| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.97 |
| Liaison | Rachael Rost-Allen |
| Submission Date | July 28, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Johnson County Community College
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.88 / 2.00 |
Kristy
Wittman Howell Sustainability Education and Engagement Coordinator Center for Sustainability |
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a published sustainable dining policy?:
A brief description of the sustainable dining policy:
From supporting local farm stands on campuses, to teaching Dining Services staff how to cook with local and sustainable ingredients, to participating in national campaigns to raise awareness about green eating, young learners have become integral to the larger process of change.
The term "sustainable" in this case refers to agricultural practices that are environmentally friendly (i.e. organic or with minimal pesticides), support of local small farmers and promotion of healthy, diversified diets.
Johnson County Community College Dining Services and its catering division are committed to local sourcing of food products. It incorporates the products in many of its menu items.
Special menus featuring local foods can be created by executive chef Marc McCann.
http://www.jccc.edu/student-resources/campus-life/dining-services/sustainability.html
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor source food from a campus garden or farm?:
A brief description of the program to source food from a campus garden or farm:
In addition to regular sourcing from JCCC's Open Petal Farm for the Greens Bar in Down Under, dining services staff regularly work to shift the culture of our primary vendors by asking for more (and more regular) locally sourced options.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, and/or urban agriculture project, or support such a program in the local community?:
A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
JCCC's Sustainable Agriculture program produces fruits and vegetables that are made available to CSA subscribers at weekly on-campus pickups. With support from a paid student intern, the agriculture program also sells campus-grown produce as available at weekly vegetable stands on Fridays from September until May, and the Overland Park Farmer's Market from May until December.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a vegan dining program that makes diverse, complete-protein vegan options available to every member of the campus community at every meal?:
A brief description of the vegan dining program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events (e.g. Meatless Mondays)?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events:
JCCC hosts monthly Veg-Out lunches in its Down Under location. The offerings began in Spring 2017 and have served 3-400 diners in 3 events. We also offer daily vegetarian options in Down Under and Food Court, with vegan options in coffee bars.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host sustainability-themed meals (e.g. local harvest dinners)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed meals:
Once a semester, dining services coordinates with the Center for Sustainability to offer farm lunches. The Student Sustainability Committee offsets part of the cost for a set number of diners (100-150), allowing the campus community to dine for $5. The campus community is invited to volunteer at a farm work day to participate in harvesting for dishes at lunch, and dining services make recipes from the event available.
Once a year, Dining Services supports a harvest dinner event that serves as the primary fundraiser for sustainable agriculture scholarships. The locally sourced, three course dinner highlights a regionally notable chef and local produce, sourced from the campus farm and other nearby outlets.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a sustainability-themed food outlet on-site, either independently or in partnership with a contractor or retailer?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labeling and signage in dining halls?:
A brief description of the sustainability labeling and signage in dining halls:
With support from our campus dietitian, we communicate with diners about vegan, gluten free, more healthful, and locally-sourced choices using printed and electronic signs.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor engage in outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the outreach efforts to support learning and research about sustainable food systems:
Our campus dietitian hosts tabling events in conjunction with Center for Sustainability and professional development programming to discuss sustainable food systems.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have other sustainability-related initiatives (e.g. health and wellness initiatives, making culturally diverse options available)?:
A brief description of the other sustainability-related dining initiatives:
Culturally diverse options make regular appearances at all dining services locations, in addition to a sushi vendor in-house in the food court. Special events, such as Marwan Chebaro's Mediterranean offerings (twice quarterly for four-day periods, starting in March 2017) and Lunch With the Chefs (monthly since 2015) give our campus chefs and dining services staff a chance to explore cuisines with which they're familiar and to bring in guests as well.
Our sole coffee vendor, The Roasterie, roasts their beans within 50 miles of campus. They source directly from farmers and meet with their growers regularly to ensure they're fairly compensated. Representatives from The Roasterie also bring presentations related to sourcing, equitable trade, and coffee varieties to campus for coffee bar staff.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor participate in a competition or commitment program and/or use a food waste prevention system to track and improve its food management practices?:
A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
Pollution prevention intern KSU - Food Waste
Compost percentages from pre-consumer
Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented trayless dining (in which trays are removed from or not available in dining halls) and/or modified menus/portions to reduce post-consumer food waste?:
A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
A brief description of the food donation program:
Particularly over breaks and when the campus is closed, JCCC Dining Services donates surplus food to local food pantries and kitchens. Donations have gone to City Union Mission in downtown KC and Harvesters.
The following items are usually donated:
Unrefrigerated vegetables
Dairy products
Fresh meat and poultry
Most unprepared items that are not frozen and have a short shelf life
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses (e.g. converting cooking oil to fuel, on-site anaerobic digestion)?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
JCCC composts all pre-consumer food waste from our Dining Services program as well as out of the Hospitality and Culinary program's kitchens. Our daily and historical information can be tracked on our Composting Dashboard:
https://sites.google.com/site/jcccsustainability/composting-dashboard
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
Reusable plates and cutlery are provided for dine-in meals at Cafe Tempo, Down Under, and the Food Court.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor provide reusable and/or third party certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals (in conjunction with an on-site composting program)?:
A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
Students, faculty and staff are able to purchase access to use a "Greenie" to-go container for a small upfront fee and then receive a small discount off meals that utilize the "Greenie." Containers may be returned dirty and exchanged for a clean container.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Reusable mugs may be used for both hot and cold beverages at all dining services eateries and beverage vendors across campus. Coffee punch cards incentivize reusable mugs over single-use cups.
Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented other materials management initiatives to minimize waste not covered above (e.g. working with vendors and other entities to reduce waste from food packaging)?:
A brief description of other dining services materials management initiatives:
In 2016, dining services removed all foam carryout containers from campus, switching to compostable containers and encouraging use of the reusable Greenie containers.
Dining Services staff frequently encourage The Roasterie, our primary coffee vendor, to find a compostable or recyclable hot cup.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.