounding Great Lakes states. A description of this program is at: www.wmich.edu/dining/green
Questions 3-5 pertain to the WMU Dining Services Locally Sourced initiative.
3) From how many local farms or growers do you purchase (excluding on-campus farms/gardens)?
[ # 1 ] Number from which you purchase directly. (See comment below)
[ # 0 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor:
Dining Services will be serving a “Farmers Market Luncheon” on September 17, 2009 in which food will be purchased from Bear-Foot Farm, Paw-Paw, Michigan. WMU’s chef has been working closely with a farmer so the farmer can produce sufficient food for the menu for the 4,000 students expected to eat lunch.
4) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was grown or raised locally?
[$ ]
This information is not available given our current data gathering methodologies.
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):
This information is not available given our current data gathering methodologies.
Questions 6-8 pertain to locally produced and/or processed items.
Answers to questions 6 – 8 is based on the Locally Sourced initiative as stated in #2 above.
6) From how many local processors do you purchase?
[ # 6 ] Number from which you purchase directly.
Carbon’s: Buchanan, Michigan – pancake and waffle flour
Ope’s: Portage, Michigan – organic vegetarian patties
Big Apple Bagels: Kalamazoo, Michigan – bagels
Little Caesar’s: Kalamazoo, Michigan – oven ready pizza dough and finished pizzas
Renzema’s Bakery: Kalamazoo, Michigan – fresh doughnuts
Prairie Farms: Battle Creek, Michigan – milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt
[ # 63 ] Number from which you purchase through a distributor. Please specify name and location of distributor:
[products processed per WMU definition of Locally Sourced and purchased through distributor] Please specify name and location of distributor:
Gordon Food Service: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sysco Foodservice: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Norman Foods: Battle Creek, Michigan
Superior Foods: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Stanz Foodservice: South Bend, Indiana
Sofo Foods: Toledo, Ohio
Nickles Bakery: Nararre, Ohio
Shelton Farms Wholesale Co: Niles, Michigan
7) How much do you spend annually on purchasing food that was processed locally?
[$ 387,442.00 ] – Current data collection methodology does not capture all purchases processed locally from distributors listed above. Additionally, this amount does not include bread, produce, or products from dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream).
8) Please list items you purchase that are processed locally (e.g., bread, granola, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt, cheese): bread, cereals, pasta, chicken, bagels, dressings, prepared salads, baked goods, beef, pork, vegetables, pickles, ice cream, cheese, oils, margarine, condiments, and egg products.
9) Do you purchase milk from a local dairy?
[ ] No
[X ] Yes. Please provide name of dairy and location: Prairie Farms, Battle Creek, Michigan
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?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe program:
ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD
12) Do you have any formal policies pertaining to the purchase of organic and/or sustainably produced food?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe and provide URL, if available:
When selecting products, Dining Services has a practice of utilizing organic foods when the flavor, availability, pack size, and price meet student preferences and our budget.
13) Do you purchase organically grown or produced food?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please list items:
Items utilized in 2008-2009 academic year: Ope’s Veggie Burger, Ope’s Black Bean Patty, Citavo Organic Coffee
Items specified for 2009-2010 academic year: Ope’s Veggie Burger, Ope’s Black Bean Patty, Kellogg’s Cascadian Farms Oats & Honey Ceranola, Harry’s Organic Vegetable Tortilla soup, Morning Start Farms Malibu Garden Burger, Citavo Organic Coffee.
14) How much do you spend annually on organically grown or produced food?
[$ 16,307.28 ] - Purchases July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.
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?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] 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).
Prairie Farm cows are not treated with artificial growth hormone (rbST or rBCH).
[ 100 %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product: milk (hormone free only)
[ %] Percentage hormone- and antibiotic-free. Type of dairy product:
19) Do you purchase seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines or Marine Stewardship Council standards?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate.
[ %] Percentage purchased that meets guidelines. Please list guidelines used:
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: The Garden Wok, a vegetarian specialty concept, offering predominately vegan options, is available every lunch and dinner during the academic year: http://www.wmich.edu/dining/gardenwok.html
The regular menu offers a vegetarian choice at each lunch and dinner, and frequently this choice is vegan.
21) Please list and give percentages for any other sustainably produced food items you purchase that are not included above:
Fresh flat leaf spinach , used daily on salad bars, is organic on a periodic basis; however, percentage of organic spinach received is not tabulated.
FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS
22) Do you purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee?
[ ] No
[ X ] Some. Please describe: Citavo Organic Coffee (offered in all dining halls) and Starbucks Fair Trade Coffee, offered in all Campus Cafes.
[ ] All
23) Do you purchase other Fair Trade Certified food products?
[ X ] No
[ ] Yes. Please indicate (repeat for each product).
[ %] 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).
[ X ] Plastic or polystyrene
[ X ] Postconsumer recycled content
[ X ] Biodegradable/compostable
[ ] Other
Description (optional): Use of polystyrene primarily in Campus Cafes, napkins made with postconsumer recycled content, Freshens Smoothie cups are biodegradable, and Starbucks cups are made utilizing sustainable practices and include 25% postconsumer recycled content.
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:
A 20% discount for the WMU dining services sponsored Café Go-Cup.:
http://www.wmich.edu/dining/green/CafeGoCup.pdf
The WMU WeSustain (thermal, stainless seel) Eco-mug will be distributed to all incoming undergraduate students beginning fall 2009 and will also be eligible for the 20% discount when used at WMU dining services.
27) Do your dining facilities use any polystyrene products (i.e., Styrofoam)?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: Styrofoam beverage cups used at Campus Cafes breakfast carryout, and Late-night carryout. One campus cafes offers meals to go using a Styrofoam hinged container.
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.
A pilot will be underway for fall 2009 (10% of pre-consumer).
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.?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: Donations are made to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission
31) Do your dining facilities have a trayless dining program?
[ ] No
[ X ] Sometimes--on specific days, on certain occasions, or in specific locations. Please describe:
Three dining halls are trayless, a fourth dining hall will be trayless in Fall, 2009. Only one dining hall will continue use of trays.
[ ] Yes--standard practice. Please describe program including date started and, if available, data on reduced food waste or water consumption:
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 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
[ X ] Plastics (all)
[ X ] Plastics (some)
[ ] Other. Please list:
34) Are recycling receptacles located throughout dining locations?
[ ] No
[ X] Yes
35) What is the dining services' current waste-diversion rate (the percentage of recyclable waste diverted from traditional disposal)?
[ 27 %] Yes. Please describe:
As Dining Service participates in campus wide recycling program, Dining is not separated from all recycling on campus.
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:
WMU Dining Services is fully operated by the university.
[ ] 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:
Judith Gipper, RD, Dining Service Director,
Member of the President’s University Sustainability Committee
<< Back to Report Card